wood burned holiday gift ideas

I love wood burning and over the years I have discovered that it's a really unique way to create affordable personalized gifts. All you need is a wood burning tool, a wood surface and a little creativity!

I use a Wood Hollow Creative Woodburner Pen. I have been using this tool for years now and I love it. While there are more expensive brands and tools out there, the Creative Woodburner is a really good quality all purpose burner that comes with 4 tips. You simply plug it in, let it heat up and start burning!

As far as wood goes, I will use anything from sticks to driftwood to blank wooden shapes, utensils and objects. We always have lots of wood scraps around here and I like playing around with different types of wood, shapes and size. Keep in mind that all wood will not burn in the same way though. Harder wood is more challenging and typically requires more time and precision while softer wood will burn fast and smooth. 

In my experience, there is no secret or short cut to burning designs into wood except for lots of practice and patience. It takes a lot of time to get used to the way it feels to draw with a wood burning tool but once you get the hang of it, there are endless ways to be creative!

wood burn from Alisa Burke on Vimeo.

TIPS:

1. LINES AND LOTS OF THEM- I like to use the tip of the burner to make all kinds of small lines- from chevron pattern to herringbone to shading and detail work, there are all kinds of ways to use repetitive lines.  FYI- Straight lines are easy- curved lines and circles are challenging.

2. DOTS- I love using dots in all of my artwork and they are super easy to to create with a wood burner. I like to use them to fill up space or add a decorative element to my lines.

3. CURVED LINES- Curvy lines and circles can be challenging, especially depending on the type of wood you are using and the grain of wood. It takes lots of practice (I'm still practicing my curved lines) to get good clean curvy lines and shapes but once you have it mastered the sky is the limit with burning patterns and images.

4. SHADING- I like to use the side of my tool to add shading. Shading is a little more subtle than a big dark line and can be used to fill areas with contrast.

There are so many fun ways you can put wood burning to use to create holiday gifts! Below are some on my favorite wood burned projects that I have created over the years!

1.wood burned ornaments 2. wood burned table top 3. wood burned blocks 4. wood burned bangles 5. wood burned buttons 6. wood burned earrings 7. wood burned spoons 8. wood rings 9. popsicle stick bracelets 10. wood burned frame 11. wood burned boxes