也许很难找到与风暴碎片有关的东西,但这个用松树树枝创作艺术的简单项目可以有所帮助。
Recently, a wet and blustery storm swept across the landscape near my home. The result of all this commotion led to a wet dog, several branches laden on the ground, and more kindling than I was willing to load for a cooler season. Looking across the debris, I realized that several of the pine branches were fairly large. Pine cannot be used as kindling because it burns too quickly, but it is useful for woodworking projects.
Viewing the excess of branches, I decided to embark upon a little project making small, wooden magnets. The major component of this project are slices cut from a seasoned (or dried) branch. The small slices are called “tree cookies,” and can be used to decorate your refrigerator, or given to friends as gifts. This little project is simple and does not take a long time, making it easy for even the most novice of woodworkers.
那么你可能会问,为什么是木制磁铁呢?嗯,因为每个树饼干的正面都有一个个性化的设计,使它既适合家居装饰,也适合作为礼物送给爱的人!这个设计可以由你自己完成,也可以和想要一起享受乐趣的小朋友一起完成。这些迷你牌匾是让你的家个性化和留下回忆的好方法。
Materials
- Glue, any brand will do
- Handsaw
- Magnets
- Permanent markers
- Pliers
- Seasoned branch, never use freshly cut branches because they will attract mold by not drying properly
- Sandpaper, between 200-400 grit
- Wood burner, for example, a wood burning pen kit with interchangeable tips for a variety of lines
Note: You can also buy full kits on Etsy (T.S. Shure Woodburning Creations Kit,Detailer Kit,Deluxe Woodburning Kit Pyrography Craft, andClassic Wood-burning Kit) or Amazon (T.S. Shure Woodburning Creations Kit,Deluxe or Creative Woodburning Kit, andNSI Wood Burning Kit).
Preparation
- 用你的手锯,从调味过的树枝上切下1到2英寸厚的饼干片。当你切树枝时,注意你的手放在哪里,切的是木头而不是手指。为了让饼干看起来更质朴,要保留每块饼干的外层树皮。
Note:饼干可以从任何角度从树枝上切下来。你如何切割木头将决定饼干的形状是椭圆形还是圆形。这里不需要追求完美,只要玩得开心! - Once you have cut your cookies, lay each cookie flat on a surface.
Dendrochronology: The Science Of Tree Aging
The flat area of the tree cookie is called the “cross section”. You will notice that each cookie has circles in the cross section. These circles are called “annual rings.” An annual ring is created for each year a tree grows, and this is one technique that科学家们过去常常使一棵树“变老”。大约一年的生长由一个由内光部分和外暗部分组成的环来表示。
To find out how old your tree was, you will need to count the annual growth rings on your tree cookie. Starting in the center of the cookie with the smallest circle, count the rings in an outward fashion. The resulting number is an approximation of how old the tree was when the branch fell. You may notice some of the rings are thicker than others.
The space between each dark circle provides information on how wet or dry the year has been within the specific ring (year) of the cookie. Scientists can use the width of the tree rings, intrees that need rainfall, to determine whether there were large amounts of rain in a specific year. The general rule is more rainfall occurs in years with thicker rings.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: Sanding
First, you will need to lightly sand the cross section of your cookie. The bark on your cookie does not need to be sanded. Sanding the cross section is important because it will help the image to appear sharper after wood burning.
Once you have completed sanding all of your cookies, wipe the surface with a damp towel to remove all of the sawdust.
Step 2: Design Your Cookie
There are two ways to design how your cookie will look, both of which are listed below with instructions.
Free-hand
- Using a pencil, draw the design directly onto the cookie. You can use another writing utensil, but pencil is the easiest to hide with wood burning.
Transfer A Design
- Make or print out a sketch of the image you would like to use.
- Heavily outline the sketch using a pencil.
- Place the sketch, pencil-marked side down, onto the cookie.
- Using tape, or your hands, hold the sketch in place.
- Trace over the sketch with medium pressure to transfer your design onto the cookie.
- Remove the paper from the tree cookie, making sure the design has transferred. If the design hasn’t transferred, you may need to repeat step 2 or press down harder in step 5.
Step 3: Wood Burning The Design
With your wood burning pen, lightly follow the pencil marks on your cookie. Use caution, many beginners make the initial mistake of pressing down too hard with their wood burning pen. I did this my first time and it left unnecessary holes and errors in the design.
Remember to take your time! Wood burning is a slow process and rushing will only result in mistakes. As you familiarize yourself with the pen, use steady pressure for consistency. Notice that the longer you hold your pen in one area, the darker and more depth the line will have. For more tips on wood-burning, this video explains how to use a wood burning pen for different lines at 2:50 minutes.
一旦你烧完木头,用永久的记号笔在你设计的轮廓上填上。同样,当你填写设计时,轻压一下。任何接触到木纹的水分都会扩散,这意味着标记很容易“流出”轮廓之外。
Wood-burning Safety
Handle your wood burning pen with care, it will become hot quickly. Remember to use the wood burning pen holder that came in the kit, this can prevent you from burning other items on accident (including yourself). It is also important to always use metal pliers to attach and detach the tips of your wood burning pen.
Step 4: Final Touches
The next step is to glue a magnet onto the back of your completed cookie. There isn’t necessarily a perfect type of glue to use in this step, considering that I have used several types of glue from my kitchen junk drawer. White glue, super glue, and yellow carpenter’s glue have all worked in my experience.
Let the cookie sit overnight after you have applied the magnet with glue. In the morning, feel free to make any finishing touches to your cookie.
These cookies are a wonderful way to show off treasured report cards on the fridge or to share among friends.
The possibilities are endless!
Kristel lives in Northern New York with her four-legged adventure companion ‘Luna’ and her ever-persnickety cat named ‘Shadow.’ Kristel can be found under a pile of field guides or enjoying the great outdoors.
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