wood burning spoons

wood burning spoons – Making handmade gifts sets is something near and dear to my heart. I like to give, I am definitely a giver and I like to think my gifts are both artistic and useful. Each year, I try to think of a theme to center my efforts around. In years past I have made chutney and jellies, knitted hats and scarves and various sewn items. This year I am doing flavor infused olive oils, vinegars and soups in a jar.  My added bonus is a cool technique of wood burning on a kitchen utensil to coordinate with the gift. The technical name for it is Pyrography. The origin of Pyrography dates back to the 17th century and is literally translated as “writing with fire”.

I purchased a wood burning tool at my local craft store. After making my first piece I was hooked, completely hooked. I loved the process and the smell of the wood burning. I had to make a second trip to the store to purchase every style of stamps, tips and alphabets they had in stock.  For a few months, side trips to the isle in every store that could carry wood or bamboo utensils became the norm. I was continually searching for new surfaces upon which to make art. My kids knew if they lost me in the store which aisle to check first. Luckily my family and friends are very supportive of my creative endeavors and enjoy the gifts they receive. In addition to utensils I have used pyrography on wood tags, gourds and pallets. The technique can also be used on leather with stunning results too. I have not ventured to leather but I will. I think it would look amazing on a handbag.

I loved these spoons so much I sent them into Somerset Home for consideration and was fantastically please when they made the cover.  Who ever their photographer is – they always make my work look amazing!  Each issue of the Somerset and Stampington magazines are really jam-packed with inspirational work and the stories behind the projects. Even as a seasoned veteran I am inspired by something in each issue. If you are interested you can purchase individual magazines or a subscription. This is an affiliate link and I make a commission if you make a purchase and same goes to the Amazon links below.

Tools and Materials used for wood burning spoons :

• Covered work surface
• Wood Spoons
• Hot Stamp for the Creative Versa-Tool  Hot Stamp Alphabet upper, lower and numbers, Special Technique Points I and Special Technique Points II  
• Pliers to remove hot tips
• Pencil
• Protected work surface

Instructions for wood burning spoons :

 

When working with a wood burning tool make sure you have a protected work surface.  I like to wear fire-proof gloves and a leather apron. My small cast iron skillet holds my hot tips and I work in a well ventilated area. I set the smoke detectors off in my home on multiple occasions from the aromatic smoke. The detectors going off is something my family is all too familiar with because I also like to experiment in the kitchen.

Being one not to miss an opportunity for tiny details, I thought it would be sweet to stamp hearts on the very ends of the round handles.  Like a bit of love from me to the recipient. The art on the pieces evolved since I really did not have a preset notion of what each piece would look like.  Experimenting with each tip allows each piece to be completely different. Repeating the pattern over and over to create new patterns is quite mesmerizing and relaxing. The owl and flowers were created using a slightly different method.  

By lightly drawn in pencil, on the utensil a rough sketch you can get the scale correct and then add in all the tiny details. The details on each piece can be created by using a variety of pressure and burn times with different tips. The lighter the pressure and the time the tip is applied will result in a light texture and color.  The longer the tip is held on the surface the darker and deeper the image will be. The intricate patterns came about with experimentation, practice and interchanging tips often. After the first dozen or so my skill increased and I can make 6-8 in an hour.

I hope you will give wood burning a try!  I love my wood burning spoons.  Or would that be wood burnt spoons?