Creating Carved Wood Decor For Your Wedding Day

Wood carving is a great way to create unique, personalised decor for your wedding. It can be a fun and relaxing hobby, and with some basic tools and easy-to-follow patterns, anyone can learn to carve. Whether you're looking to create rustic wedding invitations, decorative wooden slices for centrepieces, or a personalised carved heart tree as a gift, wood carving is a great way to add a special touch to your big day. You can even find ready-made templates online to help get you started!

Carved wooden wedding invitations

Planning and Design

Before you start carving, it's essential to plan and design your invitations. Consider the overall theme and style of your wedding and try to incorporate that into your invitations. You can find inspiration online or create your own unique design. If you're feeling creative, you can develop your own templates and patterns, or you can use ready-made patterns available on the internet.

Choosing the Wood

Select a type of wood that suits your design and is easy to work with. Softwoods like basswood, pine, and butternut are excellent choices for beginners, as they are simple to carve and have a consistent texture. If you're more experienced, you can opt for hardwoods like oak, cherry, or walnut, which require more skill to carve. Ensure the wood is of good quality, free from knots or imperfections that may affect your carving.

Tools and Equipment

To create your invitations, you'll need some basic carving tools, such as a carving knife, chisel, and gouge. You may also require sandpaper, wood stain, and a carving mallet for more intricate details. Keep in mind that sharp tools are essential for clean cuts and safe handling.

Carving Process

Start by transferring your design onto the wood. You can use a template or draw freehand if you prefer. Take your time and carefully follow your pattern to ensure all the components come together harmoniously. If you're creating multiple invitations, consistency is key, so try to make each one as identical as possible.

Finishing Touches

Once you've finished carving, you may want to add some final touches. Consider staining the wood to enhance its natural beauty or paint certain elements for a pop of colour. You can also add personalised details like the recipient's name or a meaningful message.

Presentation

Finally, present your invitations in a way that showcases their uniqueness. You could hand-deliver them or package them carefully to ensure they arrive safely. Remember, these invitations are not just invites but also special keepsakes for your guests to treasure.

Custom-engraved wood planks with wedding vows

Choosing the Right Wood

Select a type of wood that is suitable for carving. Softwoods like basswood, pine, and butternut are great options for beginners as they are easy to carve and have a uniform texture. If you're more experienced, you can opt for hardwoods like oak, cherry, or walnut, but these require more skill and the right tools.

Preparing Your Wood Plank

Before you begin engraving, ensure your wood plank is the appropriate size and thickness. A standard size for a custom-engraved wood plank is around 11" in length and 7" to 8.5" in width, with a thickness of about 3/4". You can also leave the bark on the wood to give it a rustic, natural look.

Engraving Your Vows

When it comes to engraving your wedding vows, you have a few options. You can choose to have your handwritten vows engraved, which adds a personal touch. Alternatively, you can type out your vows and have them engraved in a font of your choice. If you're going for a more rustic look, consider leaving the wood with its natural grain and shape, making each plank unique.

Adding the Finishing Touches

To display your custom-engraved wood plank, you can include a wooden easel or display stand. You can also add hardware for hanging your plank on a wall. If you're giving this as a gift, consider adding a card or message to go along with it.

Where to Buy

If you're not a DIY enthusiast, you can purchase custom-engraved wood planks with wedding vows from various online stores, such as Etsy and Amazon. These stores offer a range of sizes, wood types, and customization options to choose from.

Examples

For instance, you could opt for a simple, natural-looking wood plank with your handwritten vows engraved in a elegant font. Or, you could choose a more decorative approach with a wooden plaque that includes your vows and a photo from your wedding, creating a beautiful keepsake to hang in your home.

Carved wooden initials of couples

Carved wooden initials are a popular gift for weddings and wedding anniversaries. They are often given as a unique, one-of-a-kind gift to display the couple's love and are a modern spin on the timeless tradition of couples carving their initials in trees.

These wooden initials can be purchased from online retailers such as Etsy and Amazon. They are typically made from natural live edge wood, such as kiln-dried basswood, and are carved, woodburned, stained, and sealed. They can also be customised with the couple's initials and are often ready to hang.

In addition to wooden initials, other popular wooden gifts for couples include wooden plaques, tree carvings, and wooden statues. These gifts can be personalised with the couple's names, wedding date, or a meaningful message.

Carved wooden photo frames

Materials and Tools:

• Wood of your choice (mango wood, pine, walnut, or basswood)
• Table saw
• Jointing table saw sled
• Fingerboard
• Thickness planer
• Miter saw
• Screw clamps
• Circular saw
• Compass
• Angle grinder
• Wood glue
• Tung oil finish
• Sandpaper
• Wood stain

Steps:

• Gather your materials and tools.
• Cut the wood slats to your desired width using a table saw and jointing table saw sled.
• Plane the wood slats using a thickness planer to ensure both faces are smooth and parallel.
• Cut the slats to length, ensuring they are all the same length for each layer of the frame.
• Laminate the wood pieces together using wood glue. Rotate each layer by 90 degrees to create a faux finger joint at the corners.
• Allow the glue to dry completely, then remove any excess glue and smooth the edges of the frame.
• Cut a rabbet on the inside edge of the frame to create a space for the glass and photo.
• Lay out the shape you want to cut for the frame using a compass.
• Begin power carving the frame using a Turbo Plane attachment, following the shape and guidelines you have drawn.
• Carve the inside edge of the frame, connecting the lines you drew on the top surface with the desired depth at the bottom of the contour.
• Draw guidelines on the back of the frame, marking a reference line for the back cut.
• Cut at an angle to connect the corner on the front surface to the line you drew, creating a 3D shape.
• Dish out the corners of the frame using a ball gouge attachment to create a circular shape.
• Smooth out any transitional areas and inconsistencies with a Mini Grinder sanding attachment.
• Switch to a Contour Sander for finish sanding, using progressively finer grits of sandpaper up to 320-grit for a smooth finish.
• Soften any sharp edges and corners with hand sanding to create a smooth, consistent line.
• Apply a finish to the frame, such as resin-modified tung oil, building up multiple coats for a desired sheen.
• Install hardware such as screen door hardware or picture frame pins to hold the picture in place.
• Cut a keyhole in the back of the frame if you plan to hang it on the wall.
• Insert your chosen artwork or photo, and your carved wooden photo frame is complete!

This project allows for creativity and customization, making it a fun and rewarding DIY experience. You can experiment with different types of wood, frame shapes, and carving techniques to create a unique and personalized photo frame for your wedding.

Carved wooden wedding gifts

Personalized Wooden Decor

Add a special touch to the couple's home with a personalized wooden decor piece. You can carve their names, initials, or a meaningful message into a wooden plaque, sign, or wall art. This can be a beautiful reminder of their wedding day and a unique addition to their home. You can even include the date of their wedding, a meaningful quote, or a recreation of their wedding song lyrics.

Wooden Keepsake Boxes

Create a wooden keepsake box for the couple to store their wedding memories. You can personalize it with their names, the wedding date, or a meaningful design. They can use this box to store their wedding cards, photos, and other mementos. It will be a cherished reminder of their special day every time they open it.

Custom Cutting or Charcuterie Boards

A custom cutting or charcuterie board is a practical and elegant gift. Carve the couple's names, initials, or a meaningful design into a wooden board. You can even include a special date or a meaningful message. This gift will be perfect for those who love to cook, entertain, or simply appreciate a beautiful kitchen accessory.

Hand-Carved Kitchen Accessories

For a unique gift, you can hand-carve wooden kitchen accessories such as spoons, serving utensils, or salad bowls. These can be both beautiful and functional, adding a personal touch to the couple's kitchen. You can even create a set of kitchen accessories with matching designs or complementary carvings.

Wooden Drinkware

For the couple who enjoys a good drink, you can carve personalized wooden drinkware such as whiskey decanters, beer mugs, or wine boxes. Include intricate details, meaningful messages, or their names for a truly special gift. These can be used for special occasions or displayed as a decorative reminder of their wedding day.

Other Creative Ideas

• Personalized wooden ring or jewelry dishes
• Wooden picture frames or photo boxes
• Hand-carved wooden fans or handkerchiefs for the wedding ceremony
• Wooden coasters with the couple's initials or a meaningful design
• A wooden card box for the couple to store their wedding cards
• A small wooden sculpture or figurine that symbolizes their love

Frequently asked questions