DESIGNING A SPOON
Functional, artistic, whimsical!
The possibilities are endless.
QUICK START CARVING
Download one of our three basic spoon templates. Cut out the top and side profile then follow our STEP-BY-STEP SPOON CARVING TUTORIAL. You can also use these templates as a starting point for creating your own unique spoon design.
BASIC SPOON TEMPLATE
CAMP SPOON TEMPLATE
COFFEE/TEA SCOOP TEMPLATE
DESIGNING YOUR OWN SPOON
INSPIRATION
Inspiration for your design can come from anywhere.
Perhaps it's as close as in your kitchen drawer with the shape of your favorite cooking spoon, or maybe it comes from the nostalgia of using a cute little jam spoon during breakfast on a trip abroad or perhaps you follow wood carving artists on Instagram and you're inspired by their process.
The short story is that the possibilities are endless, so begin the creative process by taking a look around and begin gathering ideas and design details to create your very own unique spoon design.
CREATING A SPOON DESIGN
ARTISTIC.
If you want to create a spoon design that is aesthetically pleasing and with no functional requirement, then let your imagination run. You can experiment with shape, volume, balance, color, pattern. When creating spoon art, everything goes! Take a look at these incredible artists as inspiration: @toftmonkey @danielwesters @hopeinthewoods
FUNCTIONAL.
If you are creating a spoon for a functional purpose, then it's a good idea to begin your design journey by studying different spoon and observing how their shape and dimensions impact their overall use and functionality.
Begin by asking yourself a series of in depth questions of how your spoon will be used, for what purpose, how will it be held and by whom (ex: adult? child?).
As you answer each question, sketch your ideas down and make note of your required dimensions.
A few examples of questions for different spoons styles to help get you started:
1. SOUP SPOON: Will it be used by an adult, child or baby and how wide/narrow should the bowl of the spoon be to fit in their mouth? How long should the handle be and does it need a curve? How deep should the bowl be?
2. MEASURING OR SERVING SPOON: How much will it need to hold and will the spoon need to scoop? How will this affect the shape/size of the bowl and the relationship to the length/thickness of the handle?
3. BAKING SPOON: Will you be stirring thick mixes like bread batter or lighter thinner sauces? How will this affect the neck and handle thickness? How long should the handle be to reach the bottom of the bowl? Would the tip of the spoon need to be a certain shape to scrape the bottom of a bowl efficiently?
MATERIAL
The end use of your spoon and the colour you are looking for will dictate the species of wood appropriate for your project.
Read about the different types of woods suitable for hand carving in our ALL ABOUT WOOD article.
CREATING A TEMPLATE: TOP PROFILE
To show you the process of how to create a template from your spoon design, let's create a template for a jam/preserve spoon together:
1. Start with a piece of paper and draw a vertical line down the center.
2. From our research our jam spoon will need to have dimensions of (W) 1.18" (3cm) x (L) 5.5" (14cm). So, we will add a box with those dimensions, lining up the center of the box with the line you created.
3. The design of the bowl of our jam spoon will be just slightly longer than it is wide. So, we will draw in half of that dimension on one side of the centerline.
4. Next, draw in the handle design. If you are designing a spoon for stirring heavy batters, make sure the neck isn't too narrow. If too narrow, this will be a weak point and could break under pressure.
5. This design will be symmetrical, so we will fold the piece of paper in half along the center line and use scissors to cut out the outline of your half spoon.
6. Unfold your template to reveal your full spoon profile and draw in the other half of the end of the bowl.
If you think this will be a design you will make multiple spoons from, you should transfer your design over to a more durable piece of cardstock or cardboard/recycled plastic. Keeping a library of templates is a great way to create consistency in your work and evolution in your design process.
CREATING A TEMPLATE: SIDE PROFILE
Spoons are 3D objects so it's handy to have a side profile template so you can accurately carve the side shape and dimensions of your design.
1. On a piece of paper, draw a horizontal line down the center.
2. From our research, our jam spoon will need to have side profile dimensions of (D) 0.6" (1.5cm) x (L) 5.5" (14cm). We will add a box with those dimensions, lining up the top of the box with the line we just created.
3. Draw in the required bowl dimensions, be sure it is as long as the bowl top profile and that you account for the depth you need to carve and the wood you need to keep for wall thickness.
4. Next, draw in the handle design.
5. Cut out the outline of your side profile.
6. If you think this will be a design you will want to make multiples of, you should transfer your design over to a more durable piece of cardstock, cardboard or flat plastic packaging from your recycling bin.
