July 27, 2012 11:30 am

Pyrography 101 {Wood Burning}

Pyrography is awesome.

And according to Pinterest it’s like totally coming back into style.

Not to be confused with teenage pyromaniacs… pyrography is the art of decorating wood with burn marks.

Yes, the 80′s have officially returned.

Pyrography is also known as pokerwork or wood burning.

I like calling it wood burning.

Sounds better, and more professional, and much more justifiable when I am neglecting children so I can try it out.

And sounds like I don’t have an addiction to lighting things on fire.

Anywho, here’s the gist of what you need to give wood burning a try:

-Wood. Start with a scrap piece for practicing, but consider different types when you are ready to play; such as plywood, chipboard, drift wood, etc.

-Electric soldering iron. Craft/hobby stores sell pretty good ones for around $10.

-Additional soldering iron attachments. These are optional, and oftentimes will come with your soldering iron anyway.

Here’s how it works:

Plug it in. Wait three minutes. Burn things.

Yes it’s that easy, and it’s really fun too.

Here are a few tips I learned right away:

-The best burning is done in layers. So don’t let the iron sit on one spot for too long.

-The iron gets really HOT. Duh, I know. But it really is hotter than what you would think. Be careful and consider taping your cord down on the floor and on the table so it doesn’t go flying if a little person accidentally trips on it.

-Use a pair of pliers to remove your different attachments so you don’t have to wait for it to cool down each time you swap them out.

-The iron does NOT feel like a pencil in your hand. Drawing letters is hard. So are straight lines. Practice and you will get better at it.

-Have an old dish cloth or oven mit on hand to set your attachments on.

-Use a plastic scrapbook or craft stencil to trace a pattern lightly in pencil. I also used simple patterned rubber stamps and lightly stamped the wood before burning the pattern.