Editor's Note: Today, something that might bring out the hidden artist in you- whittling. And a resource where you can learn more about how to whittle with a single tool- the Swiss Army Knife.

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Did you know that there are over 34,000 Swiss Army Knives produced each day!? For many, the popular knife serves as a tool of necessity. For others, it's a work of art. Swiss Army Knives are both lauded for their design excellence and utilitarian use.

But for master woodcarver Chris Lubkemann, Swiss Army Knives are a way of life. "For the last 25 years I've only used a Swiss Army Knife in my whittling," says Lubkemann. As a carving teacher and craftsmen, he relies on the knife to make all his carvings, which he sells a

In his book Victorinox Swiss Army Knife Whittling Book, Gift Edition: Fun, Easy-to-Make Projects with Your Swiss Army Knife, Lubkemann offers many easy-to-follow carving projects. Here's an example of a few of the projects.

1. Sailboat
There a gazillion different styles of sailboats. This one will be yours. Experiment with the proportions of the hull, keel, rudder, mast, and sails to make a boat that you're happy with. This boat was carved from a small forked branch and a few twigs, but you could also cut the pieces from a block of wood and some very thin dowels, whittle them into shape, and build your boat.

2. Spoon

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It's true what they say—necessity is the mother of invention. Spoons come in many different styles, shapes, and sizes. The size of the spoon you will make, of course, depend on the size of the piece of wood you start with. You can aim for a smaller mustard or relish spoon or a mammoth pot-stirring spoon for the camp cook.

3. Keychain
For a keychain, you can start out making a pendant, but instead of threading it onto a string, use a key ring or loose-leaf notepaper ring.

4. Spreader
The spreader has a thicker, more rounded blade than a knife. It can be used for jam, nut butters, mustard, and the like. Lubkemann doesn't usually put finish on his spreaders, but if you choose to, try using a salad bowl finish; it puts a nice shine on the wood without adding any toxic ingredients. Allow the finish to dry for 24 hours before using the spreader.

5. Horse Pen
This horse is only one of the animal heads that can be whittle from a forked branch, but it may be my favorite. What you'll be doing here is just carving the head and a rather extended neck. Then, you'll drill into the neck and insert a ballpoint pen refill.

6. Knife
The knife is a great project to start with; it will get you familiar with your pocketknife and the basic cutting strokes. Naturally, the size of the knife will depend on the piece of wood you start with. Half of a little round toothpick will make for a perfect Bowie knife for Polly Pocket! (Don't throw away the other half! It can turn into a flower, complete with petals, stem, and leaves.) While a knife carved from wood will certainly not serve for all uses that a steel knife does, it still can be very useful, especially as a letter opener. And it definitely can be carved and finished in such a way that it becomes a beautiful piece of art.

7. Rooster
The majority of Chris' whittled critters are roosters of all shapes and sizes. He's often asked, "Why so many roosters?" There are several simple and practical reasons. The rooster is perhaps the only bird that walks around with its tail up. Roosters are also popular worldwide, and it seems folks everywhere appreciate them. Finally, you will learn most of the basic cuts and techniques that will be used in other projects when you carve a rooster. Once you have the rooster-carving technique down, it's not that hard to switch over to herons, roadrunners, and a whole pile of other critters and projects.

8. Table Art
Have you ever stumbled across a chunk of found wood that just screams to be plunked down in the middle of a coffee table? In your searches for nifty pieces of wood, you might find something that is just plain cool all by itself. In that case, you can clean it up and let it speak for itself! Just clean up the wood using water and a scrub brush until all of the dirt is removed. Cut the branches until you've shaped the tangle of braches in a way that is pleasing to you. Sand the sawn faces of the branches. Finish as desired.

9. Necklaces
Twigs and branches exist in all kinds of sizes, colors, bark, textures, and grain patterns. By cutting various-sliced slices from different species of wood, or even from different-sized wood of the same species, you can make a good variety of natural wood beads. By stringing them together, you can come up with a very attractive and unique necklace.

10. Coasters
The basic idea of a coaster is to provide a flat, stable surface for a glass, cup, or mug that will protect the table surface from heat or liquid damage (or both). These coasters are extremely simple to make and will fulfill their intended purpose, but at the same time, they're a bit out of the ordinary—they're original pieces of useful decoration. Different species of wood will produce a broad variety of cross-grain patterns and colors. These will especially stand out when the sliced pieces of wood are well sanded


For access the tutorials for these and many more projects, check out Chris Lubkemann's book Victorinox Swiss Army Knife Whittling Book, Gift Edition: Fun, Easy-to-Make Projects with Your Swiss Army Knife or visit him online a www.whittlingwithchris.com.