Spoon & Bowl Carving

Spoon Carving (and bowl carving) refers to the traditional craft of shaping wooden utensils and vessels by hand. In spoon carving, you form the handle and outer shape with straight or curved knives, and then use a hook knife or gouge to hollow the bowl. Bowl carving uses similar techniques with larger gouges or adzes. These methods let you create functional kitchenware that’s both beautiful and practical. For example, our guide on how to carve a wooden spoon shows each step in detail.

For beginners, spoon carving is one of the most accessible and rewarding ways to start wood carving. It requires only a few hand tools and a suitable piece of wood. Small projects like spoons are manageable, practical, and satisfying — you can actually use what you make. Along the way, you’ll learn core skills like safe knife grips, controlled cuts, working with the grain, and hollowing concave shapes. Spoon carving is also portable and forgiving: you can practice with green wood outdoors or at a small table at home.

At BeaverCraft, we make it easy to begin spoon and bowl carving with complete kits tailored to these projects. Our sets typically include a straight carving knife for shaping, a hook knife for hollowing the bowl, and sometimes a gouge for deeper cuts — everything needed in one package. Many kits also feature extras like a leather strop with compound to keep your knives razor-sharp, plus ready-to-carve blanks or templates. With our tutorials and resources, even absolute beginners can confidently carve their first spoon or bowl and enjoy the process from start to finish.