Category Archives: Woodenware

Spoons, Spatulas, Cutting Boards, and Other Wooden Kitchen Utensils

Essential Tools (for Me), Part 3: Spoon-Making Tools

Posted on June 27, 2021 by literaryworkshop

Because spoon making has been such a big part of my woodworking, I think it’s appropriate that I write my 350th blog post about the tools I use to make spoons, spatulas, and other wooden utensils. These are by far … Continue reading →

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How to Not Grow a Business

Posted on June 11, 2021 by literaryworkshop

Most successful businesses have a growth mentality. But I don’t want to grow anymore. I want my craft market enterprise to shrink gracefully. Continue reading →

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The Ukulele Spoon

Posted on February 13, 2021 by literaryworkshop

Did you ever have one of those odd bits of wood hanging around the shop that is pretty useless but just nice enough not to throw away? For example: Quite a few years ago, I brought this little piece home … Continue reading →

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125 Utensils in Three Weeks

Posted on December 9, 2020 by literaryworkshop

It was already shaping up to be a busy market season when somebody messaged me wanting to know if I could make 125 little spoons and/or spreaders. A local company wanted to put together gift baskets with locally-made items, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Wood and Woodwork, Woodenware | 3 Comments

What’s in a Name?

Posted on September 28, 2020 by literaryworkshop

Since middle school, most of us have hesitated to let other people give us names. Name-calling is a basic tool in the toolbox of bullies and leaders of cliques. And even though our parents mostly gave us nice, socially-acceptable names, … Continue reading →

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A Note of Encouragement to Beginning Carvers

Posted on September 18, 2020 by literaryworkshop

If you’re doing any wood carving these days, you probably belong to one or more Facebook groups for carving. Or you follow some expert carvers on Instagram. Seeing beautiful woodwork every day can be inspiring at first. But eventually it … Continue reading →

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Can You Carve Spoons from Dry Wood?

Posted on September 10, 2020 by literaryworkshop

Spoons and other “treen” are traditionally carved from green wood, cut fresh from the tree. The obvious advantages are that (1) fresh-cut wood is softer and generally easier to cut than dried wood, and (2) you don’t have to spend … Continue reading →

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Want to Carve Spoons? Use a Template

Posted on July 31, 2019 by literaryworkshop

On a spoon-carving forum I read, the question of templates comes up frequently.  A lot of spoon carvers say they “just wing it,” or as others put it, “just see what the wood wants to be.” Now, there’s no question … Continue reading →

Posted in Carving, handicraft, Musings, skills, Wood and Woodwork, Woodenware | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Trash –> Treasure, or New Spoons from Old Furniture

Posted on February 10, 2018 by literaryworkshop

When I sell my spoons and spatulas at craft markets, people always ask me, “Where do you get the wood?”  I often laugh because, truth be told, practically ever piece of wood has a story behind it.  More often than … Continue reading →

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