Author Archives: stevetomlin

Cranked eating spoon carving instructions

Posted on March 17, 2020 by stevetomlin

An eating spoon is often seen as the peak of wooden spoon carving. Making a spoon which fits the hand, feels comfortable to the mouth and also looks good is a demanding and rewarding challenge for green wood carvers of … Continue reading →

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Fan bird carving instructions

Posted on March 6, 2020 by stevetomlin

Carved wooden fan birds are one of my favourite greenwood projects and a wonderful demonstration of the properties of wood. I first learned about them on a trip to Czech Republic where I bought a pair of birds in a … Continue reading →

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Spoon carving instructions and templates

Posted on March 3, 2020 by stevetomlin

I have been teaching people how to carve wooden spoons since 2004 and it’s been amazing to watch the popularity of this craft explode over the years. Spoon carving is a fantastic hobby and a brilliant introduction to carving wood, … Continue reading →

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Pounding english ash splints for basket making

Posted on March 3, 2020 by stevetomlin

It really felt like spring is in the air this weekend. I was down near Derby pounding a couple of english ash logs to make ash splints for my baskets and courses. Hammering the log breaks the bond between the … Continue reading →

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Ash splint basket making workshop in Wales

Posted on February 27, 2020 by stevetomlin

I was invited to north Wales to teach ash splint basket making to a group as part of the Halkyn Mountain Living Landscape project which is educating people about their local area and crafts associated with the landscape. Ash splint … Continue reading →

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Spoon carving workshop in Manchester

Posted on December 17, 2019 by stevetomlin

Another great day teaching a group how to carve wooden spoons in Manchester, working with axes and knives to make unique cooking spoons from local green wood. To hear first about future wood craft carving courses, sign up to my … Continue reading →

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Fan bird carving workshop

Posted on December 1, 2019 by stevetomlin

I’ve been teaching another course on how to carve fan birds. These amazing birds are made from a single piece of wood without any glue. It’s a tricky thing to get right but I’ve developed my process now so that … Continue reading →

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Devon stave baskets completed

Posted on November 28, 2019 by stevetomlin

One year on from being awarded the Heritage Crafts Association Endangered Crafts Award, I’m incredibly pleased to have completed my first batch of Devon stave baskets. These are size #2: approx 18″ long and 12″ wide. Made from cedar with … Continue reading →

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Spoon carving workshop at Ordsall Hall in Salford

Posted on November 26, 2019 by stevetomlin

Last week I was invited to teach a greenwood spoon carving workshop at Ordsall Hall in Salford.  The Hall is a large former manor house and dates back to the 15th century with beautiful timber beams. It’s a fabulous building … Continue reading →

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Winter scything course

Posted on November 16, 2019 by stevetomlin

My scythe season normally runs from May to October with the majority of courses taking place in the spring and summer. However the scythe is a tool suitable for managing all kinds of vegetation and which can work in any … Continue reading →

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