This Rustic Mallet video and step-by-step how-to over on Borganic.net is amazing.
The entire thing makes me want to go running into the woods, searching for the perfect sticks and logs. I’ve already asked my husband if we have a tenon cutter and have gone searching in the tool shed for a paddle bit.
Borganic is an educational how-to TV program that’s creative, eco-conscious, and economical. The show’s host, Michele Beschen, makes the processes look easy and appealing, and they have lots of short how-to videos online for you to enjoy and learn from. I especially like the Courage to Create Quickies section, where I’ve found several kid-friendly projects and gift-giving ideas.
I don’t want to spoil any homemade holiday gifts I may or may not be giving out, so if you’re a member of my extended family please look amazed and surprised if you open your present and find a big wooden hammer staring back at you!
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These are lovely. If I’d seen them before making my own, I probably would have ended up with a prettier product. Mine works just fine, though, and was dead simple to make: take a piece of oak off the woodpile, then work your way around it with a sharp hatchet until it’s the shape of a carver’s mallet. The whole thing is hewn from one piece of wood, so there’s no need for tenon cutters or drills.
Whichever method you choose, you not only save money but also gain the confidence to modify or remake the tool anytime. If the balance is a little bit off, just tune it up with a pocket knife.