SPOON CARVING WORKSHOP

Japanese wood carving is rooted in personal wellness, relaxation, and an age-old meditative tradition of making with your hands. For me, it's the best way to express and channel my creative energy as a designer. In this workshop, I will teach you how to hand carve your own wooden spoon using traditional Japanese tools and techniques. The class will start with a slow breathing exercise that leads into a discussion of different wood types, an explanation of the tools required, and an overview of the techniques used to carve wood. Once you have a basic understanding, I will guide you through the process of carving the bowl of the spoon with the spoon gouge, then designing and whittling the handle and top of the spoon. When the final design has been reached, we will find zen in our creation.

It's a fun class and easy for anyone to learn. The best part is you get to leave the class with your very own custom creation. The use of all supplies, a 10mm spoon gouge and Mikikichan carving knife are included to use during the class. This workshop is ideal for adults and kids under direct supervision (10+) .

Not in Northern California? Learn how to carve with our kits!

Purchase spoon carving kit here.

See where Melanie is teaching her next workshop on her Calendar. It is updated regularly. 

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TESTIMONIAL / REVIEWS

Worried about being a first-time spoon carver? Read Jody Hollis' testimonial as her experience as a student in a class in Victoria, Canada. 

"I have never done any woodworking and I don’t consider myself creative so I was excited to see if I would indeed leave the 3 hour workshop with my own custom created spoon that looked anything like the beautiful pictures posted about the workshop. I was pleasantly surprised that not only did I have an amazing afternoon hanging out with some fun people but I did create a beautiful wooden spoon. Who would have thought! For someone like me who probably will never be considered artsy or creative, I never felt uncomfortable or like I didn’t belong in the environment. I felt excited, interested and grateful that I had the opportunity to do something new and really out of the box for me. I have to give kudos to the teacher of the workshop, Melanie Abrantes for her patience, as I am sure I asked 1000 questions. I was so nervous that I might cut off my finger with the Japanese tools or that I may be the only failure to come out of the workshop, it made me overly inquisitive. Melanie was so cute, lovely and helpful as she answered all my questions with a lightness in her tone that put me at ease and made the learning experience relaxed and enjoyable." From Jody's blog, LivingHollisStyle.com

“Melanie has a wealth of knowledge and was a great instructor from explaining the knives and providing clear instructions on how to whittle and shape the wood. She also provided tasty pastries and water for the group. At the end of the experience, we had little wooden spoons to take home.”

– Rachel, Airbnb.com

“Melanie literally wrote the book on carving, and her expertise showed. Though the exercise appears simple, we are working with very sharp objects but Melanie was able to guide the class (we had around 10) through safely and occasionally walked around to provide personal feedback when necessary. By the end of the experience, everybody had their spoon and I was proud of mine! I wanted to make just slightly different and Melanie was able to give me tips on how to start it to make life easier for myself down the line. Thanks, Melanie! P.S.; She brought some really great pastries, 10/10”

–Nicolas, Airbnb.com

Melanie Abrantes Designs teaches workshops and produces events. She also teaches private classes for 10+ students for spoon carving near her studio in Oakland, CA or remotely at different locations. Please contact her at hello@melanieabrantes.com if you or your company are interested in any of these services.