Scandinavian Wood Shaving Ornaments

I'm stepping outside my paper box today to show you a different type of Christmas ornament I made recently with Scandinavian wood shavings. I think they just might appeal to all of you paper rollers out there.

tree-shaped wood shaving Christmas ornament hanging on metal display

I'd occasionally seen Scandinavian curled wood ornaments in magazines and admired them - yes, my love for scrolls runs deep - but I never would have guessed I'd have the chance to make some of my own as wood shavings aren't something I run across in my little world too often. But that changed when I read a post on Pam Harris's blog, Gingerbread Snowflakes [no longer available], that led me to a wonderful supplier.

Scandinavian wood shaving Christmas tree ornament kit


Jan Dolland in Michigan has been making wood shaving ornaments for years and offers a kit that comes with perfectly curled shavings along with a dozen clips to hold them in place while the glue sets and also hanging strings.

 

UPDATE March 2021: If you would like to order a kit from Jan, the price is $16.00 which includes shipping/postage and she can be reached via email at oshavings@gmail.com



wood shavings in plastic bag

Look at all those lovely, plump curls! The only additional necessary things are white glue and a needle to make holes for the hanging strings. I used Crafter's Pick, The Ultimate and applied it with my handy-dandy paper piercing tool. There's an instruction sheet and photos of completed designs to get you started.

Scandinavian wood shaving tree ornaments in process of being made on table

Seriously, making the ornaments is a lot like assembling quilled coils, but without the tedious rolling part. You can relax the curls by soaking the strips in water for a few minutes to create hearts and stars. I spent several happy hours at my kitchen table during last weekend's snowstorm and this was the result.

Scandinavian wood shaving Christmas ornaments on display

After making quite a few of the suggested ornaments, I branched out and made a tree and butterfly. Then I jazzed things up with red/white and black/white paper twine from Linda at PaperPhine and tartan ribbons from a pal in Edinburgh as hanging loops... so this batch is a cultural melting pot - Scandinavian/Austrian/Scottish!

butterfly wood shaving ornament

After practicing with wood shavings, perhaps the next step is inlaid wood? I don't think I have nearly enough patience, but can definitely appreciate the complexity and perfection of this design created by Gomel Tsekunov Vladimir V. See many more examples of his work at this Russian art site [no longer available], keeping in mind that wood isn't nearly as flexible as paper. What remarkable dedication to one's craft!

circular inlaid wood shaving art

I hope you'll have a great weekend. I'm looking forward to wrapping packages and tying on ornaments as little extras.


Ann Martin
Ann Martin

This is a short biography of the post author and you can replace it with your own biography.

Comments

  1. These are fabulous! I have one or two vintage ornaments of this type that we carefully pack away each year. What fun to have more!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh Ann what a wonderful way to begin my day - reading this beautiful post and seeing your curled wood ornaments! I am crazy in love with the tree. Crazy in love i tell you!! Having suddenly found myself a little ahead of schedule for a change this season, I am making one in your honor!!

    Thank you so much for sharing Jan's kits with your own readers. I can't think of anyone who will appreciate them more than those that have been curling paper!!! And the added bonus, as you have no doubt noticed, that lovely aroma of fresh cut wood!!!

    Happy Holidays.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thank you Queen! And Pam, how kind are you?! I'm delighted you want to make a tree ornament and a huge thank you for introducing me to Jan in the first place. Yes, the shavings smell wonderful - just like a woodshop - bonus!

    ReplyDelete
  4. These ornaments are gorgeous! I must have missed that posting on Pam's blog. Must check it out!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thanks Avital, I'm glad you like them!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Your wood shaving ornaments look so cute. I am sure they can be used again and again .

    ReplyDelete
  7. Oh my gosh! You had me at Scandinavian! I LOVE these! Just when I thought I better get on with my day your next post is this lol! I will have to save the link for the wood curls...I know what I'll be making for next year!

    ReplyDelete
  8. I'm glad you like them, Suganthi and Kim. It had a been quite a while since I'd last used a craft kit, but I quickly realized just how nice it is to have everything needed, all in one place.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Thanks so much for the wonderful comments. My son just brought some new pine boards home from my brother's sawmill in Northern Michigan. I think our veins are filled with sawdust. My great grandfather had one of the largest sawmills in southeast Michigan in the early 1900's. Jan Dolland

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hi Jan, how nice of you to visit here! I tied the ornaments I made on quite a few gifts this year and everyone thought they were great. Thanks again for making your kits available - they are really special.

    ReplyDelete
  11. what types of wood are used for these designs?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. As per Jan Dolland's comment above, the family uses pine.

      Delete
  12. Hello. I love these and would like to make some so I clicked on the pdf you provided which required that I download a manuals library but then I could not find the manual once the library was up and running in my browser. I went back to this page and the pdf link was gone. Where can I find the instructions for making these wood shavings ornaments?-Nikki

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Studio, I'm not recalling a pdf or manuals library unfortunately, but I can tell you that I heard from Jan Dollard in March of 2021... she said she is still sending out kits. I'm sure between the directions included in the kit and the tips I've posted here, you'll be able to make a beautiful set of ornaments. They're really nice!

      Delete

Post a Comment

Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment. I try to respond to questions within 24 hours, so please check back.