String Art Tips and Tricks

DIY String Art Projects are fun and easy to make!  Here are some tips and tricks to get you started!

I have a new love and it’s called string art.  Have you seen string art before?  I’ve been admiring this type of art for years but never once did I consider that I could actually make my own, because the projects just seemed so elaborate and complicated.  But when my friend Catherine organized a string art project party I decided to jump at the chance to learn how to make my own!

Make it a group project!

So on a snowy night in December a group of about 10 of us got together to learn about and make our very own string art projects.  And since this night took place before Christmas, we made reindeer heads and snowflake string art projects (here’s mine).  It was quite the night…10 gals with hammers made for quite a noisy time…but it was super fun.  And let me tell you, from that night on I was hooked!  Hooked.  I discovered that not only do I adore the look of string art, but I really, really enjoy the process of making them too, it’s quite relaxing.  Aside from all of the initial hammering of course (but admittedly hammering is quite therapeutic hahaha)!

Love-ly for Valentine’s Day!

Once I started making these string art projects, I wanted more!  And since Valentine’s Day was coming up quickly, what a better time than that to make a Valentine’s Day themed string art?  I thought this ‘love’ string art would look perfect on my Valentines Day mantel this year.  And it looks love-ly with my Valentines Light Garland.

pretty pretty pretty

Make your own!

After having completed a couple string art projects I thought I would share some tips and tricks I’ve learned along the way!  String  art is much easier than you might think.  It just takes some time and patience!  You can do it.

Tools for String Art projects:

• Nails:  I use 1 inch nails, but you can use any size you like depending on how many times you wish to wrap your string. I prefer to use white nails (they are panel nails) because I like the way they look with the white string.  But again, this is just personal preference.
• String:  I use crochet thread (classic size 10), and I buy big rolls of them, they’re about $5 at Michaels.  Again, choose any colour you like.  And buy more string than you think you might need…there’s nothing worse than running out half way through your project.
• Wood Board Type:  You can use solid wood, plywood or particle board. The most important thing is choosing a wood that is thick enough to hold the nails securely without having the nails come through the back of the wood panel.  Make sure it it at least 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick.
• Wood Board Size:  The size of your board depends on how big the pattern is that you choose.  For example, for this one I hand drew the pattern onto a piece of 8×10 paper, and used a 10.5 x 12.5 board.  You can stain the wood board in any colour you wish.  Just make sure to leave enough time for the board to dry before you begin your string project.
• Hammer
• Pattern:  See below

Tips for choosing a design/pattern:

• If you want to make a word string art, choose a wide font like the ones below, so each letter has 2 tracks for the nails.

• Images like hearts, anchors and stars are great starter projects.  Just google ‘string art patterns’ and tonnes of ideas will come up, including many free patterns you can download and print.
• Once you’ve done one string art project you’ll see how easy they are and you’ll soon discover that you can make a string art project out of almost any picture.
• Honestly the hardest part of string art projects is getting a piece of wood in the size you want then having to stain it!

Tips and Tricks for making your string art projects:

• Spacing between nails:  I have found the ideal spacing between the nails is about 1 cm (or a little less than 1/2 inch).
• Pattern:  If possible, have 2 sheets of your pattern ready:  one to tape onto the board, and one to use as a guide to refer to when stringing.
• Tape your pattern onto your prepared board, and hammer the nails into each dot (see picture #2 in the above image).
• Pliers:  Use a pair of small needle nose pliers to hold the nails while you hammer them.  You can use your fingers if it’s easier, but sometimes I find the pliers to be very helpful because you can get them into tight spaces. Hold the nail with the pliers, then start by gently tapping the nail into the wood, and once it’s into the wood board, use a bit more force to embed it.
• Be careful not to hammer too deep. You don’t want to hammer through the board, only just into it…about half way works.
• Remove the pattern: Once the nails are all hammered in, I remove the paper at this point because it’s very hard to remove after the thread has been strung.  This is where your second pattern to follow comes in handy.  This part can be a bit frustrating because you’ll find little pieces of paper stuck under the nails.  You can use your pliers to pull it out.
• When starting your project tie the string onto a nail, securing it with a knot, and work out from there (see picture #3 in the above image).
• I like to outline my piece first with string, then work towards the inside (see picture #4 in the above image).
• To thread the string, just take your thread and make one wind around each nail as you go.
• There are different ways to approach stringing the inside of your art piece.  You can be very methodical and string the thread in a pattern, or you can do it like me and string the thread around randomly (see picture #5 in the above image).
• Don’t pull the string too tight as you go or your nails will start to lean in and may pop out.  Just pull the thread snug, but not hard. And keep your hammer handy in case you need to whack any wobbly nails back into place.
• Once I have the inside filled out with string the way I want, I like to go back and outline the edges with the string again just to define it nicely.
• Tie a knot in the string when you are finished (see picture #6 in the above image), and snip the ends then tuck them inside the string art so you can’t see them.

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So what do you think?  Are you ready to try a string art project of your own?  If you’ve ever thought about making one of these, you really should try.  I think you’ll be surprised at how easy and enjoyable they are to make.  I’m making another one next weekend because I. Can’t. Stop. Stringing. 🙂

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Have an inspired day!