How to Use an Outline as a Wood-Burning Pattern

Wood burning is a wonderful craft that has lasted for generations. It is also a way to create furniture pieces that could become works of art, or perhaps heirlooms. Read this eHow, and begin creating your own works of art.

Things You'll Need

• Pencil
• Tracing paper
• Graphite paper
• Wood-burning tip #1-D (for outline)
• Wood-burning tip #SP-2 (for shading)
• Wood filler
• Sand paper
• Stain (color is your choice)
• Satin varnish

Instructions

1. Choose a piece of furniture into which you wish to burn a pattern. Something like a stool or a table would give you a good flat surface with which to work when you're starting out in the craft of wood burning. As you get more accomplished, you can wood burn patterns onto more challenging surfaces, like chair slats and more.

2. Pick a design that you will transfer into an outline as a wood-burning pattern. You might want to start out with a simple pattern to begin with. As your skill improves with wood burning, you can choose more elaborate designs.

3. Fill in any nail holes or any blemishes that are in the piece of furniture on which you are going to burn a design. Wood filler works well. Just make sure you lightly sand the surface after the wood filler dries. Make sure you wipe off any residue with a damp cloth.

4. Use tracing paper to draw the pattern you will use as an outline when making a wood-burning pattern. Transfer the traced design onto graphite paper. You'll have to tape the tracing paper to the graphite paper when you do this.

5. Select a #1-D tip to make an outline of the design for the wood-burning pattern. You can use the #SP-2 tip for any shading in the design.

6. Wipe the entire surface with tack cloth when you are using an outline for a wood-burning pattern.

7. Stain the piece of furniture onto which you burned a design, after it is completely dry. The color of the stain is up to you. You will find that a foam brush works well when staining. After the stain dries, sand the piece lightly, and wipe it with a damp cloth. Apply 2 or more coats of varnish, such as satin varnish.