From snowmen and Santas to puppies, pigs, and pirates, even beginning carvers can make 46 charming animal, holiday, and fantasy carvings with  Quick & Cute Carving Projects . Author Lorie Dickie shows how to get started using just a blank basswood “egg” and a few simple cuts. Readily available at craft stores, pre-cut basswood eggs are a great way to learn the basics of in-the-round woodcarving. These premade blanks allow new carvers to achieve instant success, and help make the first project fast and fun. Lorie’s clear woodcarving and painting instructions walk you through the entire process with step-by-step color photographs. Ready-to-use holiday-themed patterns are included for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and more.