Trying Pyrography For The First Time
29th December 2024 - New Experience Number 43
I loved trying pyrography for the first time and adding it to my list of 52 new things. Although I wasn’t particularly good at it!
But what exactly is pyrography, and what does it involve?
Looking deceptively easy, and as though it is just like using a pen, it was more difficult than I’d thought it would be, but a brilliant activity with some results I can definitely improve upon.
What Is Pyrography?
Pyrography is a form of wood burning. Using a tool that looks a bit like a pen, (but it gets ridiculously hot so needs to be handled with caution), it involves burning marks into wood, creating patterns, images, or words, in artistic designs.
If you’ve ever been to a craft fair, then it’s highly likely you’ll have seen wooden items, such as signs or pens, or boxes, that have been decorated with designs or words which have been burnt into them in this way.
Trying Pyrography For The First Time
Firstly, I’ll admit that I had no idea that this craft was called pyrography. I’d seen properly skilled crafts people doing it, but it’s not something that had cropped up when I’ve been searching for new creative things to try.
I love trying new crafts, but this one hadn’t made it onto my radar. Until I spotted a pyrography tool in the high street shop, The Works, at a very reasonable price of £10. I never thought it would be so easy to get hold of the equipment!
The Works also sold a variety of prepared wooden items, such as plain hanging signs and boxes from £1 upwards. I kitted myself out and gave it a go at home.
Different Nibs
The tool came with five different nibs, a stand which appeared flimsy but actually did the job very well, and very few instructions.
There was nothing about how to insert the nibs, (only do this when the tool is cold, and just screw them into place). No instructions for how to best hold the tool, (only hold the plastic, and hold it a bit like a pen). Although it explained how to create a mark, it didn’t cover how to move the tool and make a design.
Brief Instructions
Aside from how to heat it up and cool it down, the only guidance for actually creating a design was to “gently place the tool onto the wooden surface and apply pressure to create your burn mark”. Now I don’t know about you, but I’d kind of figured that bit out myself.
With this most basic information, I figured it couldn’t be too difficult. With no indication as to what sort of mark each nib would produce, I used the first one I picked up, and plugged the tool in to heat it up.
Giving It A Go
The tool was very basic. Turning it on or off was done at the plug socket. There was no switch on it, and no indicator to suggest what temperature it was, so it was a bit of guess work.
I rested it carefully on the stand it had come with. Whilst I waited for it to warm up, I drew a rough pencil design onto the wooden heart I had bought, as a guide for my woodburning attempt.
Most people’s default mode for using a pen is to hold it close to the nib for steady control over the movement they make. There is a lot of metal which heats up near the nib of the pyrography tool. Obviously it needs holding slightly differently.
Carefully picking it up, I clasped the upper plastic casing as best as I could as if it was a pen. The distance from the nib felt weirdly unnatural, and I had a feeling this might make for some wobbly designs.
Making A Mark
Placing the nib of the tool onto the wood, I didn’t apply much pressure at first. There was no smoke, just a slight hint of a burning smell. I lifted the tool to see what it looked like. A small scorch mark had appeared. So far so good. Now it was time to experiment!
Beginning with a test piece, I wanted to get a feel for the tool and the different sort of results I could make.
Experimenting
Attempting to create a curved line was not as easy as I’d anticipated. I don’t know if I’d picked a nib that wasn’t conducive to drawing arcs, or whether it was something to do with the pressure I was applying.
Instead of smoothly burning through the wood, the tool seemed to get stuck. I lifted it off, trying to place it exactly where the previous mark had stopped in order to continue the line. The result was frustratingly uneven.
Applying different amounts of pressure seemed to make a difference. Too little pressure barely made a mark; too much made it stick more often and drag along.
Seeking Help
Help was readily available on my phone. I popped ‘pyrography for beginners’ into YouTube and selected one of the short videos which came up in the results. A very helpful lady explained some different techniques for making the burn marks.
Putting what I had learnt in to action made a bit of a difference, but I think I’ll have to keep practicing before I can make anything that I’d be proud to give as a gift.
Straight lines were a little easier. Speckles were the simplest mark to make, but I wanted to make a mark which had intention and meaning rather than just a pattern, so I tried lettering.
Lettering Wasn’t My Strong Point
This was certainly a tongue out moment, as I concentrated on holding the tool steadily, and pulling it slowly and evenly across the wood. I felt pretty pleased with the ’52’ that I made.
With a new belief in my abilities, I moved on to try making a sign, thinking I’d create something motivational and relating to my love of trying new things.
I actually ended up with a sign that looked like a prop from a horror film. You know the ones, written in terrible handwriting, badly spaced, inconsistent capitals and scrawled.
It was so bad I couldn’t stop laughing, which probably didn’t help with the bad writing! Giving it up as a bad, but entertaining effort, I’ve kept that piece of wood for future practicing (and amusement).
Finished Piece
The results of my first attempt at pyrography are not going to be adorning any walls anytime soon. They’re not quite the works of art I’d imagined I’d be making.
However, they were fun to make, and thankfully the wooden pieces were cheap so this was a brilliant opportunity to have a first go at a craft I’d never tried before, and one I’ll definitely be doing again.
What I Think After Trying Pyrography For The First Time
It is a super cool craft and I really enjoyed it. However I did also find it frustrating, purely because it looks like it’s going to be easy and it wasn’t as straight forward as I’d hoped.
The reality was that I needed to slow down, be patient, and try to calmly make my creations. This is not a craft to try if you’re short on time. Instead, you want to take your time and find a flow.
I love the fact that there are so many free resources available online that can help guide us, but ultimately it’s down to me to practice and improve.
Despite my first attempts not looking all that good, I’ve got so many ideas of things I want to create for gifts, that I’m definitely going to be giving this another go. I’ll keep you posted!
Want To Try It Yourself?
- If you want to try this at home, you can pick up a pyrography tool and some wood from The Works like I did.
- The tools are also available in many craft outlets such as HobbyCraft and The Range, and various other online sellers.
- You can also find in-person workshops to learn pyrography. Class Bento and Craft Classes have several listings for live classes across the UK.
- Check online to see if there are any classes near you.
Cost Of Experience
- The pyrography tool I bought cost £10. It’s not going to be the best tool at that price, but it’s brilliant to use as an introduction to the craft.
- In addition, I paid £5 for 4 wooden pieces to try wood burning on to.
- The price will depend on where you buy the equipment from, and the quality.
- In person workshops tend to start from around £5o, but will depend on the length of the class and what you are making.
Recommendations
- Be Careful. This is wood burning. The tool will get hot. Remember to only touch the plastic, and to only change the nibs once the tool is cold.
- Draw your design first. I don’t know why I didn’t do this for the letters, it would have been much easier!
- Stay. Never leave your pyrography tool unattended.
- Work in a ventilated area. Make sure the burning smells can escape. Open a window if you can. I worked on our cooker and switched on the extractor fan which helped.
- Relax and enjoy. This is a great mindful activity that will soon see you in the flow and giving your thinking mind a break.
- Take pictures. Capture some images of your designs, and let me know how you get on. I’d love to see your creations!