Home Gardening Wood Ornaments: The best way to Dry, Design, and Seal

Wood Ornaments: The best way to Dry, Design, and Seal

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Wood Ornaments: The best way to Dry, Design, and Seal

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Protect the great thing about your Christmas tree or flip branches into art work with these picket ornaments product of wooden slices. Utilizing pyrography (wooden burning), you possibly can create beautiful, cute, or enjoyable designs to brighten your tree this yr. Observe alongside for creation ideas and tips!

wooden ornament with an owl design

In my household, the Christmas tree is at all times some of the particular components of the vacation. Yearly, the kiddo and I head out collectively to pick a Christmas tree and spend time collectively crafting ornaments and adorning the tree. No tree is ever the identical because the final!

It’s robust to say goodbye to my tree on the finish of the season, and I’m at all times searching for methods to recycle my Christmas tree into a few of my crafting. After making wooden slice coasters, I believed I’d do a special tackle it by making wooden burned ornaments as an alternative!

Pyrography is such a enjoyable and distinctive pastime to get into. Utilizing a particular handheld device, you possibly can immediately enhance wooden and different supplies utilizing burn marks. The impact is a beautiful and natural-looking Christmas decoration.

If you wish to attempt your hand at making your individual wooden slice ornaments, then maintain studying for all my ideas and directions.

This put up will cowl…

wood ornament made with a woodburned christmas treewood ornament made with a woodburned christmas tree
You possibly can hold these picket ornaments inside or exterior.

This challenge comes from Backyard Made, my crafting e book stuffed with seasonal tasks impressed by the backyard. It has loads of tasks to maintain you busy year-round to assist beautify your house and backyard and to offer as significant presents. In order for you extra artful, down-to-earth tasks, test it out!

Garden Made book by Stephanie RoseGarden Made book by Stephanie Rose

Preserving the Christmas Tree

I’ll at all times be on staff actual Christmas tree. It’s considered one of my favorite traditions to participate in, heading to the Christmas tree lot to pick a tree after which heading residence to brighten it.

As I grew older and fell in love with gardening, I simply needed to expertise the rom-com-esque Christmas tree pilgrimage the place you chop your individual tree. Off to a tree farm in gum boots we went, sipping cider out of a paper cup and listening to carols performed over a loudspeaker.

“Seize a noticed and head out to the bushes,” they informed us. We settled on an outstanding tree with the fullness, color, and needle retention that appealed most and hauled the factor up onto the automotive’s roof. The drive residence was a sight: in each route, bushes have been zipping down highways atop sedans filled with households. I imagined all of the individuals who would sip some eggnog later that day as they arrange Christmas.

child picking out a fresh Christmas treechild picking out a fresh Christmas tree
Ask to maintain the a part of the trunk they slice off on the Christmas tree farm!

Our tree that yr was full of recent reminiscences and supplied a contemporary evergreen scent that greeted me every time I handed by. The expertise of selecting the tree out within the chilly air with pink noses and woolly mittens warmed me every time I added one other current beneath.

When the time got here to field up the ornaments and say goodbye to our tree, I had hassle letting go. The needles had fallen, and the branches have been dry, however the trunk was simply the precise measurement for creating wooden burned ornaments.

Relatively than toss my tree within the compost, I made a decision to show the trunk into some ornaments that may have loads of sentimental worth. Right here’s how I made these wooden ornaments with pyrography designs.

wood slice ornament with snowflake designwood slice ornament with snowflake design
The design potentialities are limitless on the subject of these picket ornaments.

DIY Wood Ornaments

I really like that I can keep it up the bushes of Christmas previous to the following yr with these wooden burned Christmas ornaments. They’re particular sentimentally but additionally look wonderful on the tree. I at all times go for pure decorations, and I really like how rustic and private these ones are!

Supplies

wood burned ornaments with snowflake designwood burned ornaments with snowflake design
Add the wooden slices as a festive and helpful reward tag.

The place to Get Wooden Slices

For my wooden ornaments, I made my very own wooden slices by slicing the trunk of an previous Christmas tree.

In the event you don’t put up a contemporary tree in your house however nonetheless need to make this challenge, there are many methods to get the wooden. You could possibly go to a tree farm and ask for off-cuts of enormous branches or too-long tree trunks.

After the vacations, you possibly can stroll down residential streets searching for discarded bushes prepared for recycling. Or discover out the place bushes are composted in your space and gather them there.

If all else fails, you possibly can go to a neighborhood backyard middle or tree lot after Christmas and ask for one they didn’t promote.

Apart from sourcing native wooden slices, you may as well discover pre-cut ones from most craft shops to make picket ornaments. I discovered some on-line on Amazon, Michaels, and Pastime Foyer.

wooden ornament with owl designwooden ornament with owl design
Add names and dates to your ornaments for a enjoyable, personalised reward.

Dry Wooden Slices

After getting your tree or department for this challenge, snip all of the branches off as near the trunk as doable. Let the trunk dry fully in a heat, dry place to keep away from wooden splitting. Lower the trunk into a couple of sections for sooner drying.

Drying takes time. In some situations, months! Sawing them forward of time is one of the best ways to hurry up the apply. Retailer them inside the home the place it’s heat to make them dry sooner. Some cuts could crack throughout the course of, so account for this when figuring out what number of slices to chop.

Lower and Sand

Utilizing a desk noticed or handsaw, reduce the wooden into quarter or half-inch thick disks.

Sand every slice of wooden by hand with coarse-grit sandpaper first, then clean the floor with a finer grit. Go away the bark alone in case your tree nonetheless has it! I just like the addition of the pure edge.

Drill holes via the highest of every decoration so you possibly can loop string or ribbon via.

Design

Adorn your wooden slice ornaments with paint, cloth, wooden stain, or decoupage. I selected to rejoice the pure look on this challenge by utilizing a wood-burning pen set.

To make use of the wood-burning device, observe the producer’s directions and apply on some items you aren’t overtly hooked up to. You’ll want to check out the completely different pen ideas!

After getting the hold of it, you possibly can draw your designs in pencil and hint with the burning pen, or simply let some free-form shapes circulation out of your fingers. Snowflakes and stars are easy and festive, however attempt something significant to you. Devices, animals, initials, and phrases are all good selections, however there’s nothing to say you possibly can’t draw monster vans or cupcakes if that’s what you’re into.

You can even paint your picket ornaments utilizing acrylic craft paint. I’d suggest utilizing a primer beforehand and sealing it with a transparent varnish to forestall the paint from chipping or yellowing. Extra on sealing beneath!

For decoupage, I’d suggest utilizing Modge Podge and a foam sponge. You possibly can print household photographs, take journal clippings, enjoyable scrapbooking paper, and extra to make an exquisite collage.

wood burned ornaments with wood burning penwood burned ornaments with wood burning pen
Make sure that to apply earlier than you attempt making designs in your favorite slices.

The best way to Seal Wood Ornaments

You possibly can cowl the wooden ornaments with a sealer in order for you a shiny end or need to shield the design. This could additionally assist forestall cracking.

You need to seal ornaments after you’ve completed your design, not earlier than. For wooden sealants, each spar urethane and polyurethane are standard selections.

Spar urethane is usually used outdoor since it might stand up to harsh parts. It expands and contracts with the motion of the wooden throughout temperature and humidity adjustments. In the event you’re hanging your ornaments exterior, spar urethane is your best choice. Notice that though it’s clear, it often has a barely yellowish tint.

The opposite possibility is to make use of polyurethane, which is most standard for indoor tasks. It’s sometimes warmth and moisture-resistant. It dries clear however can darken or yellow over time.

Apply the sealant with a pure bristle brush over wax paper. Most of those sealants are oil-based, to allow them to take some time to dry. Observe all directions on the sealant’s label.

wood slice ornaments before sealingwood slice ornaments before sealing
In the event you hold your ornaments exterior, seal them after you make your design.

Steadily Requested Questions About Making Wooden Ornaments

Are you able to paint wooden slice ornaments?

Completely! I like to recommend utilizing a primer beforehand to forestall the wooden from absorbing any paint and design. Regular acrylic craft paint works greatest. When you’re completed, you’ll need to seal it with a transparent varnish.

How do you dry out wooden slices for ornaments?

Drying is often what individuals mess up essentially the most whereas making wooden slice ornaments. Drying is a really sluggish course of, one that may take months. I like to recommend slicing the tree into your slices instantly for these ornaments. This can assist the slices dry a lot faster.

Then, retailer the slices inside. You need someplace heat and with restricted moisture. Wait till the slices are absolutely dry earlier than adorning.

Notice that some slices could crack over their drying time. Make sure that to chop a couple of further slices to account for the possibly cracked slices.

How can I maintain my wooden ornaments from splitting?

It’s essential to dry the wooden earlier than you make the ornaments. In any other case, you could expertise some cracking afterward.

Some wooden is simply extra prone to crack than others. Among the finest merchandise to assist with that is pentacryl wooden stabilizer. After slicing your slices, you soak the wooden with pentacryl. This can assist to displace the moisture within the wooden and speed up drying time. It’s nearly assured to forestall splitting afterward!

3 wooden ornaments with owls on each3 wooden ornaments with owls on each
Attempt a theme, like these owls.

That covers all my ideas for making your individual picket ornaments. It’s an amazing challenge to do as soon as the Christmas season ends, and also you’re trying to recycle your tree. You’ll love hanging them the next yr!

You probably have any questions on how to do that challenge, depart them within the feedback beneath, and I’ll get again to you as quickly as I’m ready.

Extra Christmas Crafts to Attempt

DIY Wooden Slice Ornaments

Make these wooden burned wooden slice ornaments as an elegant technique to recycle your Christmas tree.

  • Desk noticed or handsaw

  • Drill

  • Wooden burning pen set

  • Let the tree trunk or department you may use for this challenge dry fully to forestall splintering. To hurry up the method, reduce it into a couple of smaller sections. This may occasionally take months, however should you convey them inside to dry the place it is hotter, it might dry sooner.

  • When the wooden is dry, use the desk noticed or handsaw to chop the wooden into disks which might be 1/4 – 1/2 inch thick.

  • Sand every disk with the coarse sandpaper first, then the high-quality.

  • Drill a gap via every – that is the place the string will go.

  • Adorn your wooden slice. I selected to make use of a wooden burning pen on mine to create a design, however you need to use paint or no matter else you want.

  • Add a coat of sealer to guard your decoration for years to return.

Wooden Ornaments: How to Dry, Design, and SealWooden Ornaments: How to Dry, Design, and Seal

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