When it comes to wood carving, I don’t have a dedicated area other than my basement to carve. Last winter, I found that having to put on extra clothing to brave the chilly basement actually became a deterrent to my wood carving. My wife gave me a special pass to carve in our living room, which has laminate flooring, as long as I agreed to clean up my wood shaving and return the area to its previous condition when done.
I took her up on it and used a small hand vacuum to suck up the wood shavings. After she saw that I cleaned up properly. 
I took it upon myself to extend the special pass to any area that had a hard surface that could be cleaned up easily with the hand vacuum. So far I haven’t gotten any complaints and it is now the middle of summer and I am still carving away from the basement.
In preparation for this post, I wanted to find some ways to help others do the same type thing, even if they don’t have a hard, flat floor. Here are a few ideas if you are attempting to carve on carpet or other non-flat surface and still keep the area clean and livable. With all of these ideas comes the intent that you the wood carver (or mess maker) will do your best to keep the area clean and not be adding more work for your wife or mother.
- Cut open a plastic trash bag and place on the floor under your wood carving area
- Lay an old quilt or blanket down under your wood carving area
- Use a wood carving apron that has a large pocket to catch the wood chips
With all of these ideas, there will still be some wood chips that find their way onto and into the floor. A good strong vacuum will help to remove the defiant wood chips that remain. Just remember, keep your wood carving area clean and your wife happy and you will be on your way to being a satisfied wood carver.