Comfort Birdie to Fly | Easy Wood Carving for Beginners

My friend died.

It was a long time ago, probably 10 years or so.

And my dad was trying to comfort me. While he was a woodworker, the only way for him to express his feelings was through wood.

That is why he made a Comfort Bird for me.

He said to me, that this birdie will wash away the pain.

And he was right. I was holding the bird and thinking of Lily to come to better place, it made me feel better. At the times I feel sad, I hold the bird.

Our dog is feeling quite bad these days, maybe his days are ending, I don't know.

I can't give him the bird to hold, but I can comfort my son.

My hubby, my son and I were making a comfort bird. So he had his own birdie as I have.

Supplies

You'll need:

some wood, better take basswood, it's easy to work with. 4.9'' x 1.6'' would work well
a knife (you can take a pocket knife, but it's better to get a good whittling knife)
beeswax
sand paper
bird pattern
glue

Or you can get all in one kit, I kno BeaverCraft does that, they provide all you need for bird carving in onebox. It's for those lazy people as I am not to worry about finding all the supplies.

Step 1: Cut Out Three Bird Patterns

You can draw them yourself, it's easy, just make sure to draw symmetrical lines.

Or you can get patterns in the starter carving kit from BeaverCraft.

It should be four sides, up, down, left and right one.

Better not to give this task to kids, otherwise, the result could be a bit funny but not practical. It was my mistake at first.

Step 2: Glue the Pattern to Wood

Now all we need to do it's to glue the pattern to wood.

We took cheery for this bird project, as it has beautiful coloring after finish, but if you never tried carving before or did that just for a few times, then it's better to practice first on basswood.

Step 3: Cut Wood Following the Lines

You don't need special techniques for this. Just make sure to follow the lines.

In a few minutes, your hands will be helping you out to work in the right positions.

Although if you're too afraid, then BeaverCraft has a detailed tutorial in a kit that can help you out.

Step 4: As a Passing Result You Should Get Such Bird

Take a minute for some rest and look at your bird.

There is some work to do, although it's already getting some nice look.

Step 5: Again Whittling Time, Carve Along the Lines

This time we work on the shape of the bird.

It's ok to give your kid a knife to proceed with carving. But wood carving is recommended for kids 12+ years old.

Step 6: Wood Carving Is Finished at This Point

Finish line. We are done with carving part. It's time to proceed to the next step.

Step 7: Now We're Going to Sand the Bird With 150 Grit Sandpaper

In order to remove all the rough sides. This will make the bird prepared for the flight

Step 8: After That Take 220&320 Grit Sandpaper

Step 9: Finish It With the Beeswax

Beeswax works the best for good finish.

Step 10: Finally. We Have a Birdie Ready to Fly

In the end you'll have such birdie on your table. While it could have a different coloring if you went with basswood instead of cherry which is highly recommended at the beginner stage.