Wood Burned Twine Box Mouse

Paper Mache Wood Burning Pyrography Project

I use little bits and scraps of twine all the time in the studio.  But after an hour of searching for my current twine ball I decided it was time to make something specific just to keep that bit of string easy to locate.

 

Supplies:

4″ wide heart-shaped paper mache box

Walnut Hallow Creative Woodburner

some 1/4″ and 1/2″ ribbon

some glue

a white colored pencil

bench knife

a bamboo skewer

a small ball of twine or cordage

 

A few ovals as my guidelines, made with a #4 soft pencil, create my mouse’s face and ears.  Working with my ball-tip pen and as hot a setting as the Walnut Hallow will take I began the burn.  Paper, especially paper mache, needs a high setting to burn both the paper and the glue content of the mache.

White colored pencil highlights her eyes, nose, and a few of the long hairs inside her ears.

After the burn was complete I used my bench knife to cut a small 1/8″ diameter, hole just above her ear, through the heart box lid.  Next, using my ball-tip pen on its highest setting I cleaned the sides of the hole by burning around the cut edge.

Now I grabbed a bamboo skewer that fits the hole I just created.  I wrapped a 1/4″ ribbon into a bow around the skewer, added a little glue to just the ribbon, and drop the skewer into the box lid hole.  The skewer holds the ribbon in place while the glue sets.  While that is drying you can add a 1/2″ wide ribbon along the outside edge of the box lid to add a little more sparkle.

After the glue on your ribbon has dried, gently remove the skewer.  Put your twine ball inside the box.  Thread the edge of the twine through the box lid hole, leaving about a 6″ tail.  Loosely tie the tail twine in a simple knot and move the knot against the box bow.

Your twine end will stay in place, and be ready to give you that next piece of twine scrap that you need.

Quick, easy, and fun …