Hello, this is a joint Instructable with my sister. As we are stuck at home right now I wanted to learn how to do some whittling. She learnt how to do it at school when she was eleven, so it should be a good introduction to wood carving.

Supplies

Small saw
Sharp knife
Stick
Surform or sandpaper (optional)
File
Loppers
A protective glove

Step 1: Cut the Stick

Select a stick from the garden that is about 1cm thick and 25cm long. The long length of the stick allows you to easily hold onto it whilst you are carving. Using the loppers make a straight cut across at the end, this will be the top of the mushroom. Try to avoid knots 5cm below the cut. I think a stick with dark bark, that contrasts with the white inside of the wood, is preferable to make the mushroom look better in my opinion.

Step 2: Tip of the Mushroom

Using a sharp craft knife and wearing a protective glove on the hand holding the stick, start to strip away the bark around the top to1cm down. Then with more pressure, carve the wood into a rounded end. If the blade is getting blunt, use the file to sharpen the cutting edges.

Step 3: Remove More Bark

Decide how long you want your mushroom cap to be and then strip off the bark down to just above that level.

Step 4: End of the Cap

Leaving a thin strip of bark at the bottom of the cap, use the saw to make a shallow cut a few millimetres deep all around. This will become the top of the mushroom stem so make sure you do not saw too deep and cut it off!

Step 5: Forming the Stem

Start carving away the bark and wood up to the saw line that you made. Keep turning the stick around and carving the stem so that it is thicker at the base and thinner at the top. The length of the stem is up to you.

Step 6: Finishing Cut

Leaving a few millimetres of bark at the base of the stem, cut the mushroom off the stick with the saw. Using a surform or sandpaper level off the base if needed.

Step 7: Finished

Here are some differently shaped mushrooms which my sister and I have made. I hope you have enjoyed reading this instructable and will find it helpful.