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Stanmore Bay couple Gerrit and Clarice Slabbert began whittling wood almost by chance but the process has provided not only a tranquil relaxing hobby and creative outlet but also a way to give back to a charity they care about, Forest & Bird.
Whittling involves using a knife to carefully shave off slivers from a piece of wood to make shapes or sculptures. It is accessible to all with no fancy tools required.
Last November, Gerrit had a health setback and doctors recommended practising mindfulness to aid his recovery. He loves woodwork – making planter boxes for the garden and restoring furniture – so it was natural for him to pick up a piece of wood and chip away at it with a pocket knife.
Clarice has kept the piece he made that day – a little bear.
Surprised and pleased at what he’d made, Gerrit continued whittling and both he and graphic designer Clarice painted the little figures.
Gerrit says what makes the process special is that things just magically happen.
“Guided only by the motion of the whittle knife, I can relax and become absorbed into the moment away from any particular thought or concern for what is going on in my life,” he says. “I finally get why my late grandfather loved making wooden toys for us as kids.”
“It’s gentle and restorative, like colouring in,” Clarice says. “We put on some music or an audio book and chat as we whittle and paint. It creates a calm environment and is something we can do together.”
Gerrit is back to full health, but the whittling hobby stuck.
Initially the little characters, around 75mm tall, were gifted to friends and family, but then orders began to roll in.
Wanting to keep it as a hobby, not a business, Clarice and Gerrit decided to donate the proceeds to Forest & Bird.
“We love getting out in nature and helping at plantings. Our garden is bird and bee-friendly,” Clarice says. “As a young couple we don’t have a lot of money to give away, so this is a way to pay it forward.”
The wood is repurposed or sustainably sourced and each character is unique. Inspiration for the figures is many and varied.
“Ideas might start from the audio book we are listening to – Pillars of the Earth started a medieval theme and some autobiographies led to other figures. Recently a friend got a cat and that inspired us. Sometimes we set out to create a dog and it turns out completely different. We change our minds, or a hat gets added!”
Clarice says there is a big community of whittlers, especially in the US but there are not many in New Zealand.
“It’s one of the lesser-known hobby crafts, but an incredibly accessible and rewarding one,” she says.
This little bear, Gerrit’s first whittle, was the start of a magic new hobby. 
Clarice and Gerrit Slabbert.
Info: www.chooice.co.nz/store/whittle-kiwi or @whittlekiwi on Instagram.
