How to Carve Facade Designs

Draw the designs on the wooden facade trim boards with a pencil. Leaves and decorative vines are common elements in this type of woodcarving, but you can draw any design that you desire. Draw the outlines first and then add detail to the design inside the lines.

Cut along the pencil lines of the design outline carefully with the carving knife to score them. Carve back along the outside edges of the lines with the carving knife. Hold the knife at a slight downward angle to carve away thin slivers of wood along the edges where the design is raised.

Carve out the recessed areas of the carving with the gouge chisels. Use a combination of U- and V-gouges to achieve the different elements of the design. Shave away thin slivers of wood at a time until you reach the design's necessary depth. Use the U-gouges for shallow, curved areas and the V-gouges for lines and V-shaped recesses.

Carve the edges of the raised areas of the design to round them over, using a carving knife. Cut thin shavings off until the raised designs take shape.

Add the final details with the carving knife and small V-gouge. Score along the details with the knife blade and go back over the cuts with the V-gouge to add the final details to the design. For example, add a realistic look to leaves by adding the veins, using the V-gouge.

Sand the carved facade lightly with a fine-grit sanding pad in the same direction as the wood grain.