I’m well aware it’s before Thanksgiving (at least, in the U.S.) but I’ve been working hard to get as much of my holiday gifts done early this year.  Last year, in lieu of paper gift tags, I painted monograms on wooden discs to differentiate the contents.  Not only do they look more custom, they double as an ornament.  This year, I’ve stepped up my game with a simple wood burning tool, only nine bucks with the 40% off coupon.  While gathering glass globes for our tree, I found packages of six wooden ornaments, priced at $5.00 but were 50% off.  And the perfect durable, unbreakable blank slate.

I scrunched down the Montana flag design to fit on the three and a half inch disc.  Without a printer at home, I resorted to tracing the design off my computer screen, then cut closely around it.  Carbon paper might not be used often now, but I have a stash in my craft supplies that comes in handy surprisingly often.  Tape the template in place to prevent shifting and unnecessary frustration.

 

Slip the carbon paper below and use a ball point pen to transfer the design to the ornament below.

With the hot wood burner, carefully outline the design, then fill in.  Go with the grain as often as possible as it prevents juttering of the tip and leaves a smooth, professional looking line.

Not knowing how this little adventure was going to pan out, I didn’t buy any extra tips.  Instead, I used the small round one the burner came with to fill in, leaving behind an interesting texture.

After Thanksgiving, we’ll set up our big tree and start decking the halls.

Until then, I still have a dozen or so tags I want to customize for family, friends, and special events like a wedding or new baby.

Be warned, if you buy a wood burner, you may become addicted.  Are you adding any hand made ornaments to your tree this year?