John Hein Woodcarver

08/20/2025

New process. Old - water based red TransFast wood dye, then coated with Clear Lacquer, then decorate with acrilic. New -TransTint red wood dye mixed into thinned Lacquer, then decorate with acrylic. Advantage:- after put on the wood and dried the water-based dye liquifies when it comes into contact with acrylic (also water-based) and bleeds. So steps were dye, lacquer, acrylic. Steps now are dye, then acrylic.
Saves time when you need 250 for Christmas Market. I just have to work out how much to thin lacquer.

08/15/2025

I'm in trouble now. Where am I going to stow this load before she gets home? My friend buys 8" x 8" x 8' square Basswood logs. He trims them down to put into his lathe and then produces 10's of thousands of 2' to 3 ' snowmen.Every now and then I stop by and pick up some "stubs" from him. Although I had enough self- restraint to refuse 6, or so, 8 footers that cracked during drying, the next time I stop by I am not taking my truck.

08/13/2025

Wednesday morning you will find me at the bandsaw of our Community Center Woodshop. I am cutting about 140 small birds from a 3/4" board. I'll need a lot more for our Christmas Cardinal birdhouse ornaments.

08/13/2025

Happy Friday! Cheers to the weekend ahead. We’ll see you at the BreadHaus and WunderBar!

The St. Paul European Christmas Market Reindeer (we call it JoJo) has made its way to the bakery! Come and visit him, take your photo with friends & loved ones, and tag us on socials and the European market!

Owners Nancy and Aki welcome JoJo with open arms! Cheers to fun times at Aki’s over the Holidays in the coming Fall months! Find the reindeer near the restrooms outside of Aki’s BreadHaus & Wunderbar during the month of August!
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08/10/2025

Taking a break from the birds - it's Gnome time.
Start with triangular pieces that come from a 1"×1" x4" cut down the middle. Locate nose and brim of hat. Make cut on both sides of nose and remove wood. I paint a Boilled Linseed oil- burnt Umber oil paint mix to define hat brim and beard before using re wood dye and a white acrylic paint. Fun and easy.

08/09/2025

Moving up on the size of the Cardinals I need for the market this year. Plenty of work ahead.

08/08/2025

Coming in September at the St Louis Park Lenox Community Center
"Beginner Woodcarver: A Hands-On Family Workshop"
For the beginner and those who have some experience. Excellent class for a parent/grandparent and child to share a craft making experience (Min age 14 yr old when accompanied by a paying adult). Participants will work in small groups to allow each carver the opportunity to receive ample individual guidance from the instructor.
Knife, safety glove provided for use during class.
Carvers may select items they wish to carve from an assortment of wood blanks and cut-outs. These include simple items such as goldfish and Grumpy/Happy cat faces, as well as those more complex such as gnomes, mushrooms and songbirds.
Sign-up at

This class is intended for those beginning carving as well as those who have some experience and wish to challenge themselves, it is an excellent class for a parent/grandparent and child to share a craft making experience (Min age 14 yr old when accompanied by a paying adult). Participants will work...

08/04/2025

Hey John, you're going to need a lot more egg cartons.
In the box on the left 72 birds are complete. I am applying satin lacquer as I use a water-soluble red dye and it will bleed with any water-based paint or finish. The birds are then mounted on a snow covered branch all ready for the Christmas tree. These are quite the favorite at the Christmas market.

07/29/2025

Catching up on painting about 40 of the 300 small females I will need for Christmas.

07/19/2025

A quiet July Friday night up North at the lake.

07/14/2025

At the lake. One pile grows larger while the other shrinks a bit ... I have to get myself a hobby. These will be going on sale at a Christmas Market only 4 months to go.

07/04/2025

Celebration, coffee, and carving. Happy 4th of July to all my fellow citizens. Upper 90F degrees and humid today. Gonna be spending a lot of time in the water today at the lake.