Creative Sparks: Reigniting Your Woodburning Practice This Summer

Summer always feels like a season of return, for warmth, for stillness, and for creative activities. Whether you've been on a long break due to life, feeling creatively stuck, or simply needed time to rest, this season is a beautiful time to reconnect with your tools, your materials, and your art. 

For me, the return to burning often begins quietly: a walk in the woods, the feel of grain under my fingers, the memory of stories told around firelight. As the days grow longer, I find myself pulled back to the rhythm of line, ember, and edge; the meditative focus that comes with creating something from flame and wood. 

If you're like me and have been away from your creative practice for a while, here are a few gentle ways to get back into the flow: 

🌿 1. Start Small 

You don’t need a big idea or a perfect design. Try something small, whether it be a small set of earrings, a simple design on a basswood round, or even just some doodles. You just want to use the tools and get your hands to remember the strokes and gentle movements. 

🔥 2. Set a Summer Studio Space 

Even a small outdoor table, porch corner, or sunny windowsill can become sacred creative space. Add a cup of iced tea, a favorite playlist, and your tools, boom instant studio. If you are not sure what to burn, take a walk. See the whole world or at least your neighborhood or park as an extension of your studio. You can find all kinds of small things to use as models to burn or even find sticks or wood pieces to burn on. 

🖌️ 3. Let Nature Guide You 

Look outside. The patterns in leaves, feathers, shadows, and clouds offer inspiration that doesn’t ask for perfection -only attention. Flowers make excellent subjects; they can be as simple or detailed as you want.  

🌀 4. Some Simple Ideas 

A few ideas I have always liked.  

     1. Small Keychains, magnets, earrings or charms 

             Simple to make with just a small round or precut blank, you can burn symbols, feathers, flowers etc. on them and make useable but simple projects. 

     2. Constellations 

           A cool project you can make and gift or display in your own studio or office. Simply star gaze in the warm summer night and burn a map of your favorite constellation in your sky. Put in a simple wood frame for a unique display item. 

   3. Spoons 

         Wood or bamboo spoons make a great project to get back in the swing of things. You can buy a set of them for cheap at your local dollar store and burn designs, flowers, symbols or whatever on them. And they are useable after sealing! 

   4. Flower Tags 

         Being that it is summer, people everywhere are planting gardens, flower beds and planters. Get some small plaques and burn the names of herbs or plants on them to make a simple but fun identification sign for your garden. 

   5.  Small Animal Portraits 

          Quick fox, owl, or bear faces on palm-sized rounds. Or if wildlife isn’t your thing, try making a portrait of your family or neighbor's dog or cat. Add a bit of color wash if desired. 

There’s no wrong way to return to your practice, only the slow building of sparks into something that glows again. 

If you’re burning again this summer, I’d love to know what’s calling to you. Drop a comment or tag me in your work. Let's create in the warmth together. 

Until then, stay grounded, stay curious, and may your fire burn steady.