The temperatures are cooling down, the leaves are starting to change colors and fall is in the air.

You might be thinking about your next fall themed wood-crafting project.

Whether you are thinking about creating some fall garden signs, a holiday baking spoon, or thinking about a fun craft for the kids, the type of wood you choose will be very important if you want to level up your craft designs with wood burning.

Wood Burning is simple with tools like the Scorch Marker Pro but what type of wood should you use for your woodcraft project?

Before just grabbing the first slab of wood you see, you’ll want to take some things into consideration if you want your design to pop.

• Lighter wood allows your design to be more visible.
• Softer wood burns smoother allowing details like embossed lines and grooves to burn beautifully
• Harder wood is best used with heavy-duty items like furniture that will be handled a lot
• Price of wood varies, some are more expensive than others

 Let’s take a look at some of the different wood options that are best for wood burning.

Basswood

Basswood is one of the most commonly used woods for wood burning. The wood is soft and there aren’t many grains in the wood. The color is also very clear and light so you can clearly see the details being burned into the wood. Beware, while basswood is a great buy for wood burning, it can sometimes be a little tricky to find this wood in a specific shape and size.

Birch

Birch is a hardwood that is very light in color. This allows the design to easily stand out. Like basswood, birch has a minimal amount of grains. If you are looking for a uniformed appearance birch is a go-to because there isn’t a color difference between the growth rings. You can usually find birch at supply stores in the form of plywood, but note that plywood is not going to be as smooth as the basswood.

Poplar

Poplar wood is a great choice for wood burning because of the soft texture and light color. While poplar is actually considered a “hardwood” it’s on the softer side and burns well. Similar to basswood, Poplar has a soft texture, minimal grain and a bright color that allows for details like grooves to be easily burned into the wood.

Maple

Maple is a hardwood that burns well. It’s light to medium in color and can have a low amount of grains. Made a mistake? That’s ok.  Maple’s gouge-resistant nature makes it easy to fix some mistakes. Maple is on the more expensive end, so if you are a beginner, try something cheaper first, before you move onto maple.

Balsa Wood

Balsa wood is light in color, has low grains but is very soft. While it’s easy to burn, it’s also easy to break. You’ll want to use this wood for decor that you’ll put on a bookshelf and won’t touch very often. It’s a great type of wood for beginners to use because it’s pretty cheap to get and easy to work on.

Now that you know a little about the different types of wood, it’s time to get started on your next project.

Your woodcraft project can be easily designed with the Scorch Marker Pro. This wood burning tool is easy to use, and will leave you with a beautiful work of wood-craft art.

Don’t feel like searching the stores for wood? Pick up some of our pre-cut woodcraft project materials.

Learn more about the Scorch Marker Pro and stay up to date with all of the latest wood burning tips right here on our blog. Join the wood burning conversation and connect with us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter.