ROCHELLE — Currently in the display case at the Flagg-Rochelle Public Library are woodworking pieces made by Rochelle resident Steve Dilling, who has carved more than 100 pieces over nearly 40 years.

The carvings in the case include pens made from deer antlers and cactus branches, a fishing lure, a Bellamy Eagle, walking sticks, a Native American arrowhead and horse, a fox, a Norwegian-style figurine, a cowboy and a locomotive kids toy.

Dilling previously displayed 33 Santa Claus figurines at the library that he’s carved and painted over decades. 

“I would make one for my mother-in-law for Christmas every year until she passed away,” Dilling said. “They asked me to display some of my other pieces in the library this time. I had been in here numerous times and saw the cabinet empty and asked if they wanted a Christmas display. I did that in the winter and the things I have in there now are from around my house that I've made over the years.”

Dilling’s love for the craft started with soap carving for a 4-H project. He worked with his grandfather building wagons and became more dedicated to wood carving as a hobby after getting married. He started carving Santas and worked with wood carving groups in DeKalb and at the Hub City Senior Center. 

“I'm not an artist,” Dilling said. “I couldn't draw a Santa to save my life. But I can make them or work off a pattern. I'm pretty much self taught. You learn a lot about carving from different people doing different things. It's just something to keep my mind busy and my hands working. I do this in my spare time when I'm not farming or driving the Hub City Senior Center bus. I always have a project going.”

Dilling said wood carving has taught him attention to detail, namely the dimensions of faces and bodies that can be hard to visualize. He enjoys looking at improvements made from his early carvings to his later work. 

Dilling is most proud of the first Santa he carved, because it shows how far his skills have come since. He’s logged 60 and 100 hours each on two pieces alone, and has a heron carving he’s been working on for 15 years on and off. 

“I'd call it a lost art,” Dilling said. “People can order things like this off Amazon that are made by a machine. I like things that are made by hand and that everybody's looks different after using the same plans. Each hand-made wood carving is one of a kind.”

Wood carving is a skill and hobby that anyone can pick up, Dilling said. He can often be found at campsites carving and people come up to him and say they wish they had the talent. He hands them a blank slate and tells them to give it a try. 

“I'm not a professional,” Dilling said. “Anybody can do what I've done. And I tell people that. Because that's how I started. I made a walking stick because my dad needed a cane and it was themed after farming and his military service. Most everything I do has a backstory. Sometimes I just want to learn a different technique. I do it to challenge myself.”