Stencils are a handy and creative alternative to wallpaper and ideal for those who are not afraid to take on a DIY project to transform the interiors of their homes easily and affordably. However, most people perhaps do not know they can use stencils in several ways to create and decorate a variety of furniture and other stuff in the house. For example, instead of using paint, you can use wood-burning stencils to create a set of exclusive cork coasters and trivets.

Why Use Cork 

Using cork as the base material for the coasters is a good idea if you are new to wood-burning stencils. It burns easily and uniformly without the danger of bursting into flames and becoming a fire hazard. Also, the smoke is non-toxic, which is very useful if you are working in a closed room. The soft nature of cork makes it easy to engrave the design, and you can also be sure that due to its absorbent properties, there is no chance of the paint getting transferred to the bottom of a hot cup of coffee you set down on it.

Steps in Wood Burning Stencils on Cork

Trace the design: Take a sheet of cork you can easily buy from any DIY store and brush off the loose bits from the surface. Center your pyrography stencils on the sheet of cork and use a pencil to trace the design lightly on the surface of the cork sheet. Make sure that you do not use too much pressure to avoid digging up the cork with the pencil point. Alternatively, you can place a sheet of carbon paper under the stencil to make the pattern more prominent with less effort. You can reposition the stencil and repeat the tracing exercise in the lightly-outlined parts if you see the design is not as prominent as you want.

Prepare the wood-burning tool: Opening the window to allow the smoke to escape is a good idea. Even though the wood-burning tool comes with different tips, beginners can use the universal tip with a flat side and a pointed tip. Set the tool to medium heat to give you more control over the burn color. Fixing the stand to the table ensures you will not knock it over and have an accident due to the hot tip.

Use the wood-burning tool: Use the flat edge of the universal tip to outline the design crisply. Then use the tip to fill in the rest of the design, including the smaller areas. Remember to use the tool quickly and lift it off frequently as leaving it on the surface can burn the cork. For best results, keep the tip vertical, especially when you are filling in close to the edge of the design. According to My Modern Met, you can achieve different results by varying the pressure of the tip.

Conclusion

Given the soft nature of cork, you can easily make mistakes when using the wood-burning tool. You should not lose heart but keep practicing till you master the technique. With experience, you will feel more confident executing ore complex designs.