5-Minute Wizard

5-MINUTE
Beginner project is a great

introduction to woodcarving
Wizard
By Tom Hindes
T he five-minute wizard is a perfect project

for learning basic carving skills and is also
well suited for demonstration purposes. I display
carvings at gift shops, festivals, and art fairs; I whittle
or carve whenever I get the chance. The five-minute
wizard is a simple project that can be given away
to spectators. Children especially enjoy receiving a
souvenir. I normally carve the wizards while I’m at
the event, and then take them home and paint them.
I give away the painted ones to onlookers while
I carve a supply for the next event.
It may take a bit longer to make your first few
wizards, but once you have the steps down, you’ll be
completing them in about five minutes and quickly
carving a large supply. They make wonderful little
gifts for random acts of kindness. Leave one along
with your tip at the local restaurant or give one to your
favorite cashier. You can also attach a pin back or turn
them into key chains.
I create 4" (10.2cm)-long wizards, but you can
adapt the technique to any size carving. Start with a
triangular blank (see below for instructions on cutting
them) and leave a little extra length for
easy handling. Once you are comfortable
with the technique, experiment with tree
branches to make rustic-looking wizards.
Make sure your knife is sharp and strop as
necessary throughout the carving process.
Cutting Triangular
Blanks
Set a table saw blade to 45° and
cut halfway through a scrap
block of wood, such as a 2 by 4.
Cut from both directions to create a
45°-angled groove in the middle. Slice halfway
down the length of the board through the
center of the groove with a band saw.
Clamp the angled jig to the band saw table. Position
a square carving blank in the groove and feed the blank
through the band saw blade to create two triangular
carving blanks.
woodcarvingillustrated.com 45
BLOCKING OUT
1 Outline the bottom of the

2 Relieve the face up to the hat.
3 Shape the face. Position the
hat. Make a mark on the corner, Start a slicing cut 1/4" (6mm) down from blade on the outside corner of the blank
1 1/2" (3.8cm) down from the top of the the stop cut on each of the flat surfaces. 1/4" (6mm) down from the stop cut.
blank. Draw angled lines from the mark Cut up to the stop cuts to create the Cut up to the stop cut to remove about
out to the edges of the blank. Make surface for the eye sockets and cheeks. 3/16" (5mm) from both sides of the face.
1/8" (3mm)-deep stop cuts along these
lines with a carving knife.
4 Define the bottom of the nose.

5 Outline the nose and eyes.
6 Shape the nose and cheeks.
Make a deep stop cut on the front Draw the nose and top of the eyes. Using the knife tip, cut up to the stop
corner, 1/2" (1.3cm) to 3/4" (1.9cm) down Starting at the inside corner of the eye, cuts made in Step 5 and remove a chip
from the bottom of the hat. Cut up to plunge the knife tip in and cut to the from each side of the nose. The deep
the stop cut from below to separate bottom of the nose. Then start at the area where the cuts intersect will be the
the bottom of the nose from the mouth inside corner and cut to the outside eye socket. Remove the corners on the
and chin. corner of the eye. Repeat the two stop bottom of the nose.
cuts on the opposite side.
46 Whittling | Volume 6
ADDING THE DETAILS
7 Outline the mustache. Draw

8 Shape the beard. Cut up to the stop
9 Shape the nose. Give the tip of the
the hat, mustache, and beard. Angle the cuts under the mustache. Cut along the nose a rounded or pointed shape. Then
knife blade toward the mustache and beard outline to finish shaping it. Go back shave down the top to create the bridge of
make a stop cut around the mustache. with the tip of the knife or a small V-tool the nose. Cut up from the tip of the nose
Cut down toward the stop cut to separate and add hair lines and texture to the beard and free the chip by carving down from
the cheeks from the mustache. and mustache if desired. the eyebrows. Carve in small semicircles
for the eyes.
Finishing Notes
I use acrylic paints to
finish the wizards. You TIP BLADE CONTROL
can paint them with your For maximum control, position your
own color scheme or leave thumb on the back of the knife blade
them natural. Whatever and use it to push the blade where
you decide, be sure to erase, you want it to go.
carve, or sand away the
pencil marks. These marks
will often show through
layers of paint.
materials & tools
MATERIALS
• Basswood, 3/4" (1.9cm) square:
8" (20.3cm) long (Makes two blanks)
• Acrylic paints of choice (optional)
Tom Hindes is a
TOOLS
professional whittler and
10 Shape the hat. Use your thumb
carver. Now retired from a
• Pencil
• Carving knife (I use a pocketknife)
career in technical training
to push the back of the knife blade and • V-tool: small (optional)
roll the blade back toward you as you development at Ohio
• Paintbrushes (optional)
cut the hat to a point. You can make the State University, Tom lives
hat long and pointed, squashed down, outside Delaware, Ohio.
or even folded at the top. Use your He carves Noah’s arks, Christmas ornaments, The author used these products for the project.
imagination and make it your own. Substitute your choice of brands, tools, and
wizards, and gnomes. materials as desired.
woodcarvingillustrated.com 47
Layout Guide for TOP
5-Minute Wizard TIP ✔
From Howard Hawrey, Palm Coast, Fla.
I have carved dozens of Tom Hindes’ wizard $5 at most home improvement stores.
faces. I learned to cut the blanks and carve Cut the angle iron to length with a 20°
the wizard quickly, but laying out the angle on one side. The angled end at the top
guidelines still took some time. of the jig should look like the peak of a roof.
I devised this simple jig to expedite Measure down 1/2" (1.3cm) and 1 1/2" (3.8cm)
the layout process. The jig fits nicely in from the peak at the top of the jig. Make
your toolbox and is made from a piece marks at both of these measurements.
of 3/4"-wide by 4"-long (1.9cm by 10.2cm) Cut across the corner at each mark with
aluminum angle iron, which is available in a hacksaw. The cuts should be about 1/4"
3' (91.5cm)-long sections for less than (6mm) deep.
USING THE JIG

Jig Measurements
20° angle cut
Bottom of nose
(½" from top
of corner)
1 Mark the major landmarks. Align the peak at the top of

Bottom of hat
(1½" from top
the jig with the top of the blank. Trace along the bottom of the jig of corner)
to mark the length of the blank. Trace inside the bottom notch to
mark the location of the bottom of the hat.
4"
1⁄16" x ¾" x 4"

aluminum
angle iron
A simple aluminum
jig speeds up the
layout process for
5-Minute Wizards.
2 Add the remaining marks. Slide the jig down so the peak
is aligned with the mark you made for the bottom of the hat. Trace
along the top of the jig to mark the angled sides of the hat onto
the blank. Trace inside the top notch to mark the location of the
bottom of the nose.
48 Whittling | Volume 6

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5-MINUTE

Beginner project is a great

T he five-minute wizard is a perfect project

1 Outline the bottom of the

4 Define the bottom of the nose.

7 Outline the mustache. Draw

USING THE JIG

1 Mark the major landmarks. Align the peak at the top of

1⁄16" x ¾" x 4"

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