Soapstone is often used by artists because of its unique color, inability to burn and because it requires little maintenance. Using soapstone is great for beginners because it's much easier to cut than other stones, like marble. Soapstone can be used to carve all kinds of sculptures, from large room centerpieces to small table art.

1
Cover a flat, hard surface with newspaper to prevent soapstone shavings from contacting your furniture.

2
Start drawing a design on your soapstone, being sure to capture the image that you wish to carve. Do not use anything besides a pencil.

3
Using a wooden keyhole saw, begin cutting the large sections of soapstone that you will not be using.

4
Add detail to your sculpture by shaping it with rasps. There are many different kinds of rasps that you may use in order to get the desired shape.

5
Slowly smooth and shine your sculpture with wet/dry sandpaper. Use a 200 grit and then move up to a 500 to 600 grit.

6
Preheat an oven to 250 degrees F. Place the sculpture in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes to warm it up.

7
Dip a soft cloth in vegetable oil and rub the sculpture to make it shine. Continue buffing until you have the desired effect.