The thought of holding an extremely hot tool for a prolonged period of time in hopes of getting that perfect line is not for the faint of heart (and for perfectionists trying it for the first time, stressful). I recommend a couple of things: 1) Don’t take it too seriously, imperfections add character to your sign and only you will notice them, 2) Flip on some music, have tea ready and make it an enjoyable experience, and 3) Place the woodburner somewhere safe when not in use… it wouldn’t hurt to know where the fire extinguisher is either, haha! In all honesty, woodburning can be a fun craft for any skill level. Just do it safely, with love, and the results are incredibly rewarding.

Supplies:

• Woodburner – We used the Walnut Hollow Creative Versa-Tool

  

• Wood slices
• Twine
• Electric Drill
• Pencil
• Letters and Snowflake Stencils
• Scissors
• Delta Paint: Blue Mist
• Blue Glitter
• Elmer’s Glue
• Stampendous Clear Embossing Ink
• Stampendous Embossing Powder: Silver Tinsel

Directions:

Begin by drilling small holes on opposite sides of the wood slices. The twine will need to fit through the holes so make sure to test on the first slice to save time redoing the holes later. These holes will be used when hanging the finished product, so try to keep the holes closer to the edge in order to allow for more area to design and burn.

*Please note: We realized after creating this that the holes should be placed closer to the top of the sign instead of middle to distribute the weight correctly when hung. For the Thankful sign we ended up sanding the bottom of each letter and using it as a standup sign (bottom of page). Improvising this made us like the sign even more!*

If using painted wood slices (“Let It Snow” sign), paint at this point with desired color and let dry completely before proceeding to stenciling.

Using the stencils, trace the first letter onto the desired piece of wood using a pencil. Repeat for the remaining wood slices.

Preheat the woodburner per the manufacturer’s instructions (We used the highest setting and preheated for 5 minutes). It’s recommended to test the woodburner on an extra piece of wood before beginning on the planned pieces. Carefully begin to trace the penciled letter as smoothly as possible with the woodburner. Only light pressure is needed, make the tool do the work for you. Staying on one spot for longer will give a darker burn so make sure to be consistent in speed and create the effect you prefer. Repeat for the remaining letters. Erase any pencil lines if necessary.

Let It Snow Additional Steps: If wanting to add the silver snowflakes (Let It Snow sign). Apply a generous amount of clear embossing ink to the desired stamp and press evenly onto slice in desired location. Quickly pour embossing powder and shake excess off onto a piece of scrap paper (Use the paper as a cone after to put excess powder back into container). Warm the powder until just melted using the embossing heating tool. To achieve the blue snowflakes, trace a snowflake onto 2 smaller slices of wood. Woodburn the outline of the snowflake carefully following similar steps above. Brush Elmer’s glue into the center of the snowflakes, carefully pour blue glitter to coat all of the glue and carefully tap excess onto a scrap piece of paper.

Thread the twine down one side of the letter and back up the other (twine should be along the back of the letter, not the front where it would block the letters). Repeat for the remaining letters. Space on the twine to desired look.

Hang  (or stand) your new woodburned sign and enjoy!

We want to hear from you! What would you put on your sign?