String art seems challenging, and it can be depending on the complexity of the pattern. Today I’m going to show you a very simple way to do string art. It’s the perfect 4th of July or summer craft. (Personally, I keep all of my patriotic decor up from Memorial Day through Labor Day!)
The most time-consuming part with this project is measuring the space between the nails and hammering the nails in. Once you get the hang of stringing the yarn, that part goes fairly quickly.
What You’ll Need:
9 x 12 rectangle wood board
wire nails
star pattern
hammer
needle-nose pliers
red yarn (4 medium)
white yarn (4 medium)
blue yarn (4 medium)
ruler
scissors
pencil
hanging hardware (optional)
The first step is cutting out the star and measuring the points around it where you’ll hammer in the nails.
Pencil a small dot every 1/4-inch around the star. Don’t worry if it’s not perfect!
Next, pencil a dot every 1/2-inch around the perimeter of the board. (But don’t hammer in the nails directly on the edge of the board. If you do the wood might split. Give yourself about an 1/8-inch of space between the nail and the edge. I hammered the nails in at the top of the dot.)
The easiest way to hammer in the nails is to use needle-nose pliers to hold them steady. That will also make sure you don’t hammer them in too deep. Begin with the star.
Note: Add hanging hardware before hammering in the nails. I didn’t add any to mine.
You can see a short video of the hammering process here.
Once all the nails are in, it’s time to string the yarn.
I started with red yarn, but you can use whatever color you want. Start by tying a knot around a corner nail. Double or triple knot it to be sure the yarn stays in place. Trim the end of the yarn now or once you’ve finished stringing everything.
Here are a few tips for stringing the yarn:
- Plot it out before you begin. Because there are more nails around the star than around the border you’ll need to double up on certain nails. For example, on the first red section I strung red yarn between four perimeter nails and six star nails.
- Don’t cut the yarn until you’ve strung it. (Keep it on the ball of yarn.)
- To switch colors, leave several inches of overhang so that you can tie a knot around the last nail you strung that color on (make sure to end on a perimeter nail). Then begin the new color on the same nail.
- Looping the knot around your finger makes it easier to tie the knot around the nail.
Here’s a link to a short video of me stringing yarn. I actually ended up undoing this section later because I didn’t think through the pattern beforehand! Which brings me to my next tip: If you mess up, simply undo that section!
You can use this same technique with any simple pattern, like a heart or tree. Tag me @rosesandwhiskers on Instagram if you try it, and use the hashtag #rosesandwhiskers.
Happy crafting! 🙂
