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Instagram must not think I have enough hobbies, because a few weeks ago it kept showing me videos of pyrography projects…and they are awesome, to say the least.
They got me thinking, “I can do that!”, so I ordered my own pyrography pen.
(*Since shooting the video below, I have learned it is called a pyrography pen.*)
I needed to get a couple of things from Hobby Lobby so I stopped by their wood aisles to see if there was anything that would give me an idea for my first pyrography project. That is where I found this cute heart piece.
I bought two – incase I made a disastrous mistake on the first one. I ended up getting two different projects out of the two of them (both Valentine’s Day themed).
PROJECT #1
For the first one I started by typing up some of the phrases seen on the iconic candy conversation hearts.
“UR CUTE”, “LOVE”, “HUGS”, XOXO”…
Then I printed them to be my guidelines while burning the wood.
To transfer the text, I made a carbon copy…I simply held the paper against a window (with the text facing outside) and traced the letters on the back of the paper with a pencil. I then laid the paper face up on the hearts and scribbled over the text. The graphite on the back transferred to the wooden hearts and I then had lines for burning.
After that I plugged in my pyrography pen and started tracing the letters on the wood with the tip on the pen.
LESSONS:
-These hearts have a thin paper-like veneer on them…that is why I had the “bleeding” for lack of a better word, around the burned letters. That did lessen a little when I switched the tip on the pen for the two hearts in front.
-Always unplug and wait for your pyrography pen to cool off before attempting to change the tip. These things get really hot. Also, I needed to use a pair of plyers to loosen the tip that came screwed on to my pen – it was factory snug.
-The handle gets a bit hot. If it gets unbearable or uncomfortable, set the pen down on its stand and give your hand a break. It’s not a big deal.
Check out my video below to see the whole process.
I have included the sheet I used for transferring my words below.
Feel free to download, print, and use it.
After that, I had set it aside – thinking it was done and that I would set it out with my Valentine’s decorations. My Mom happened to come over and saw it and she told me it looked funny… “Those candy hearts are usually pastel colored. This looks a little anemic.”
So, I decided to paint them with watercolors to get the perfect pastel shades.
PROJECT #2
Inspired by the watercolor technique and the results on the first project, I decided to forego the pyrography on this one and try a twist on the watercolors.
I was going for an ombre effect on this one and I used watercolor pencils to get it.
I simply colored the hearts and concentrated the pigment at one of the hearts.
Then I took clean water and a paint brush to paint over the coloring to blend it.
After the watercolors had dried, I took a black Sharpie to the outer edges (around the thin veneer). This made the hearts pop visually and gave them a bit of a cartoonish look.
Two very different final looks for two projects that started with the same basic materials.
If you do something with this wooden shape from Hobby Lobby, I’d love to hear what your final project looks like. Tell me in the comments below.
Looking for another Valentine’s Day DIY Decoration? Check out this Valentine’s Day Wreath for Less Than $10, or this Paper Valentine’s Day Decoration.
These are so beautiful! What a fun idea…
Thank you! Cute and flirty was what I was going for!❤️
[…] media I have recently become interested in pyrography. (My first ever attempt was recorded in this post if you want to check it out.) So, when I stumbled upon the Scorch Marker Pro I immediately knew I […]