By Rachel Pierre
Last month while strolling through Target I saw some string art that I thought would fill a wall in my office really well. I’m decorating my office with a metallic and white color scheme and these were such pretty pieces in white and silver. To my dismay, when I reached down to inspect further I noticed the price tag! I believe they were $40 for three relatively small boards with string in the shape of a feather.
As a do it yourself kinda girl I knew immediately that I could recreate this look for a fraction of the cost. When it was all said and done I paid $10 for the two pieces that I created and they have found a home in my office where they shine. I can shine too, knowing that I made them myself and they look identical to the manufactured version.
Material
- String of your choice
- Nails (I used gold nails)
- Wood boards or Canvas
- Hammer
- Pencil
Steps
- Once you have chosen your desired design, trace or draw the sketch onto the wood pallet or canvas.
- Hammer or place nails into the design at each high point. The high points are along the edges and at each intersection in the drawn piece.
- Starting at the bottom, tie a knot around the first nail, make sure to leave a tail long enough to reach the back of the board. Making your way around the piece, pull the string to the next nail and wrap around the head of the nail, pull the string to the next nail and continue around the entire piece. Ensure that each nail is touched with the string from all desired directions. Some nails will have multiple exit points and may have more than one wrap of string around it.
- Once every nail has been wrapped, the last nail should be at the bottom of the piece where the knot was initially tied. Wrap the string around that last nail and pull underneath the board. Hammer one last nail on the back of the piece. Use the two ends of the string (the first tail and the last tail) and pull to the back nail. Tie a knot and trim any long ends.
- The piece is complete!
What I love about the type of art is that any shape can be done. Your home state, child’s name, favorite animal or flower, or other shape can be drawn easily onto the board. To make it easier cut the shape out of paper and outline it onto the board to get the design started.
Be sure to share with us your feather string designs!!