Carving

[Bridget]

Which pattern would you find yourself using?

carve a toy out of a piece of wood
carve a piece of wood into a toy

[Pete]

Which pattern would you find yourself using?

carve a toy out of a piece of wood
carve a piece of wood into a toy
I'd probably use the first a lot more often; it gives emphasis to the toy, the result of the carving, which would probably be my intention. If for some reason I wanted to emphasize that I was carving wood instead of some other substance and the object being created was of secondary interest, I'd choose the second form.