The Green-Wood Carver: Slow Woodcraft for Beginners by Skittledog Books

Create! Magazine is pleased to share the announcement of a new title from Skittledog Books, The Green-Wood Carver: Slow Woodcraft for Beginners. Samuel Alexander (IG @samuelalexandershapes) quickly built a strong following sharing his own compelling story about the healing power of carving. Now, in his first book he introduces this calm and gentle craft. Teaching beginners how to responsibly source fresh green wood, master the basic techniques for using a knife and sharing a range of step-by-step projects to work through at your own pace, The Green-Wood Carver is an important reminder of the therapeutic benefits of exploring a new craft.

After learning the basics of how to get started, readers can work through projects as varied as spoons, vases, simple buttons and household hooks. With Samuel’s thoughtful reflections on the joy of small movements and personal creativity charmingly woven throughout this how-to guide, his aim is not only to teach how to create a beautiful object but to find the beauty in the process itself.

“I began carving as a response to a rough patch in my life but my journey soon became a beautiful discovery of how craft can help people like me to centre themselves. This is the book I wish I’d had when I first began carving. I hope it connects you closely to the sensory joy of craft and gives a deep understanding of what it truly means to make.”

About the author:

Samuel Alexander first started whittling as a way to help him recover from depression, discovering that it not only lifted his mood but also yielded beautiful keepsakes. Soon he was selling what he made and became one of TOAST’S New Makers of 2022. He taught whittling and green-wood carving at workshops across the UK and his compelling, calming Instagram videos have attracted a new generation of followers and carvers. Now based in the Czech Republic, this is his first book on the subject.