Pyrography is a creative art form that will appeal to a range of crafters, as it combines illustration and design skills with traditional and natural materials.
Wood burning is typically done with a tool that strongly resembles a soldering iron – although it’s best to use a specialist wood burning tool rather than potentially damaging an iron designed for electronics.
There are quite a few different styles of tools and features so the options can get a bit confusing. We think starting out with a pyrography kit is the best choice for beginners that want to have a go at this exciting craft.
You’ll find some great affordable wood burning kits to try below, and then if you really develop a passion for pyrography you can always buy more individual wood burning tools and go pro with your pyro hobby.
Safety first!
While pyrography can be a fun hobby and create amazing results, it has the potential to be dangerous. As long as you are aware of the dangers and take precautions it can be perfectly safe.
Wood burning irons are electrical and very hot, so it is essential to keep them out of reach of children, follow instructions and create a safe and tidy work environment. Wood burning irons can also take time to cool down, so never leave a used iron unattended. Make sure you have appropriate medical supplies and a first aid plan in place just in case anyone is accidentally burned by your iron.
Remember that you are burning wood, so as well as being aware of potential fire risks you should also take care to avoid inhaling fumes. It’s important to choose untreated wood for your pyrography projects as these won’t contain toxic chemicals, and wearing a mask is always advisable.
We would strongly recommend having a good read of some pyrography safety tips online before starting your wood burning journey.
Best wood burning kit for beginners
1. DoCrafts Simply Make Pyrography Wood Burning Kit
Best for simplicity
Whether you’re looking to try pyrography for the first time or fancy giving a kit as a gift to a crafty friend or family member, this wood burning kit from DoCrafts is an ideal choice.
It comes with a fixed temperature wood burning iron with five nib styles that you can alternate between – remember that you need to let them completely cool down before changing though.
You get a small wooden ‘tapas’ board which makes a great first practice project before moving on to your main masterpiece – a large wooden chopping board. The kit also comes with a handy letter stencil that you can use to plan your design, as well as instructions to guide you.
Pros – excellent starter kit
Cons – basic equipment for if you want to pursue pyrography
- Find this Simply Make Pyrography Wood Burning Kit on Amazon
2. Adjustable Temperature wood burning kit
Best for a range of possibilities on a budget
Many crafters enjoy experimenting when discovering a new craft, so we think this 77 piece wood burning kit should give you plenty of features to get creative with.
Firstly, you can control the temperature of the iron via the handy led display (ranging from 180 - 480°C), meaning you can obtain light or darker burns and have more control when working with different materials.
It also comes with a wide range of different nibs to experiment with, and the addition of charcoal paper means you can easily transfer designs onto your chosen surface.
While it is an unbranded product and some of the extras might not be all that useful, we still think the LED temperature control feature makes this one of the more useful kits in its price range.
Pros – temperature control, a wide range of nibs.
Cons – very limited instructions
- Buy this 77-Piece Adjustable Temperature wood burning kit from Amazon
3. SEANN Wire tip pyrography machine kit
Best for more professional wood burning
So far we’ve shown you fixed and variable temperature wood burning irons that use solid point nibs, however now we’re going to look at the next step up - wire nib pyrography irons.
These wire nib wood burning tools do cost a little bit more, but they give you much better control of your pyrography and the ability to create more intricate designs.
This kit comes with 23 different types of wire tips which you can change between, and much like calligraphy pen nibs the different wire shapes will give you different results. Wire nib irons also have a shorter distance between the handle and the burning tip, meaning you have greater control over your tool and can burn your design more accurately.
It also comes with variable temperature control (up to 750°C) so is much better suited to a wider range of materials than many of the solid point style irons.
Perhaps the best feature of this kit is the fact that it comes with two irons (and two holders). This means that you don’t have to interrupt your workflow and can switch to a different iron with a different wire nib style, rather than having to wait for one to cool down before changing nibs.
Pros – greater temperature control, two irons included
Cons – Just a tool kit, no stencils or wood included
- Get this SEANN Wire tip pyrography machine kit from Amazon
4. YIHUA 939D-II Pyrography Wood Burning Kit
Best for a range of techniques and applications
It can be a bit confusing when deciding between the various wood burning iron options, so this kit allows you to enjoy the best of both worlds!
This impressive kit comes with two pyrography irons included – a wire nib iron with twenty nibs, and a solid point iron with ten tips included. This means you can use your wire nib iron to create intricate lines and brush stroke effects with the ability to work at higher temperatures (up to 750°C), as well as using the solid point iron for shading and hot-stamping effects.
Both irons feature a comfortable soft-touch ergonomic grip and can be safely stored in the heat-resistant holder. The kit also comes with some practice wood pieces, so you can test out your options and tackle your first project with confidence.
Pros – includes solid point and wire nib irons, professional power unit with individual switches
Cons – One of the more expensive options
5. Dremel Versatip 2000
Best for cordless pyrography
Our final choice of wood burning tool is a little different to regular pyrography kits, because the Dremel Versatip is cordless! This refillable tool is powered by butane gas (the same that is used in lighters), so uses similar technology to a blow torch – but this clever little device has a variety of uses.
It comes with six interchangeable tips – soldering tip, hot cutting knife, shaping knife, wide flame head, hot air tip and deflector. The soldering tip and shaping knife are good tools for making pyrography lines and you can also use the hot air tip to create flame-burned effects.
If you’re someone who’s a bit handy, the tool can also be used for small amounts of welding and melting, so could be a useful tool for jewellery makers too.
Pros – Trusted Dremel brand, 2 year guarantee, cordless and refillable
Cons – No stand or materials included
- Buy this Dremel Versatip 2000 from Amazon
Go beyond burning
If you want to really go pro with your wood crafts, check out our guide on the best wood carving tools and woodworking projects.
How to choose the right wood burning kit for you
We’ve kept our list of pyrography kits relatively simple, but you can find loads of variations of these sorts of kits available online. Even with all that choice, deciding on how much to spend can be tricky.
For beginners that are completely new to working with wood or heat tools, we would advise trying one of the simpler and more affordable kits first just to see if you enjoy it.
While pyrography is a lot of fun and can be a perfectly safe hobby, it’s not for everyone and can be a bit challenging - a good degree of patience and dexterity is required.
However, if you’re someone who already enjoys woodworking and using hand tools, you can probably be a bit more confident and choose a more advanced and higher-priced kit.
Try a similar craft without the heat
No matter how safe you are, for some people just the idea of wood burning might be a bit of a worry. If this sounds like you, we think Lino printing would be the perfect alternative craft to try instead – check out our Lino printing for beginners guide and get inspired with Gathered!
