What is Pyrography?

Pyrography as defined by Oxford as "the art or technique of decorating wood or leather by burning a design on the surface with a heated metallic point."

How did Pyrography become a hobby of mine?

I, like many, picked up various hobbies in 2020. Social distancing during a global pandemic has allowed me the time to have new experiences. Which may seem odd considering there are many activities you can't do. I once heard that reading is a way to travel when you can't go anywhere, and I kind of believe pyrography has done the same thing for me. I have found it is a way to loose all track of time, and a way to decompress. It requires a great deal of patience, and practice. On this website, I will blog my journey improving my craft at wood burning. The first time I attempted this, I didn't think I would be continuing. But since then, I am happy I stuck with it. Now I hope this blog not only encourages you to give pyrography a chance, but maybe it will encourage you to try something new in general.

My First Attempt.

I actually started with this sign, using some of my grandmother's wood pieces and her wood burner. The sign was inspired by one of my favorite Albums, "Strange Trails" by the band Lord Huron. My grandmother's wood burner didn't have any other attachments, or even a way to control the heat. Something that made the project more difficult for a first timer. But since it was my first attempt, I just wanted to see if this was something I wanted to continue with. Turns out wood burning is a lot more challenging then it appears. No wonder those wood signs on Etsy aren't cheap! I think that's what makes hand made things more special. You know a lot of love & time went into the end result.

So after creating this Strange Trails sign (which went on our trail in MA) my journey began. I went out and purchased my Walnut Hollow Versa-Tool and got to work. After the first project I got pretty ambitious...

My Second Project.

Like I said before, quarantine allowed me to have a lot of time to myself and with my family. Both my sister and I decided to build a game. And in order to make it look more "Etsy like" or "customized" I decided I was going to wood burn most of it. I will create a separate blog post to discuss the DIY process for this project. But let's just say the project was ambitious! In the end the game came out great, and it totally was a learning process that I will remember forever.

Since then....

Since those first two projects, I have created various other projects. I made another sign, which was inspired by one incredible night. I have played around with coloring wood. And even took a virtual wood burning class. And I will not be stopping anytime soon.

Feeling Inspired yet?

I want to take what I learn through this process, and share it with all of you. If this blog post has inspired you in any way, come back and learn with me! We will figure out the best way to make cute things for less.

In fact you will learn more than just the art of Pyrography....

*Stay Tuned*