How to make your own rune set

How to read the labels Historical what the old sources say. Later tradition what later writers added. Modern modern practice and my own notes.

You can buy a rune set in almost any bookshop or online store, and a bought set works perfectly well. But many people find that making their own set is a rewarding first project. It teaches you the shapes, gives you time with each rune, and leaves you with something personal. On this page I explain how to choose materials, how to work safely, how to mark and color the runes, and how to store and care for your set. It ends with a simple practice for making a card or clay set.

Modern There is no historical evidence for a “correct” way to make a rune set, because there is no historical evidence for rune sets used in divination at all. Everything on this page is modern practice.

Choosing materials

A rune set needs twenty-four pieces of roughly the same size and shape, each marked on one side with a rune, and preferably blank on the other. Some people add a blank piece, following Ralph Blum’s 1982 practice; I do not use one, but the choice is yours. Here are the most common materials.

Card or heavy paper. The simplest and safest choice. Cut twenty-four small rectangles or circles from thick card, draw the runes with a marker, and you have a working set in an hour. Card sets are light, quiet to shuffle, and easy to replace. They are ideal for learning.

Clay. Air-dry clay or polymer clay can be shaped into small disks or tiles and marked with a toothpick or a blunt tool before hardening. Air-dry clay needs no oven. Polymer clay must be baked; follow the package instructions exactly, use tools and baking surfaces you do not use for food, and keep the room ventilated.

Wood. Many people feel drawn to wood, because early runes were probably carved on wood. Ready-cut wooden disks or tiles from a craft store are the easiest option. If you cut your own, use a common, well-known wood such as birch, beech, maple, or pine, and know what species you are working with. Birch is a natural choice for many, since Berkano is the birch rune.

Stone and glass. Smooth pebbles or glass beads can be painted with runes. Use only stones you have bought or collected where it is clearly allowed. Taking stones from many beaches, parks, and protected areas is illegal or harmful, and some places, especially historic sites, should never have anything removed from them.

Toxic woods: why not yew

The rune Eihwaz is named for the yew, and some people feel it would be meaningful to make a set from yew wood. Please do not. No rune set needs yew; if you want the connection, draw Eihwaz on a card or on a disk of birch or beech.

Every part of the yew tree is poisonous except the red, fleshy cup around the seed, and the seeds themselves are the most toxic part. The poisons, mainly taxines, affect the heart. Swallowing yew can cause a slow, fast, or irregular heartbeat, seizures, breathing trouble, and collapse, and it needs emergency care. Yew leaves, seeds, twigs, shavings, and finished pieces can all be dangerous to children and pets who might chew or swallow them. If anyone may have swallowed part of a yew, seek emergency medical help immediately; in the US you can also call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222, and elsewhere your local poison information center.

Yew is not the only wood that needs care. Some woods, including western red cedar and several exotic species, are known to irritate the skin and lungs. If you are not sure what wood you have, or what its hazards are, choose another. Avoid wood that has been treated with preservatives, painted, or salvaged from unknown sources, since it may contain harmful chemicals.

Tool safety: knives, wood-burners, and dust

Knives and carving tools. Use a sharp tool, because a dull blade slips. Always cut away from your body and your other hand. Hold the piece in a clamp or vise, or on a bench hook, rather than in your hand. Work on a stable surface in good light. Keep a basic first-aid kit nearby. Store tools out of reach of children.

Wood-burning tools. A wood-burning pen, sometimes called a pyrography tool, is a popular way to mark runes on wood. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Always rest the hot tool in its stand, never on the table. Work in a ventilated space, because burning wood produces smoke. Never leave the tool switched on and unattended, and let it cool completely before putting it away. Keep it away from children. Burn only plain, untreated solid wood. Never use a wood-burner on plywood, MDF, particleboard, or painted, varnished, or treated wood, because the glues and finishes give off harmful fumes when heated. Keep pets out of the room while you work, especially pet birds, which are easily harmed by smoke and fumes.

Dust. Sanding wood produces fine dust, and breathing wood dust over time can cause allergies, breathing problems, and, with heavy and long-term exposure, more serious illness. Sand outdoors or in a well-ventilated space, wear a dust mask rated for fine particles, and clean up with a damp cloth or a vacuum rather than by sweeping or blowing. The same applies to sanding stone or clay.

Staining and paint: color, not blood

Historical Coloring runes is a genuinely old practice. Viking Age runestones were painted, and the sources speak of runes being carved and colored, often red. The Old Norse verb for writing runes, fá, originally meant “to paint”. In the Hávamál, runes are described as colored, and Bellows notes that runes were commonly carved in wood and then colored red. We do not know exactly what pigments were used.

Some old stories, such as the poison-cup scene in Egil’s Saga and a scene in Grettir’s Saga, describe runes reddened with blood. These are stories, and blood has no place in this practice. Cutting yourself to color runes carries a real risk of infection and injury, and handling blood carries a risk of disease. I never ask you to use blood, and I encourage you not to.

Instead, use one of these:

• Nontoxic acrylic paint or paint pens, which come in every color and work on wood, stone, clay, and card.
• Water-based wood stain for an even color on wooden pieces.
• Permanent markers for card and some smooth surfaces.
• Food coloring or natural dyes if you want a gentle stain.

Red is the traditional color for runes, but any color you like is fine. After painting, you may seal wooden or clay pieces with a clear, water-based varnish, following the instructions on the label. If you prefer an oil finish such as linseed or tung oil, lay used rags flat outdoors to dry, or put them in water in a closed metal container, because rags soaked in these oils can heat up and catch fire on their own as they dry. Solvent-based stains and varnishes need good ventilation; water-based products are the easier choice. Let everything dry in a ventilated place before use.

Caring for your set

Store your set somewhere dry and safe, out of reach of young children and pets, especially if the pieces are small enough to swallow. A small cloth bag with a drawstring is easy to draw from.

Over time, pieces may chip, fade, or go missing. Repainting or replacing a piece is perfectly fine. A rune set is a tool, and tools are repaired.

Make a card or clay set, step by step

This practice makes a simple set you can use for every reading on this site.

For a card set:

1. Cut twenty-four pieces of thick card or heavy paper, each about the size of a large postage stamp or a playing-card corner. Make them all the same size.
2. Using the Elder Futhark guide, draw one rune on each piece with a dark marker or pen. Draw slowly and carefully, saying each rune’s name as you draw it.
3. On the back of each piece, if you like, write the rune’s name and sound in small letters, to help you learn. You can leave the backs blank later, when you know the runes.
4. Put the pieces in an envelope or small bag.

For a clay set:

1. Divide air-dry clay into twenty-four small balls of the same size, and flatten each into a disk about the size of a large coin.
2. Using a toothpick or blunt tool, draw a rune into each disk. Keep the lines clear and deep enough to see.
3. Let the disks dry according to the package instructions, turning them so they dry evenly.
4. When dry, fill the rune lines with nontoxic acrylic paint if you wish, and wipe away any excess.
5. Store the set in a small bag.

For both: When your set is finished, spend a few minutes with each rune. Hold it, say its name, and write one word in your journal that comes to mind. Date the page. This is the beginning of your relationship with your own set.

Where to go next

Once your set is ready, learn how to cast runes, try a rune spread, and get to know each rune in the Elder Futhark guide.