When it comes to carving wood, it’s tough to beat Melanie Abrantes. Sponsoring regular wooden spoon carving workshops in Oakland, California, Abrantes was named one of the of the world’s 100 Most Creative People according to Country Living magazine. She also sells her own designs nationwide through major retailers that include Urban Outfitters and West Elm.
If you want to craft your own wooden masterpiece but you can’t make it to one of Abrantes’s workshops, Carve: A Simple Guide to Whittling is the next best thing. Promising to “modernize” a deeply meditative and creative hobby that has existed for centuries, Carve is designed to help you slow down, relax, and connect with the outdoors. The book gives simple and illustrated instructions that will show you, step by step, how to make small but compelling objects such as dice, combs, and, of course, beautiful and useful wooden spoons.