Making charcoal

How to make charcoal from pieces of willow.

Introduction

Charcoal is a lovely resource for artists and even better if you can make some yourself. It's amazing how quickly the willow transforms!

What you'll need

bypass pruners
finger-width, freshly-cut green hazel or willow sticks, about 5cm long
tin with hole in the lid (hammer, nail, tin)
calico/cotton sheet/paper
fire glove
campfire

This activity has been provided by

Useful items from our shop

Item available from our shop

Environmental Considerations

Consider the environmental impact of preparing, carrying out & completing this activity. Could this impact be reduced? Specific considerations for this activity could include:

leave no trace
smoke from fire

Health & Safety Considerations

Follow your usual operating procedures and carry out appropriate risk benefit assessments.
Some considerations particular to this activity include:

fire safety
handling hot objects
tool use

Light your campfire and let it burn down to embers.

Prepare a tin that is big enough to fit your pieces of green wood in (a used travel sweet tin is a good size, you could also use a golden syrup or treacle tin).

Make a hole in the tin by hammering a nail through the lid: place the lid on a small block of wood and hammer the nail through the lid into the wood, then pull apart; this will stop the lid deforming.

Step #1

Using secateurs, cut your willow into lengths (approx. 6cm). Allow for some shrinkage in the diameter.

Top tip: Cut a selection of widths to increase the chance of a good fit if you are going to place it inside an elder pencil.

Step #2

Place your green wood in the tin and replace the lid.

Don’t overfill the tin as the pressure of gas could force the top off the tin.

Step #3

Place the tin in the hot embers.

Step #4

White smoke will come out of the hole in the lid.

The smoke will then change to a vapour that is likely to burn as a flame out of the hole.

When this flame no longer appears remove the tin from the fire and let it cool.

This whole process will probably take a few minutes.

Step #5

Remove the lid and take out the charcoal sticks.

Take it further:

Use a piece of elder to make a holder for your charcoal – see our elder pencil making activity.

Disclaimer: Muddy Faces cannot take any responsibility for accidents or damage that occurs as a result of following this activity.You are responsible for making sure the activity is conducted safely.