Hi, Clare here from Cath Creations. 

I have seen many images of string art over the internet but barely any instructions on how to make them . I made a string art picture a few months ago of the Australian parliament house with hot air balloons going over it but decided that was too big a project to share with you today. What i’m showing you is how to make is a simple letter string art that will give you the basics you need to make your own.

What you’ll need:

  • Coloured thread
  • Small nails
  • A piece of wood approx. 10 cm wide, 10 cm long and 2 cm deep
  • A hammer
  • A printed letter pattern
  • An engraver (not in image)
  • Picture varnish or wood glue (not in image)

Method:

  1. Transfer the pattern onto the wood. I did this by securing the pattern to the wood then tracing the outline with an engraver to make an indent of the shape on the wood.

  • Hammer the nails halfway into the wood around the shape. Hamer the nails around the shape in the same way that you would position dots on a dot-to-dot picture. You don’t want to hammer the nails all the way because you need something for the thread to wrap around. 

  • Secure your thread to the first nail with a knot and start weaving the thread around the nails. Once you have tied the thread in place, weave around the outside of the nails to form the border. After this systematically criss cross the thread from one nail to another to fill in the space between continuing untill it has enough body.
  • Tie off the thread to a nail. When you have run out of thread or your string art has enough body tie off the thread. Make sure that it is taut when you do so and that you can’t tell where it ends.
  • Spray with picture varnish to secure. Use either picture varnish or glue to secure all the thread in place. If you use glue only do a very thin coat so you can’t see that there is something on it.

    • You’ve finished! Enjoy having a stylish and unique decoration that you have made yourself!

    Thanks for reading!