Your first step will be to buy some wood filler. You’ll also need a putty knife, sandpaper, a sanding block, and latex gloves. You’ll want to thoroughly clean the indents you need to fill and wait until the area is dry. Follow the instructions on the can to prepare the wood filler, then push it into the carving’s indents. The putty knife helps scrape over the surface to remove any excess wood filler.

Once the carving is filled and the filler has dried, use gritty sandpaper first to quickly remove excess filler, then a less gritty variety to smooth it. It is at this point that the area will be ready for finishing, whether that be by staining or painting. If you plan to finish the piece of furniture with a stain, you should know that there are wood fillers specifically designed for this purpose.