Inch-High Wooden Guy

I'm not entirely sure where these guys originally came from - I browse Instagram a lot, and see a lot of wood carving - but I had a piece of 10mm square dowel in my stash and I kept looking at it & thinking; I'm sure I can make something from that! When I figured out what I was going to make, making them came very easily, but, bizarrely, I didn't think to document the process until very recently.

After a little practice, you could use your multitool to make one (my Leatherman Wave has everything on it I need), but in this Instructable I'm going to use the tools I normally use if making one at home.

If you make one of these little guys, you don't have to make him exactly the same size, or way, as these guys - you can modify the style and proportions as much as you like, make an entire family.

Apart from the 10mm square dowel, I used:

• Fine-bladed coping saw
• Pencil & ruler
• Stanley knife
• Sanding block
• Small vice

After your first attempt, these little guys take only a few minutes to carve, and can be made entirely by eye, but I like the process of marking, sawing, shaving - it's more therapeutic.

I decided that Wooden Guy would have a square head, so I measured 10mm from the end of the dowel, and marked a line around the wood where his "neck" would go.

I then marked a point 2mm in from each edge of the timber.

Clamping the wood in my small vice, I carefully sawed along the lines, as far as the marks on each side, so that there was a 2mm deep cut all round the timber. This makes the bottom of his head and the top of his body.

I marked a line down from the neck-cut that looked right. It turned out to be about 20mm down from the neck.

I marked the line right around the dowel so that I knew where the bottom of the guy would be.

(This is the point where the figures became Inch-High Wooden Guys.)

I held the dowel in my left hand, and made a series of push-cuts towards the neck. Each one shaved off a bit more wood to make a gradual slope from the line that marks the bottom of the body to the bottom of the cut that makes the neck.

Push-cuts are slow and careful, with pressure applied as much by the thumb of the hand holding the wood as by the hand holding the knife.

I cut each side separately, but you can just as easily rotate the dowel after each cut, whichever you prefer.

Try and use as sharp a knife as possible - sharp knives do not stick and jump in the wood, and are less likely to shoot off in an unexpected direction and injure you.

Inch-High Guy's mouth is just a shallow saw-cut across the face, at whatever angle you think looks OK.

To make the eyes, I spun a 1mm twist-bit a little into the wood by hand, then turned the bit around and pressed the blunt end firmly into the holes.

The sanding pad I used has a "medium" face and a "fine" face. It took a few circular strokes to smooth each surface of the Inch-High Guy, and to tidy up the edges of the eyes and mouth.

If you think the eyes & mouth are disappearing too quickly, they may just be full of dust - give them a good blow before you get worried, but you might need to give the drill-bit and saw another go after the first sanding.

OK, so you carved a guy. Now what?

If you're anything like me, the simple act of Making a Thing is mentally soothing - it calms the mind, eases the soul. So, I use making these guys as a simple form of therapy. Busy mind? Anxiety? Make an Inch-High Guy. There have been times when I have practically mass-produced Inch-High Guys...

You could paint them, colour them with pencil-crayons, but I like them as plain wood.

Line them up along your windowsill, give them away to your friends, use them as worry dolls, or leave them hidden somewhere to be found by somebody else who needs a little joy in their life. Mine live on my mantelpiece, beside the Shotfun, until I find a home for them.

But, please remember, if you find yourself in a dark place, reach out to somebody, let them know you're having trouble, and let them help you find a little light. It's not a weakness to need help.

Good people to talk to are friends, family, workmates or your doctor, but sometimes it's hard to admit to others that things are not going as well as you might be making out to the world.

In the UK, the Samaritans are a good first port of call, just dial 116 123, and there will be somebody there to listen. If you don't want to say the words, they take emails and handwritten letters as well (see the link), or you can try their self-help app. If you prefer, you can use the 24/7 text service from Shout - just send your message to 85258.

Other countries have similar systems. In the US, you can dial 988. You don't have to be standing on a ledge before you call them, or contemplating suicide at all - whatever sort of crisis you're in, there is somebody out there who can help - they may not be able to cure all your ills, but they can listen to you, help take the edge off, and guide you back a little.

On the other side of the coin, you can help others by letting them know you are there. If somebody you know - friends, family, colleagues, classmates, or just the guy in the corner shop where you buy your milk - seems a bit off, or down, stop for a moment and ask them how they are. Whatever the answer, actually listen to it. If the "fine" doesn't sound convincing, ask them again; how are things really going? Or just let them know that you're there, for when "fine" doesn't cut it any more.