Schemes for carving wood. Slotted thread: simple detailed instructions and features of the implementation of the work (80 photos)

House carving is a beautiful and practical solution for interior and exterior decoration. Carving was intended to decorate one's home outside and inside with the help of carved items. With the help of a carved facade you can make your home festive. All protruding and overhead elements of the house's facade were decorated with carvings: cornice, platband, piers, porch pillars, roofs.

Types of technology

There are the following types of house carvings: relief, flat-relief, contour, slotted. If you need to decorate a table, mirror frames, or a closet, you should choose a blind relief carving. It has the appearance of a relief pattern and is performed on a blank background. When performing, floral ornaments, images of mythological creatures and animals are used. In the photo it looks like this:

Flat-relief carving is a “relief on a plane”. It is characterized by deepening or removing the background around the ornament by 5-7 mm. The image will be three-dimensional. Using the flat-relief carving technique, compositions depicting people, birds and animals look great. This type is very popular for bath themes.

Contour carving is characterized by the contouring of images. This is one of the simplest types of carving. It is used to decorate dishes, cutting boards, and household items. In contour carving, figurative motifs are used: flowers, leaves, animal figures.

Openwork carving was used to decorate railings, stairs, trim, doors, etc. This is the youngest type of carving, approximately 150 years old.

Operating procedure

  • We are preparing a rough sketch of the house;
  • We calculate the required amount of material, select the type of material and prepare boards of the required size;
  • We make the necessary templates for house carvings. To do this, you should think carefully about the ornament; the elements of the composition must certainly be repeated;

  • Prepare machines for carving.

You can’t start carving without becoming familiar with its technique. You need to start with the execution of geometric patterns.

Templates can be made to order by a craftsman. For this purpose, provide your sketch, drawing or photo. Many craftsmen make their own tape stencils for carving.



Making a template

Ready-made templates are used to make platbands. They can be found freely available on the Internet. You can make the template yourself if you can’t find the option you need:

  1. We select a suitable drawing;
  2. We transfer the contours of the pattern onto tracing paper. To do this, use a ballpoint pen or a soft pencil;

  1. If you need to enlarge or reduce the picture, use the grid. We transfer the contours onto tracing paper. We divide the image field into squares and number each one. On a cardboard sheet or thick paper there should be the same number of squares with larger or smaller sizes. The selected image must be redrawn into a new grid;
  2. Using carbon paper, transfer the drawing onto a wooden blank.

The template can also be made from plywood.

Features of the method

If we drive through the Russian outback, we will definitely see overhead elements of house wood carving on the facades of houses. Since pagan times, there has been a tradition of decorating the exterior with carved patterns. Nowadays, it has regained its relevance.


Russia has always been famous for its timber reserves and its forests. Therefore, most of the houses and outbuildings were built from high-quality wood, and many of these houses still stand today.

In pursuit of extravagance in design solutions, we sometimes go too far. Wood carving with a jigsaw is a real example of how you can surround yourself with beauty with the help of simple little things. Today, such decor is both an ancient craft and a current trend in the interior. Carving has artistic value, and therefore carved objects will only increase in price over time - the style will come back again and again.

Volumetric wooden patterns will decorate furniture and become the basis for wall panels, trim, headboards or screens. The editors of the publication offer to master carving techniques in a few clicks.

DIY wood carving with a jigsaw: where to start?

Tools and workplace preparation

Like any other activity, wood carving begins with preparing the workplace:

  1. choose a comfortable chair and a stable table;
  2. Pay special attention to good lighting. The table should be placed so that the light falls on the face, and for artificial lighting it is better to install a table lamp no more than 20 cm high at a distance comfortable for the eyes;
  3. everything you need should be at hand - a sketch, a board, tools.

To complete the ornament you will need:

  • jigsaw (manual or electric);
  • special machine for volumetric carving;
  • plywood or wooden board;
  • set of files;
  • awl and chisel;
  • drill;
  • glue for gluing individual parts;
  • brush;
  • stain and varnish.
Photo 3 - Wooden pattern above the bed

Good tools can be found from Proxxon, Arbortech, Ryobi, Pfeil, Dremel, Kirjes, Foredom.

Photo 4 - An alternative to the classic version - a painting - above the bed

Tree selection

Photo 5 - Carved decorative elements in a modern kitchen

IMPORTANT! The most practical types of wood are linden, birch, alder, and aspen. They have the necessary properties of hardness and moisture content (8 ± 2%), which reduce the risk of cracking of the product.

It is better to prepare the wood in advance; it is very important to dry it thoroughly and sand the surface first. It should be plain, smooth, and free of knots. Coniferous species are practically not used. The size of the board depends on the size of the future product, but the thickness should be at least 6-8 mm and no more than 15-20 mm.

Photo 6 - Ethno in the interior

Sketches, templates and stencils

Photo 7 - Wooden products are good for their versatility: wood is suitable for both an ascetic interior and ornate modernism

Preparing a sketch is the first stage in creating wooden decor. A sketch is usually called a contour drawing of a future product.

Photo 8 - Appropriate tree in room design

A stencil is a specialized template that is used to create three-dimensional ornaments and patterns. Samples with images for carving will help with markings. Stencils made of cardboard, three-layer plywood, PVC sheet can be used repeatedly, and for convenience it is better to sign or number them.

Photo 9 - Wood lace in the bedroom interior

From halves of one or several templates, ready-made combined ornaments are often created for the design of long interior elements.

Photo 10 - The color and texture of the product depends on the choice of breed

How to make the right template?

  • select the appropriate sketch;
  • Using a compass and ruler, we transfer the ornament onto cardboard or paper.
Photo 11 - In classic interior designs with the addition of wood, it is better to use warm-colored lighting

IMPORTANT! Check that all elements of the drawing are transferred accurately. Each element, pattern or ornament requires a separate template.

Wood carving with a jigsaw is carried out using strict technology. In addition to the standard manual one, they often use an electric jigsaw, special tables for volumetric carving, chisels, cutters, carpentry pipes and clamps, drills and grinders, and spoon cutters.

Photo 12 - Vintage carved door in bedroom design

Wood carving technology

Photo 13 - Carved element made using a jigsaw and chisel
  • Using ordinary black carbon paper and a pencil, the drawing is carefully transferred to the board. For convenience, the edges of the sketch can be secured with push pins;
  • insert the file into the jigsaw. Adjust the tension of the file;

IMPORTANT! Remember that too much or too little tension can cause the saw to break during operation.

  • Using a jigsaw, we cut out the outline of the product along the previously outlined line. The jigsaw should move up and down without distortion, with light pressure so as not to damage the product and the tool itself. The position of the file during operation should be vertical. When making figured carvings, the product should be rotated, not the jigsaw itself;
  • If the product contains internal parts, additional holes must be made. At this stage of the work you will need an awl and a jigsaw. In the middle of the part to be removed, you need to pierce a hole with an awl;
  • Having loosened the upper clamp of the jigsaw, insert the file into the punctured hole;
  • cut out the part of the picture to be removed;
  • the product can be varnished, sanded or painted.
Photo 14 - Handmade wooden spoons from J. Treverton

IMPORTANT! In house carvings, a special place is occupied by the decor of platbands - on windows, cornices, doors, which will ideally fit into the interior of a dacha or gazebo.

Wood carving: window trims in country style

Photo 15 - Design project Doorway to the Ozarks by Matthew Meers

Wood carving is often chosen for decorating private homes. House carving is used in exterior design - trim on doors or windows. Here a combination of different types of carving is possible - from slotted to relief.

Photo 16 - Wooden mural by Matthew Meers (A 26′ x 6 1/2′)

The platbands cover the gap between the window frame and the opening. They protect the window from dust, precipitation, drafts and even external noise; can change the parameters of the house - make it visually higher or wider.

IMPORTANT! Window trims should be designed in the same style, and the material should be resistant to precipitation. Linden or oak are best.

Photo 17 - Carving in minimalism

When designing platbands, you can’t do without sketches. Their long design requires careful handling, since it consists of many small parts. All these microelements must be identified and taken into account when carving - it is better to pre-mark the locations for the holes inside the pattern. In complex ornaments, they begin to cut out from the internal patterns, and then move on to the external ones.

Photo 18 - Carved elements in an eclectic interior

Another way to apply a design to a workpiece is copying. You can also transfer the drawing using carbon paper. The sketch is secured with pushpins. Use a pencil to trace the outline, which is copied onto the plywood.

Photo 19 - Clamp for fixing a wooden product. In the background: a set of chisels for making small indentations in wood and contour carvings

The stencil for the platbands must be made of cardboard. It differs from standard stencils in that its dimensions are made immediately in full size. The finished template is attached to the board, the outline is outlined with a pencil. To create a holistic image of a door, carved rosettes are often used to help connect the trims.

Photo 20 - Fragment of a mirror frame. Window or door frames are cut using the same principle.

Decorative trims are suitable for all door sizes, even the most non-standard ones. You can find a wooden frame in the catalogs of manufacturers Saloy, Fenster Baum, DoorWood.

Photo 21 - Carved window frame Photo 22 - Details using a chisel

Disadvantages of carved frames: Photo 24 - If vases are used for their intended purpose, they must be soaked in drying oil or sunflower oil Photo 27 - Classic ornament

3D milling has a number of advantages:

  • accuracy of image transmission;
  • high production speed;
  • lower cost compared to hand carving;
  • the ability to create complex volumetric structures.
Photo 28 - Vintage element in modern design

$ 3D machine: price for popular models

  • Esfero 3D engraving and milling machine for 2D/3D processing and cutting of wood, plastic, plexiglass and even non-ferrous metal. Price: 490,000 rubles;
  • milling and copying machine for volumetric thread MPWOOD tm. Price: 101,930 rub.
Photo 29 - Wooden elements in the bathroom Photo 30 - Carved drawers in bathroom design

Master class: cutting with a jigsaw

Sketches for wood carving:

When decorating a living space, you can use a variety of materials, but traditionally wood is used for these purposes. Today, artistic processing is carried out using a huge number of techniques, but, perhaps, the most spectacular results are obtained when using slotted wood carving.

The technology cannot be called complex, but the resulting products amaze with their beauty and elegance. We will talk about this technique in more detail later.

What is a carving?

Through drilling and cutting through any background is the essence of openwork cutting. Upon completion of the work, light and airy patterns are obtained. There are through and overhead thread options. The first option creates the desired effect when illuminated, the second involves overlaying it on some background (base).


To make through cutting through wood, drills, special chisels, and files are used. The most suitable tool would be an electric jigsaw, which allows you to quickly and easily complete almost any design.

The work process itself requires the presence of pre-prepared drawings for slotted threads. Therefore, we will briefly consider some of the steps that are important to go through at the preliminary stage.

Preparatory stage

For those who are doing carving for the first time, it makes sense to focus their attention on theory. Printed publications and handicraft websites will provide comprehensive information about the decoration method in question.

After studying the technology, it is worth preparing the tools and, if necessary, purchasing them in the store. In addition to a jigsaw, you may need chisels of different sizes, drills and bits, cutters, consumables for grinding, etc.


Another important milestone at this stage will be the choice of patterns and sketches of the future decoration. You can try to do the latter yourself or find suitable ones on the Internet; fortunately, there are plenty of specialized sites on this topic. Printing to the desired scale will complete the preliminary stage.

Wood

The main requirements for the material are its dryness and quality. There are many blanks in specialized stores dedicated to handmade work. Suitable wood can be found in hardware stores and sawmills.

In addition, you can make good money at furniture factories, where there is always a large amount of unnecessary scraps available. Another possible option is used boxes and pallets.

The quality of work depends not only on the craftsman, but also on the species and type of wood. Each has unique properties, which is important when you have specific creative goals. Let's take a brief look at some material options.

Pine is the most accessible and inexpensive species. However, it is suitable only in rare cases. There are several reasons: resinousness, different density of layers, noticeable texture, which interferes with the creation of small patterns.

Aspen is considered a soft material and is not suitable for a beginner. It is easy to cut, the wood wrinkles and requires a lot of experience to work with it.

Birch and linden have an excellent structure and have the required density, which makes it possible to realize even the most daring sketches of slotted carving.


Plum is excellent due to its flexibility in processing, at the same time it has the required hardness. Small patterns and women's jewelry made of plum will become an excellent product in the hands of a master. Beginners should also try this material.

To avoid subsequent cracking and warping of the slotted product, it is important to remember to keep the material dry. Random drying in a warm and well-ventilated room will be the most optimal way. The boards are placed on their ends and on dies to ensure air access to all sides.

Creative process

Woodworking begins with transferring the design to the workpiece. For this purpose, all templates were prepared at the preliminary stage. When the drawing is applied to the part, the stage of drilling holes next to the drawn lines begins.

The drill should be of such a diameter that a jigsaw file can easily fit into the resulting hole. Where it is not possible to make cuts with a jigsaw (the pattern is too small and sharp bends), use a narrow hacksaw blade.

Experienced craftsmen advise using saws with fine teeth, otherwise the edges of the slots will have a ragged outline and the product will lose its aesthetics. It is advisable to drill with feather drills, having prepared a thin hole in advance.

Gluing thick paper to the back of the workpiece helps prevent torn edges when cutting through plywood. For beginners, it is better to try simple patterns with large details and a minimum number of corners.

Finishing

The product is processed to obtain smooth and clean edges. Use chisels; a sharp knife is useful in hard-to-reach areas.

Cleaning is carried out using sandpaper, a needle file or an abrasive wheel. The finished product is sanded on both sides until the proper appearance is obtained.

Looking at the photo of the slotted carving, it becomes clear that the resulting patterns are an excellent decorative element for furniture, window trim, and cornices. The elegance of the product makes it possible to create excellent women's jewelry, decorate screens and much more.

Photo of slotted thread

  1. Hand tool
  2. Jigsaw
  3. Preparing the stencil
  4. Sawing process technology
  5. Defects in work

Wood carving with a jigsaw is rapidly gaining popularity: many people want to purchase an interesting decorative item to decorate their home, furniture, and even clothes! Carved objects of various thicknesses fit organically into any interior style; people often purchase photo frames for photographs with ornaments, cut-out words and letters, or order intricate shelves and other interesting products. Few people know that artistic cutting out of plywood with a jigsaw is a task accessible to anyone, even the untrained and inexperienced. You just need to understand how to work with the tool.

What is a jigsaw: general description

A jigsaw is a tool designed for cutting various contours from plywood, including curved ones. It is equipped with a blade with fine teeth that can make an even cut of plywood without the formation of significant burrs.

Hand tool

The ancestor of this type of tool is a manual jigsaw. It consists of a metal arc in the shape of the letter “U”, between the ends of which a sawing blade is stretched and attached to clamps. They securely hold the file during operation and allow you to adjust its tension. On one side of the frame there is a handle.

The clamps on the tool can rotate, creating different planes for sawing, thereby providing the opportunity for wood carving of varying complexity.

When cutting from plywood with a hand jigsaw, you need to be careful: its design is quite fragile, and during intensive work, the blade often breaks from force and heat, so it has to be replaced. To do this, each master must have several dozen spare files.

When working with a jigsaw to carve internal contours, it is convenient to use such an auxiliary board as in the photo: it will help both protect the table and solve the problem of convenient placement of the workpiece.

Jigsaw

The tool operates from an electrical network. It is a housing in which the working mechanisms are located, and there is also a handle for control on it. The sawing organ is located in the lower front part. The blade is often protected by a foot, which allows you to cut the contour exactly along the line without deviation. Advanced and professional jigsaw models have various attachments that facilitate the cutting process and straighten the edges of plywood.

Blades can have different teeth in shape and size. It is necessary to select saw blades that are appropriate for the material being processed so that damage and damage to the plywood sheet does not occur during operation of the mechanism.

Classification of jigsaws by power and application:


The instructions on how to use a jigsaw, or the technical data sheet, should describe the main parameters of the tool that must be taken into account when using the mechanism.

Wood carving tools

Sawing with a jigsaw is a creative process, but it requires preparation and additional equipment. What you will need for work:


Preparing the stencil

Drawings for cutting with a jigsaw can be of different sizes, depending on the scale of the product being manufactured. To create a diagram of a shelf, a piece of furniture or a composite three-dimensional toy, you can take a large sheet of whatman paper A1 or A0; wallpaper left over after renovation will also work; for small figures, use regular A4 paper or another suitable format.

Using a bright pencil or marker, draw the outline of the future product on the surface, following the dimensions. This could be an element for assembling furniture, a shelf or another large product.

There are such a wide variety of templates for cutting with a jigsaw that it can be difficult to choose the right one. It is much easier to come up with your own cutting patterns and transfer them to paper.

Transferring an image to the surface of plywood or boards

Before you start cutting with a jigsaw, you need to transfer the image from the stencil to a piece of wood or plywood. To do this, cut out a shape from a sheet, apply it to the surface of the plywood and carefully trace it. It is desirable that the line be smooth and accurate. We use a simple pencil so that, if necessary, we can correct the line by erasing it with an eraser.

We apply the outline from the back side so that no remaining lines are visible on the finished product. The internal area can be shaded so as not to cut off excess and to mark untouchable areas.

It is important to transfer the design in such a way as to minimize cutting along the grain with a jigsaw - it is so difficult to get an even line.

Sawing process technology

Many people have probably heard how to use a jigsaw. Working with the tool will not cause difficulties if you prepare for it correctly.


Plywood carving begins with the inner contours of the design. To do this, you need to make slots for inserting the tool blade:

  • The plywood is often taken thin, and when cutting a large contour there will be no problems, but tension may arise in a small remainder. Sawing with a jigsaw inside can damage the product - chips, burrs, cuts;
  • It’s easier to work this way: you always have something to hold the workpiece by. A large sheet is much easier to handle than trying to hold a small sawn piece while shaping its interior.

How to saw with a jigsaw:


Working with a jigsaw is much easier than using a hand tool; there is no need for physical effort and the process goes faster.

How to saw with a jigsaw:


As you can see, there is nothing complicated in this process.

Defects in work

If you did not follow the technology or hold the tool incorrectly, the saw may simply move off the line. Why does a jigsaw cut crookedly:

  • tilted the tool while working;
  • the tension of the file has weakened;
  • With an electric saw, the fastening of the saw may become loose.

To avoid such problems, before starting sawing, be sure to check the tension of the saw and the fastening of all working elements. If the blade is beveled and stuck, it is better to start over and make a line parallel to the defective one.

A little about safety

Safety precautions when working with a jigsaw for cutting plywood and wood are simple:

  • Use protective equipment - glasses, gloves, gown. These things will protect you from dust and small chips.
  • Sawing with a hand jigsaw should be done carefully so as not to damage your fingers with the saw. Maintain a distance between your body and the tool.
  • If you are a beginner, carefully read the instructions on how to use a jigsaw and the main characteristics of the tool. This information will help avoid accidental injury and unit breakdown.

Wood carving with a jigsaw requires care and attention. Both your health and the integrity of the finished product depend on these qualities.

What can be made from plywood: interesting ideas and drawings

Sawing wood with a jigsaw or hand tools is a creative process. You can create many decorative products of different directions:


Drawings of plywood crafts do not have to be made in exact dimensions. Even taking an example from the Internet and changing its proportions, you will get a unique product that no one else has in this form.

DIY plywood crafts can be painted or left in a natural color; you can glue buttons, beads, ribbons and other decor onto them to liven up the product. To do this, it is worth involving children in the work; their imagination is a bottomless well of interesting ideas.

We offer you diagrams with photos for cutting out of plywood with a jigsaw.

You can come up with your own idea of ​​what you can cut using a hand or electric tool, make your own sketch and transfer it to paper, then to a piece of wood or plywood.

Carving plywood with a jigsaw requires certain knowledge and skills. If you don't have them, consider the following rules:


Wood has always been considered a good material for exterior and interior decoration. Therefore, today wood carvings, photographs, drawings and sketches are used to create an improved interior. Following this direction, they decorate furniture sets and interiors using the latest technology, techniques and elements that make it possible to obtain products with excellent appearance and quality, as well as having high artistic value.

Wood is a fairly light material that can be easily processed and has been used since ancient times in decorating palaces, temples, and houses. Craftsmen from all over the world eagerly apply designs for wood carving, using natural materials in their work to create a unique stylistic image in the interior of the house.

Relief carving is a rather labor-intensive type of carving.

For decor from wooden elements using carvings use different woods:

  1. Linden. A very soft material for carving, from which you can make small products in the form of photo frames, various boxes, and household utensils with patterns. They simply attract attention. This material is perfect for learning wood carving, as it has a soft, pliable wood structure and a beautiful cut color.
  2. Birch. It is an excellent raw material for obtaining dazzling applied decor or creating excellent souvenirs.
  3. Nut. Hard material, very good in processing and polishing. A wide range from small products and furniture decor to a variety of sculptural compositions.
  4. Pear. Unique material, almost does not crack. Used to create exclusive decorations and souvenirs.
  5. Alder. It is considered an aristocratic tree. The wood has a variety of colors from rich red and purple to black. This often replaces valuable tree species.
  6. Pine, yew, spruce, cedar. These types of tree species are used to form massive carved sculptures, platbands, which are used in the design of cornices and home decoration.

Carving is used to decorate the outside of the house thanks to different ornaments and figures.

Variety of types of wood carvings

In the modern world, more than one type of manual wood processing technology can be used. Of these, you can focus on the following methods:

  1. Through thread. It is characterized by the complete removal of wood shavings from the boundaries of the design. There is a simple look and an openwork one with different heights and edges. Thanks to this technique, frames, overlays, doors, and decorative elements are made. If you want to carve wood in an oriental style, then a jigsaw will come to the rescue.
  2. Thread with flat notches. It is characterized by the presence of a flat surface into which thread elements are deepened. There are several subtypes of carving - contour, when, thanks to grooves of a semicircular or triangular section, patterns are obtained on a flat surface; stapled, when the pattern is made from semicircular notches; geometric, when several types of elements are used for the design - pegs and a triangular pyramid recessed in the middle. The patterns are made with a wood carving knife - a jamb. In this case, you get a variety of figures in the form of rhombuses, chains, and honeycombs. Black varnish carving is also performed, when the front side is covered with black paint or varnish, and then grooves are cut out.
  3. Relief carving. The elements are placed at the same level with the front surface or higher. This is a rather labor-intensive type of carving. Thanks to this type, images of coats of arms, various ornaments, and emblems are created. Subsequently, the image is completed by the play of light and shadow.
  4. Carving for home decoration. They are used to decorate the outside of the house thanks to the different ornaments and figures that are located on the back of the wooden elements. They decorate cornices, porch posts, and balusters.

A wood carving stencil always comes to the aid of a craftsman. In this difficult task, he is always an indispensable assistant.

Types of stencils

Stencils for wood carving are used to perform rather difficult and painstaking work, which will then decorate the house. Divided into the following types:

What stencil is preferred for wood carving?

To select suitable stencils you need to follow several rules:

You need to choose a stencil that you can work with

What parameters should you use to choose a template for wood carving?

Firstly, for large wooden elements it is necessary to choose large stencils, otherwise the elements will be small and will not be visible. But for boxes and frames they choose more complex patterns.

For different carving techniques, the proper patterns and templates for wood carving are selected:

  1. Slotted carving requires templates and stencils of proper quality and fast work. After the drawing has been transferred, those areas that turn out to be through will need to be shaded.
  2. Geometric technique is the basis of wood carving. When a sketch is selected, it is applied to a wooden panel.
  3. Sculptural or relief carving is more labor-intensive and requires certain skills from the master. First, the sketch is made on paper, but if it is a three-dimensional craft, then it is necessary to create a figure from a plastic material, for example, clay.