Scandinavian Wood Shaving Ornaments
I'm stepping outside my paper box today to show you a different type of Christmas ornament I made recently with Scandinavian wood shavings. I think they just might appeal to all of you paper rollers out there.
I'd occasionally seen Scandinavian curled wood ornaments in magazines and admired them - yes, my love for scrolls runs deep - but I never would have guessed I'd have the chance to make some of my own as wood shavings aren't something I run across in my little world too often. But that changed when I read a post on Pam Harris's blog, Gingerbread Snowflakes [no longer available], that led me to a wonderful supplier.
Look at all those lovely, plump curls! The only additional necessary things are white glue and a needle to make holes for the hanging strings. I used Crafter's Pick, The Ultimate and applied it with my handy-dandy paper piercing tool. There's an instruction sheet and photos of completed designs to get you started.
Seriously, making the ornaments is a lot like assembling quilled coils, but without the tedious rolling part. You can relax the curls by soaking the strips in water for a few minutes to create hearts and stars. I spent several happy hours at my kitchen table during last weekend's snowstorm and this was the result.
After making quite a few of the suggested ornaments, I branched out and made a tree and butterfly. Then I jazzed things up with red/white and black/white paper twine from Linda at PaperPhine and tartan ribbons from a pal in Edinburgh as hanging loops... so this batch is a cultural melting pot - Scandinavian/Austrian/Scottish!
After practicing with wood shavings, perhaps the next step is inlaid wood? I don't think I have nearly enough patience, but can definitely appreciate the complexity and perfection of this design created by Gomel Tsekunov Vladimir V. See many more examples of his work at this Russian art site [no longer available], keeping in mind that wood isn't nearly as flexible as paper. What remarkable dedication to one's craft!
I hope you'll have a great weekend. I'm looking forward to wrapping packages and tying on ornaments as little extras.
Jan Dolland in Michigan has been making wood shaving ornaments for years and offers a kit that comes with perfectly curled shavings along with a dozen clips to hold them in place while the glue sets and also hanging strings.
UPDATE March 2021: If you would like to order a kit from Jan, the price is $16.00 which includes shipping/postage and she can be reached via email at oshavings@gmail.com
Look at all those lovely, plump curls! The only additional necessary things are white glue and a needle to make holes for the hanging strings. I used Crafter's Pick, The Ultimate and applied it with my handy-dandy paper piercing tool. There's an instruction sheet and photos of completed designs to get you started.
Seriously, making the ornaments is a lot like assembling quilled coils, but without the tedious rolling part. You can relax the curls by soaking the strips in water for a few minutes to create hearts and stars. I spent several happy hours at my kitchen table during last weekend's snowstorm and this was the result.
After making quite a few of the suggested ornaments, I branched out and made a tree and butterfly. Then I jazzed things up with red/white and black/white paper twine from Linda at PaperPhine and tartan ribbons from a pal in Edinburgh as hanging loops... so this batch is a cultural melting pot - Scandinavian/Austrian/Scottish!
After practicing with wood shavings, perhaps the next step is inlaid wood? I don't think I have nearly enough patience, but can definitely appreciate the complexity and perfection of this design created by Gomel Tsekunov Vladimir V. See many more examples of his work at this Russian art site [no longer available], keeping in mind that wood isn't nearly as flexible as paper. What remarkable dedication to one's craft!
I hope you'll have a great weekend. I'm looking forward to wrapping packages and tying on ornaments as little extras.
