November 26, 2020 · Updated July 21, 2026
By Alexander Grabovetskiy — Master Woodcarver · Founder, School of Wood Carving · 1 min read
Is Cedar a good wood for carving?
Key Takeaways
- Cedar carves very easily and ranks among woodcarvers' favorite woods.
- Large scale 3-d projects work best because cedar grain is too pronounced for small fine work.
- Cedar suits not detailed chess sets, caricature carving, and love spoons.
- Siberian cedar is very rich in color and has beautiful grain.
- Cedar is naturally antibacterial and does not decay fast.
Is Cedar a good wood for carving?
Is Cedar a good wood for carving?
Cedar wood for a long time one of the woodcarver's favorite woods because Cedar is an excellent option for wood carving. But not all cedar wood species are good for wood carving projects. Every wood has wood qualities and different textures, and that dictates how the wood will respond to wood carving.
Cedar wood carves very easily. You can create beautiful 3-d projects, but only on a large scale because of too pronounced grain. On a small project, the grain of cedar wood could destruct an eye.
Cedar wood is a very nice option for not detailed chess set or caricature style of wood carving.
An excellent option is a Siberian cedar. It is very rich in color and has a beautiful grain. Cedar is also an excellent option for carving love spoons or just a kitchen spoon. It is antibacterial naturally and does not decay fast.
Cedar wood (Cedrus) was the number one choice for carving panels on the walls of the most gorgeous temple during King Solomon in Jerusalem.
Conclusion: Is Cedar A Good Wood For Carving? – Yes! Absolutely
Originally published at schoolofwoodcarving.com