Hogwarts Wood Burned Coasters

Hogwarts is a truly magical place. Oh, how I wish the world of Harry Potter were real so that I could live there! Until then, I'll keep visiting the one in Florida, and will keep this set of Hogwarts Wood Burned Coasters on my coffee table to keep the dream alive. Wood burning by hand is actually a really fun craft, but having the help of Ikonart stencils and Torch Paste is a game changer. Don't believe me? Check out the tutorial to see for yourself!

To make your own set of Hogwarts Wood Burned Coasters, you will need these supplies:

• Ikonart Custom Stencil Kit
• Hogwarts Castle Art
• Unfinished Wood Coaster Set with Holder
• Sandpaper
• Torch Paste
• Squeegee
• Heat Gun
• Sealant

To make a stencil, you need to start with a printed design. Download the Hogwarts Castle Art and size it to fit your coasters. For the 4" coasters I used, I made the design 3.5". I also typed "Hogwarts is My Home" to add to the coaster holder to make it a complete set. Print the design as dark as possible on either inkjet or laser Ikonart Printer Film.

The next step in the process is exposing the stencil film. Set up the exposure stand with UV LED Light by following the directions included in the kit. Ikonart Stencil Film is light sensitive, so be careful to keep it out of sunlight and bright lights before exposure. Cut a piece of the film the same size as the design print.

The final step in the stencil-making process is to washout, or rinse the stencil. Clip the exposed stencil film to the Ikonart clipboard with the shiny side (carrier sheet) touching the clipboard. Use the kitchen sink sprayer to rinse the stencil film with warm water until the design shows through and becomes completely clear. The washout process shouldn't take more than 3 minutes.

The Ikonart stencils work best on wood that is smooth. Go over all of the wood coasters and holder with 220 grit sandpaper and wipe them clean afterward with a damp cloth to remove any dust.

Use the squeegee to apply a thin layer of Torch Paste over the stencil. Be careful not to get any paste outside of the stencil area. If you feel like you need a little more wiggle room, place some painters tape around the edges. Scrape off any excess paste and put it back into the jar. Remove the stencil and let the paste sit for 2-3 minutes.

Now for the magic! Use a heat gun to apply heat to the design, moving the heat around continuously so that you don't burn one spot for too long. Go over the paste until you get the amount of burn you want, meaning the more you apply the heat, the darker the burn.

After I burned the paste in, I decided to give the holder an aged look by carefully burning the edges of the holder. I absolutely love it, and watching the paste transform under the heat is SO satisfying!!

1. Apply the stencil in the center of the coaster and press it down well.
2. Use the squeegee to apply a thin layer of Torch Paste over the stencil.
3. Scrape away the excess paste and return it to the jar.
4. Peel the stencil away and let the paste dry for at least 2 minutes.
5. Wash out the stencil and let it dry completely.
6. Repeat for each coaster.

Here's a before and after image of the coasters from paste to burn. I noticed that even though the coasters are from the same set, a couple of the coasters turned pretty brown with not too much time under the heat. I don't hate it, but found it interesting and wanted to let you know that it can happen.

Once all of the coasters have been put through the heat process, take a minute or two to admire your work. I think they are absolutely beautiful, and think that it's pretty cool that each coaster turned out a little bit different in how the wood reacted to the heat.

I had so much fun with this stenciling project, and am now inspired to look around the house for more project to use Torch Paste on! I'd love to hear what you think about this project, or if you are interested in trying out reusable stencils? If you've made wood burned projects, I would love to see your creations! Share yours on Instagram, Facebook, or leave a comment/photo on the project pin on Pinterest!