Mother Earth News first published the article How to Make a Wooden Spoon in the 1978 November/December print issue of their magazine but it is now available on their website. Author Lee H Arten explains how he taught himself how to make his first wooden spoon, a gift for his wife-to-be. Arten’s tone is encouraging and matter-of-fact, making the prospect of carving a wooden spoon seem very reachable. He subscribes to the notion that the spoon is already present in the wood and the maker is just bringing it out.

Arten has never purchased wood for his spoons. He recommends asking lumberyards, furniture making operations, and high school shop teachers for wood scraps that would normally be discarded. He also uses tools that are easy to come by and not expensive, such as a pocketknife and a rasp. You can use a band saw to make the initial cuts, but it isn’t necessary.

via DIY in the Kitchen: Carve Your Own Wooden Spoons | The Kitchn.