Category Archives: Wood and Woodwork
Going Commercial: 7 Ways Selling Your Work Will Change Your Craft
When I started selling my handmade wooden utensils at local craft markets about a decade ago, I had to figure out much of it myself. Having run a successful sideline for years, I have now drawn it to a close, … Continue reading
What’s the Difference between Art and Craft? Problem-Solving.
Just today, a spoon carver on a social media platform I follow asked other carvers, “Do you call yourself an artist or a craftsperson?” I was one of many who responded, and I said that I sell two kinds of … Continue reading
How Do You Set Prices for Handmade Goods?
So you want to sell your work at a craft market. One of the most common questions that new makers ask is how to set prices. We all know that everything has a price, but we seldom think about why … Continue reading
Do NOT Boil Your Wooden Spoons
You may have seen a TikTok video in which somebody tells you to clean your wooden spoons by boiling them in water. This person fills a pot with water, brings it to a boil, and then boils a handful of … Continue reading
Breadboard Ends on a Stove Cover
When a friend asks me to make her a stove cover, I decide it’s a great time to learn a whole new woodworking technique. Continue reading
How I Make a Spoon
From a tree to a spoon, this is how I make wooden cooking utensils. Continue reading
Working with Weird, Local Woods (part 2)
In my last post, I described some of the working properties of two local woods that I have harvested over the last couple years: southern magnolia and crepe myrtle. In this post, I’ll describe three more species that have no … Continue reading
Working with Weird, Local Woods (part 1)
I live in one of the most bio-diverse regions in the world–the Mobile-Tensaw Delta in southern Alabama. That means I have access to a very wide variety of tree species to work with. Many are non-native species, and most have … Continue reading
Four Steps to Rust-Free Tools
Ever since the dawn of the Iron Age (whenever that was), rust has been the enemy of the woodworker. I live in the wettest region of the continental USA, so rust is ever present to me. Even though I store … Continue reading
Planing Stop
To plane down a piece of wood by hand, you have to immobilize the wood. If the workpiece is small enough, it can be held in a bench vise. But if the workpiece is too wide or too long, it … Continue reading
The Literary Workshop Blog 