If you are looking for a challenging yet rewarding woodworking craft, carving out your very own wooden skulls is something you can do to help develop your hand carving skills. The human skull is made up of 22 different bones where all bones except for the jaw are joined by immovable joints that are formed by bony ossification. This is an ideal project for a Halloween party or event. Human skulls were used historically by pirates to represent their pirate ships or locations that were densely inhabited by pirates.

Tools You Will Need To Make Hand Carved Skulls:

• 4” by 4” by 4” wood cube
• Carving knife
• 1-inch wood gouge
• Mallet
• Sand paper or sanding machine
• Wood stain or paint
• Paintbrush
• Reference photo

Step 1

Position the block of wood on a flat surface within your workspace so that the area where the brain will be is facing up toward you. It should be placed on a flat surface so the placement of the brain runs perpendicular to the table surface.

Step 2

Measure a one inch long section on one side of the wood block from the flat surface. Using a carving tool or knife, carve out a slightly rounded space in that one-inch long area and run it entirely down the front face and down to the bottom where it sits on the flat surface. This carved out section represents the back of the neck and bottom of the skull.

Step 3

Create an oblong shape around the back of the skull by carving downward with the grain of the wood. Do this from the top of the piece of wood until you reach the neck area. You should have a rounded head-like shape when you finish.

Step 4

Mark the area on the front of the skull using a pencil to show where the eyes, nose and mouth will go. Draw a large patch-like shape over the right eye and mark a line from the eye that continues right around to the back of the skull. Use the knife to whittle away about 1/16-inch of the wood surface, leaving the eye patch and line intact to enhance the shape and three dimensional representation of the skull.

Step 5

Gently hammer down on the face of the skull with the end of a mallet and carve the wood so the profile of the skull begins to come clear, using a photo or model of a skull for reference. Ensure that the upraised bone above the eyes are created, including the nose sockets.

Step 6

Carve out the indentations of the bones where the nose goes using the gauge. Carve out the sections where the eyes go and enhance the cheekbones by carving them out as well.

Step 7

Carve out the teeth and jawline using the photo for reference and detail. The mouth and jawbone is often the most detailed area and may take you the longest to complete.

Step 8

Finish off any detail around the skull by carving out small cracks or spaces in the skull to make it look more realistic and aged. Sand all surfaces of the skull using sand paper or a sanding machine so that the wood feels smooth to the touch.

Step 9

Brush on a layer of wood stain or paint and allow it to dry for a few hours.

Tips:

Use extreme caution when working with a carving knife. Do not carve the wood up toward your face or skin.