How to burn pictures into wood

Making these cute Easter boards were so much fun and look great. I have put off making this project for such a long time as I thought it would be really tricky. Actually they were really easy to make. In this blog I will show you step by step how to make these amazing projects and how to burn pictures into wood.

You only need a few supplies and they are:

Chopping board

Paint Brush

Thick and easy food thickener

Ammonium Chloride

Heat gun

If you are making a stencil you will need:

Cricut Maker

Fine point blade

Standard Grip Mat

Self Adhesive Vinyl

Transfer Tape

Weeding Tool

DISCLAIMER: Links included in this description might be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links that I provide I may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you.

Getting Started

Firstly you need to have a design in mind that you wish to use. I bought my design from Design bundles. With Easter coming I thought it would be appropriate to make an Easter board. You can create your own design or you could buy a design.

Uploading your design

Once you have the design you are ready to head over to design space. Click on new project and that will take you to a new blank canvas.

You will need to download any design you have purchased onto your computer. It can then be uploaded to design space.

Head back over to design space and click on the upload icon on the left hand side of the canvas. This will take you to the upload screen. Click on the upload image button and this will take you to the next screen. You now have an option to drag and drop the file or browse.

Design space screen asking you to upload images

If you click browse it will bring up the list of your downloads. Choose the downloaded file you wish to use. Click on the file and then click on the open button in the bottom right corner.

Design space screen showing the easter tray bundle that has the design I want

Once you have clicked the open button it will open your design on the prepare to upload screen. If you are happy with the design, you have the option to name the imagine. Click on the upload button in the bottom right corner and you will return to the upload screen.

Prepare to upload screen in design space showing design that I want to upload

You will see your design displayed under recent uploads.

Design space screen showing the design that I want to upload

Click on the design you have uploaded and this will put a green box around it. Click on the green add to canvas button in the bottom right hand corner.

Sizing your design

Canvas showing the design I want to make

Now your design has been loaded onto your canvas. At this point you need to measure the area on your board to make sure the design is going to fit.

Showing the board I am using being measured using a ruler width ways
Showing the board I am using being measured using a ruler. Measuring the height

I measured my board and I needed to the size of my design to be maximum 8” high by 9” wide.

To change the size of the design you can do this 2 ways.

The first way is to use the sizing arrows in the bottom right corner of your design. Adjust the size of the design by clicking on it and moving it till the right size is reached. The other way is to click on the width and height box at the top of the canvas and alter the size accordingly. The padlock in the middle means that they will both change in proportion unless you click on the padlock and this will allow you to change the height and width to the exact size you require. 

Showing the design on the canvas after changing the size to fit on the board.

Adding names

Showing the design on the canvas with a text box to allow us to add the names to the bottom of the board

If you want to add names to your board you can do this be clicking on the text icon on the left hand side. This will bring up a text box for you to start adding the names you require.

Showing the design on the canvas with the names required added at the bottom

Cricut sets the font to cricut sans. If you wish to change the font click on the font box and this will then allow you to search your fonts. I selected Timberly script as my font.

Showing the design on the canvas with the names required added at the bottom with the font timberly script showing

Once you are happy with the font select all the names and click on attach. This will attach all your names together

Showing the design on the canvas with the names required added at the bottom and changed to the font timberly script
All the names at the bottom of the board highlighted ready to be attached

Alter the size of the names so that they fit into the bottom of your design. Once you are happy click on select all. This will select all the design.

Design space screen showing the whole design with the added names in my chosen font. The cursor is over the select all button

Click on weld and this will weld all the design together and cut it all as one design.

All the design selected and the cursor over the weld button

Preparing to cut the vinyl

Once your design is the correct size, it's now time to cut the vinyl. Place the vinyl onto the mat and press firmly. Load the mat into your Cricut by using the arrow button. 

The design space screen showing the design and the cursor on the make it button

Now the mat is ready head back over to design space. Click on the make it button in the top right hand corner. This will take you to the next screen. You will now see your design on the mat. This is how the maker will cut the design. Next head over to the continue button in the bottom right corner.

The design is now shown on the mat. It shows how it will be cut out.

Selecting the Material

Next select the material you wish to cut. If you need to search for your materials click on browse all materials. This will show you all the materials that the cricut can cut. I personally use premium vinyl as it gives consistent results.

Design space screen allowing us to select the materials. I have selected Premium Vinyl

If you are using a new material you have not used before it is recommended to try a small test cut first.

Cricut always sets the pressure to default. I always like to select ‘more’ as this gives me the best cut possible. To change the pressure just click on the box and it will drop down the options. 

The design space screen showing premium vinyl is the set material and asking is to set the pressure

The green cricut button on the maker will flash once the material and pressure have been selected. Press the button and the cut will start.

Once the cut has finished, press the flashing arrow button and release the mat.

To remove the vinyl, flip the mat over and peel the mat away from the back of the vinyl. This will prevent the vinyl from curling up.

Removing the vinyl from the mat by flipping over the mat and removing the vinyl that way

Weeding the vinyl

Trim around the edges of your design to save excess vinyl for another project. This will also save you time weeding. Weed out all the letters and parts that you wish it be shown on your board. You are almost reverse weeding as you are removing all the parts you would normally leave behind.

The design all weeded

Weed out your design and apply the transfer tape on to the top of your design.

The weeded design covered in transfer tape

Burnish it well, remove all the backing and apply your design to the board you are using. Make sure your design is positioned in the centre of your board.

The design applied to the front of the board

Burnish the design well onto your board and remove all the transfer tape. 

The design applied to the board with the transfer tape removed

Prepare the paste.

To prepare the paste mixture you will need to mix together the following ingredients:

The thick it and Ammonium chloride

1 Table spoon of Ammonium Chloride (Ammonium Chloride is food safe)

8 Teaspoons of Thick and easy

½ cup of warm water

This does make quite a bit of mixture that can be used for several projects. If you only need a small amount then just half the quantities listed above 

Mix all the ingredients together well until the mixture looks like glue. Leave it for approximately 5 minutes then it is ready to use.

The thick it and Ammonium chloride mixed together

Painting on the paste

The thick it and Ammonium chloride made into a paste and ready to be applied over the design using a small paint brush

Using a paintbrush paint on the mixture. Wipe off excess paste from your brush. Make sure all the design is covered by painting in all directions. You only need a thin layer of the paste. You don’t want to apply too much as it will take longer to burn it off!

The thick it and Ammonium chloride  paste being applied over the design using a small paint brush

Leave the board to dry completely once the design has been fully covered in paste. Drying takes around 30 mins.

The design totally covered in the thick it and Ammonium chloride

Once it is dry remove all the vinyl. You will now be able to see the paste that has dried. This is what you are now going to burn off.

The vinyl removed from the front of the board which shows the paste on the board

Burning the design

The board and the heat gun outside ready for burning

Take the board and the heat gun outside or into a well-ventilated area. When you heat the ammonia it will release a gas and may create smoke.

The temp of the heat gun is set to 490 celsius

I set my heat gun to 490 degrees centigrade and I kept the heat gun moving at all times. If you leave the heat gun pointing in one spot it could cause the board to burn. 

The heat gun being held close to the board to burn the paste

It takes a while for the ammonium paste to start burning.

Showing the paste starting to burn on the front of the board

The darker you want the design the longer you need to keep the heat gun moving over the top of the design.

The board with all the paste burnt looking really good

Wash well with warm soapy water before you use to remove any leftover ammonium paste.

If you want to see a video of how I made these Easter Boards just click on the video below.

if you enjoyed this blog please take a look at some of my other blogs:

Personalised Tote Bags

Personalised Acrylic Keychains

How to vinyl on socks

See you soon

Lisa x

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