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Wood Burning Inspiration
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Wood slice pyrography
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Handmade Christmas decoration using a wood burning tool
Wood burning, also known as pyrography, is an art form where you use a glowing hot pen to create letters or illustrations on wood. The only two ingredients you need are a wood burner and a piece of wood.
How does wood burning work?
Wood burning works by applying heat to lightly burn the surface of a wooden object. The burning process creates a darker colour on the areas where you press with the wood burner, allowing you to depict text and illustrations.
The essentials
You don't need much to get started with wood burning. Specifically, you should have the following essentials:
- A wood burning pen
- The piece of wood you want to work on
- Electricity
How to choose the right Wood Burning Pen
A good wood burning pen makes the wood burning process much more enjoyable, safer, and fun. The differences between wood burners mainly lie in the extra features, such as the tips.
The wood burning pens from Vaessen Creative come standard with 5 different attachments:
- A universal tip
- A tip for shading
- A tip for scripting
- A tip for fine lines
- A tip for soldering (which you can also do with our wood burner!)
How to start wood burning in 6 steps
And now, the main part: how to start wood burning? It’s time to decorate wood.
1. Choosing your wood
Choose a piece of wood that is sufficiently intact (or can be made so) to work on. Flaky or damp wood is less suitable and may need more preparation.
Tip: Unfinished wood is best to use. If there is a layer of paint or varnish on the wood, it will produce smoke.
2. Prepare your wood
If needed, use sandpaper to smooth the wood and remove any protruding particles. Dust off the wood and ensure there is minimal dirt remaining. Finally, sketch your design or text on the wood and you’re ready to go.
Tip: Did you know our wood burning pen is also suitable for cork and leather?
3. Set up your workspace
Nothing is more frustrating than realizing you forgot something while working on a creative project. Ensure your workspace is ready, there is power for the wood burning pen, and other tools are within reach.
4. The actual wood burning
Wood burning starts as soon as the wood burning pen touches the wood. However, you can make a difference by considering a few things:
- Start with the basic lines. The main subject of what you are going to burn.
- Plan which lines and letters require which tip. This minimizes cooling time when you need to switch tips.
- Apply more pressure for deeper, darker colors. Apply less pressure for lighter lines.
5. Let everything rest
Allow the wood burning pen to cool down safely. Let the wood rest. Resume your project later to avoid damage or burns.
6. Finish where needed
Not crucial but recommended: finish your wood piece with varnish, paint, or other decorations.