Whittling is the art of carving shapes out of wood with a short-bladed knife by paring away small, thin pieces. Whittling allows endless possibilities for carving, from simple shapes such as animals or flowers to more complex designs such as human figurines, caricatures and jewellery, and even functional items such as utensils or walking sticks. Books on the subject show you how to get started and offer simple projects for beginners as well as more complex projects for advanced whittlers.