Ok so as that special time of year is coming where the optimal wood is on the trees I thought I would give a basic description of how to make Runes the traditional way.
1 Pick a tree, some trees are better than others and the most traditional tree is a "fruit bearing tree" but I have had a lot of success with non-fruit trees. Just try to find a tree that fits a few qualifications. A)the branch you select is at least 1 inch in diameter. B) the tree gives you permission C) the tree is budding but has not yet blossomed or bloomed(the closer to the blossoming the better so watch the tree carefully) the reason for this is you want the wood you use to be full of life energy. Because of this you may need to let it dry out a bit before it will be workable.
2 Cut a branch off(preferably using a tool that has been cleansed ) and cut this branch into disks by chopping small sections off the branch one by one, leaving you with 24-25(depending on if you would like a blank rune which is accepted normally but not traditional) and maybe a few for mess ups. Just in case.
3 Find a description of all the runes and their meanings.
I strongly suggest the book " The Book of Runes by Ralph H. Blum" for this but you can find them online in less detail if you must.
4 Place each of your disks in a bag that you cannot see into.
5 Read the first rune meaning and holding the meaning and symbol in your mind place your hand in the bag, running your hands through the disks in a circular(clockwise) motion until one of them seems to stay with your finger.
6 Pull out this disk and carve(with again a cleansed tool) the symbol into the disk, keeping its meaning in mind. Many choose to chant the name of the rune, or if you know it the galdr of this rune.
7 Place this rune to the side and repeat 5-6 until all the symbols have been assigned to disks.
8 this part is controversial but I am giving you the traditional way so... Cut your sending hand, and use the blood to dye the symbol, still keeping the symbol in mind. Some people choose to use only a small finger prick to drop into red paint, others use no blood at all. I personally find that blood alone is a bad paint so I go back over mine with clear finish to water seal the mark.