Pyrography Accessories Worth Having: Wood, Transfer Paper and Stencils

Choose accessories for the job in front of you

A smooth wood blank, a clear outline and a steady setup make a project easier to follow. Start with the part that is causing trouble: rough wood, a hard-to-see pattern or lettering that is difficult to repeat. You do not need to buy every accessory at once.

Wood blanks: match the size to your design

William Craft bark-edge wood slices are unfinished pine rounds, approximately 3.5–4 inches across and 0.4 inch thick, supplied in a pack of thirty. They suit small ornaments and rustic designs. They are not basswood, and the natural grain and bark vary between pieces.

For a longer design, the oval basswood plaques come in a pack of six with hanging cord. The listing gives a size range of about 12–14 inches by 4.7–5.5 inches, so plan around the actual blank rather than assuming every piece is exactly 13 inches.

1. Try the layout first. Place your paper design on the blank. Leave enough room around the edge and any hanging hole.
2. Check the surface. Look for cracks, loose bark and rough patches before transferring your design.
3. Prepare the wood. Sand unfinished wood smooth and remove dust. Make a few test marks on scrap of the same wood before starting the finished piece.

See our wood selection guide for more help choosing a species.

Transfer paper: make an outline you can follow

PSLER red transfer paper is a pack of thirty A4 sheets. Red gives you another outline color to try; check its visibility on your chosen wood. Test both transfer pressure and erasing on scrap before using it on the finished piece.

1. Set up the layers. Put the transfer sheet marking-side down on the wood, with your design on top.
2. Keep it aligned. Tape one edge of the design so you can lift a corner to check progress.
3. Trace lightly. Follow the main lines with a ballpoint pen. Start with light pressure and check that the marks are visible.
4. Check and remove. Trace any missing lines, then remove the paper and tape before burning.

For alternative ways to copy a design, read our design transfer guide.

Stencils: repeat a border or small motif

The Aleks Melnyk No.37 Celtic stencil set provides stainless-steel templates for tracing knotwork and decorative borders. The listing specifies three 4 × 7-inch sheets. Check the individual motif sizes against your project before choosing the set.

The GORGECRAFT bee and honeycomb stencil is one approximately 5.5 × 7.4-inch metal sheet with eight designs. It is an option for tracing a bee motif or repeated honeycomb shapes, rather than a pack of eight separate stencils.

1. Mark the position. Use a light baseline or center mark to align the design.
2. Trace the outline. Hold the stencil still and use a pencil that fits its openings.
3. Check the repeat. Lift the sheet and check spacing before tracing the next motif.
4. Put the stencil aside. Burn along the traced outline with the template removed.

For decorative lettering, our lettering guide explains how to combine words and borders.

Put together a simple practice project

Choose one blank and one way to mark your design. Use transfer paper for a drawn or printed picture, or a stencil for a repeated shape. A stencil can be traced directly onto wood, so you do not automatically need transfer paper as well.

1. Choose a small design. Pick a simple outline with enough space between its details.
2. Prepare and mark. Smooth the surface and transfer or trace your outline.
3. Test your burner. Practice a line on scrap, then work slowly through the design.
4. Review the result. Note whether the wood, outline or pen control was hardest to manage. Use that to decide what to improve next.

For a closer look at the marking tools, see our stencils and transfer paper guide.