Shopping for someone else but not sure what to give them? Give them the gift of choice with a Melanie Abrantes Designs Gift Card!
Gift Cards are delivered to the buyer by email upon checkout and will contain instructions on how to redeem. To send the Gift Card to a friend, simply forward the email along or print it out.

Melanie Abrantes Designs is a Bay Area-based producer of handcrafted, heirloom objects.

Melanie Abrantes Designs

Melanie Abrantes Designs Gift Card

Denominations

Home & Furniture

Using traditional Japanese tools, you can make a wooden pipe. The blank has a pre-drilled hole for air passage. It's a fun afternoon project and easy for anyone to learn. The best part is that you get to finish and keep your very own custom creation. This kit is ideal for adults, 18 years or older.
Cherry Pipe Blank- cherry is a hardwood traditionally used to make pipes back in the day. Do not put lighter directly on wood or it will burn.
Walnut - Light brown to medium brown when left unfinished. Finishes as a deep brown.
Material: Cherry; Dimension: 4.31" H x 1" W x .75" D
Material: Walnut ; Dimension: 4.31" H x 1" W x .75" D

Pipe Blank

Material

A Suehiro Combination Sharpening Stone (1000/3000 gritstone) is useful for sharpening pocket knives, carving chisels, and gardening tools.
This Double sided water stone from one of the finest manufacturers of sharpening stones in Japan, Suehiro. The standard 1000 grit side is for sharpening, while the fine 3000 grit side is for finishing. There are a number of ways to sharpen knives and tools, but water stones are the preferred method because the user has absolute control during the sharpening process. Japanese whetstones, in particular, are said to produce a finer edge than North American stones due to the unique bonding process of the stone during manufacturing.
The stone should be soaked with water before use and stored dry when finished.
Size: 5" length x 1.5" w x 1" h
Made in Japan

How to sharpen
1. Please soak in water enough before sharpening. 2. Put it on a wet towel to prevent slipping. 3. Just sharpen with the water on the stone which appears when you sharpen without washing it away. 4. How to sharpen (Double bevel) sharpen one side 10-15 times, then the other side 10-15 times. with the same angle, with the same power. The angle is 15 degrees. (Single bevel) At first, sharpen the front side 10-15 times. Next, sharpen the backside while pulling the knife a few times for removing the burr.

Combination Japanese Sharpening Stone 1000 Grit/3000 Grit

Title

Make your very own plate using our hardwood plate blanks. Each one is hand-cut in Japan using Katsura wood.
Eat a delicious meal with this plate or use it as a lovely tray.
Material: Katsura wood
Variants: Rectangle (Size: 11" H x 7.50" W x .56" D) Octagon (Size: 3.75" dia x .75" h) Circle (Size: 3.75" dia x .75" h)

Diy Plate Blank

Style

Home Decor

Carve your very own bowl using our bass hardwood Bowl Blank. Each one is 4" x 4" and is hand cut in our studio in Oakland, CA.
Use this bowl as a catch-all or decoration in your home.
4" x 4" x 1.5".
Tools and instructions not included.
Purchase the Japanese Bowl Carving Kit and Bowl Carving Video Tutorial.

Bowl Carving Blank

Our wooden spoon carving class uses traditional Japanese tools. You will learn how to design, carve and hollow out the bowl of the spoon, as well as sand and finish your piece. It's a fun class and easy for anyone to learn. The best part is you get to leave the class with your very own creation to keep or give as a gift. All supplies, a basswood blank, spoon gouge and Mikikicha carving knife, are provided for use in the class. This workshop is ideal for adults and appropriate for kids (10+). Three Options:

The gift certificate is good for one student and tool rental: $100
The gift certificate is good for one student and my book, Carve a Simple Guide to Whittling: $115
The gift certificate is good for one student, Carve the book, and spoon carving kit: $200

Classes are limited to 12. The gift certificate will be good for any class at the studio for 6 months after purchase. Please email us at with a class you would like to attend in the future.

Gift Certificate For Spoon Carving Workshop

Class Option

These charcoal cork bowls with American Walnut Trims are hand-turned in Oakland, CA. Cork is naturally antimicrobial and hypo-allergenic, making it an ideal material for food and plants. Each bowl has a hand sanded interior and is finished with natural beeswax. Perfect as a planter or catch-all bowl.
Sizes:

Small: 3.5" dia x 2.5" h
Large: 4.5" dia x 4" h

Cork is a 100% sustainable material produced from the cork oak bark.
Please note that this item is made-to-order and takes 4-5 weeks to ship.

Walnut + Charcoal Cork Bowl

Size

Cork is naturally antimicrobial and hypoallergenic making it an ideal material for food. Each bowl has a hand sanded interior and is finished with natural beeswax. Can be used as a fruit bowl or catch-all bowl.
Dimensions: 12" dia x 3" h Material: Speckled Cork

Please note this item is made-to-order and takes 4-5 weeks to ship.

Large Speckled Cork Bowl

Use this large gouge to create bowls and large spoons with a deep groove. Originally designed to take out large materials for the back of Japanese Noh masks, a craft the Japanese have been making for over 1000 years. After using this gouge, we think it's the perfect tool to create small bowls and ladles. The tip is extra curved like a spoon and is useful for cleaning grooves and making rough outlines of the work. This beautiful hand tool is made from sakura wood and high-speed steel.
Dimensions: 1" w x 9" h Made in Japan

Japanese Bowl Gouge 18mm

Using traditional Japanese tools, this wooden bowl carving set includes tools for you to design, carve, and hollow out a bowl. All supplies, a 9 mm spoon gouge, 3mm gouge, 9mm straight chisel, 12mm Bowl Gouge, 18mm Bowl Gouge, a carving knife, and tool roll are included. This set is ideal for adults and children under direct supervision. These tools are great if you would like to continue carving more projects after learning spoons.
Bowl Carving Tool Set Includes:
+ 9mm Japanese spoon gouge + 3mm Japanese gouge + 9mm Japanese straight chisel + 12mm Japanese Bowl Gouge + 18mm Japanese Bowl Gouge + Carving Knife + Canvas Tool Roll

*Please note: This tool set does NOT include instructions or a wood blank. Purchase the whole kit here.*

Japanese Bowl Carving Tool Set

A spoon gouge has a curved tip to make a spoon. It is useful for cleaning grooves and carving out round shapes. The blade is long inside the handle and can be used for a long time by shaving down the handle like a pencil.
Each tool is made from high-quality Yasuki blue steel laminated with soft steel. The handles are made from Japanese Cypress, which is soft and light to use.
We have 3 different sizes for you to use: 10.5mm Spoon Gouge

This is the size we normally use in our kits. It's perfect for making spoons 1" in diameter or smaller.

12mm Spoon Gouge

This is the size we think is great for big and small projects. It's perfect for making spoons 1.5"-2" in diameter.

15mm Spoon Gouge

This is the size we use for our bigger projects. It's perfect for making spoon or bowls 2"-5" in diameter.

Japanese Spoon Gouge

I n every MARAIS vase, the materials- colored glass, cork, and hardwood- combine to create an object that is both art sculpture and functional. Inspired by the natural beauty of the raw material, Abrantes designed each piece to speak for itself. We named the vases by inspiring women of our century.
Each vase is numbered and signed by the designer.
Approx Size: 3" dia x 6" h – 3" dia x 8" h

Maya Vase $150 size: 3.25” dia x 8” h Material: Cherry Hardwood and Copper Metalic Glass. Inspired by Maya Angelou one of the most influential women in American History. She was a writer and civil activist.

Greta Vase $150 size: 3.25” dia x 7.5” h Material: Maple Hardwood and Champagne Metalic Glass. Inspired by Greta Thunberg, a Swedish environmental activist on climate change who’s urging politics to address the crisis.

Indira Vase $150 size: 3.25” dia x 7.5” h Material: Walnut Hardwood, Bronze Metalic Glass. Inspired by Indira Gandhi, the third prime minister of India, and one of the few examples of women rising to power in the country.

Mae Vase $180 size: 3.25” dia x 8” h Material: Ebonized Oak Hardwood, Silver Metalic Glass. Inspired by Dr. Mae Jemison, the first African American woman astronaut and to go into space.

| Note that this item is made to order and takes 3 weeks until shipping |

Marais Vase Collection | Solid Hardwood & Glass

Name

Vases

Get extra cozy at home with this fun pair of Hardwood Candle Holders and a set of Fancy Tapered Candles by The Floral Society. Perfect for a night in and creating a relaxing atmosphere. Purchase as a bundle and save $10!

Includes:

One 5" Cherry Hardwood Candle Holder

One 6" Cherry Hardwood Candle Holder

Pair of 10" Fancy Taper Candles in Clay (Deep Red) or Petal (Light Pink) by The Floral Society

Materials: Cherry Hardwood and Paraffin Wax Candles
Made in the United States.

The Cozy Candle Bundle

Candleholders

Make your very own wooden slingshot! It is a fun carving project to make and even funnier to use! Made in Japan from beech wood and includes all the rubber bands, leather patch and small pick to assemble the slingshot.
Material: Beech Wood
Dimension: 6.75" H x 3.125" W x .5" D

Slingshot Blank

Make your very own Soap Dish using our hardwood soap blank. Each one is 2.75" x 4" and is hand-cut in our studio in Oakland, CA.
Use this soap dish as the perfect accessory for your bathroom or kitchen!

Made in California.

Soap Dish Blank

Soap Dishes

Using traditional Japanese tools, this wooden bowl carving set comes with the tools to design, carve, and hollow out a bowl. This toolset is our largest tools we offer and can make a big project go much faster with these sharp tools. It's a fun afternoon project and easy for anyone to learn. The best part is that you get to finish and keep your very own custom creation. All supplies, Straight Chisel 18mm, Straight Gouge, 21mm, Bowl Gouge 21mm are included. Perfect for your next big bowl or spoon!
This kit is ideal for adults and children under direct supervision. These tools are great if you would like to continue carving more projects other than spoons after.
Bowl Carving Toolset Includes:
Straight Chisel 18mm
Straight Gouge, 21mm
Bowl Gouge 21mm
----
Dimension: 9.5" H x 4.5" W x 1" D

* This set does NOT come with a blank or instructions.

Large Bowl Tool Set (3 Piece)

This extremely high-quality wood carving tool is not only excellent for woodblock carving and general wood carving but is great for removing large amounts of material.
These shallow gouges are an excellent way to create and hollow out recesses, as well as cutting coves, awkward spaces and smooth out hard to reach places. The bulb-shaped handle is ergonomic and feels excellent while carving, meaning your hands feel less fatigued after a big project.
12mm or 18mm gouge with wood bulb style end
Dimension: 7.5" H x 1.5" W

Shallow Gouge With Bulb Handle

Light Bulbs

Each piece is hand-dyed using an ice-dye process in the studio making each one unique.

These natural canvas tool rolls are designed to carry all of your carving tools and chisels. Perfect for when you're traveling or storing away your tools. We love using our tool roll when we go camping! Made from thick and durable cotton canvas.
Made in Japan.

Colors:
Crimson — a mix of reds, dark browns and blues.

Limited Edition Hand-dyed Canvas Tool Roll

Color

Wall Art & Decor

We have been searching far and wide for good studio apron that will be flattering on a female body AND tough and durable for the woodshop. We are so happy to announce our apron partnership with GDS Cloth Goods. Our Studio Apron is fully adjustable with 7/8” wide cross-back straps. It has 2 large center front pockets, with a bartack that holds the straps together in the back. Easily fits most body types and heights. Each piece is handmade using recycled cotton denim and zero-waste methods. We are huge fans of this apron and can't wait for you to be too!
Material: Recycled Cotton Denim
One size fits all.
Dimension: 35" Tall x 27.5" Wide
Made in Oakland, CA