Tips and Tricks with SSD- Wood Burning

Hi everyone! Today I'm sharing a tutorial that I created for this weeks Skipping Stones Design Tips and Tricks.  First you’ll need to gather your supplies: favorite stamps, light brown ink, unfinished wood, wood burning tool, paints/watercolor pencils, and varnish.

Supplies Needed

• stamps: Skipping Stones Design (Victorian Summer)
• wood bangle: DIY Bangles 
• ink: Distress Inks
• coloring medium: Derwent Inktense pencils, antiquing medium, White Sharpie
• varnish
• tools: Walnut Hollow Wood Burning Tool

Next you'll need to plan out your design. I usually cut a scrap of paper the width of the bangle and stamp out a design on it. Some designs are easier to wood burn than others so chose your design carefully. 

Next you'll stamp your image on the wood bangle in a light brown ink. When you're burning in the design you'll use these stamped images as a guide for burning. Depending on the design, you may wish to change it a bit when burning to make it easier. The light brown ink will make it less noticeable if you stray from the design. 

For a curved bangle like this one, I find its easier hold the stamp in my hand and press it on with my fingers around the curve surface. 

I’m using a bangle from DIY Bangles made of milkwood. Not all types of wood will burn the same, but the milkwood is perfect for wood burning on. Pine because it is softer and has knots will skip as burning. I’ve found the inexpensive wood plaques at craft stores, although inexpensive to practice on are difficult to burn on. When burning, go slowly with minimal pressure. Let the tool do the work for you. If you are having difficulties with your wood burning, try a different type of wood before giving it up. And practice, practice, practice. 

Now that you have your design burned in, its time to color the image. You could use watercolor pencils, acrylic ink. I haven’t tried Copics yet, but they might work too. For the background, I like to paint on acrylics and wipe them off leaving a stain effect. I went ahead and added highlights with a white Sharpie.

For the inside of the bangle, I used an antiquing stain to highlight the woodgrain. You could use brown paint if you didn’t have the antiquing stain. Simply allow it to sit for a few seconds and wipe off the extra. The final step is to give it a coat or two of varnish for protection.