Can I string you along for a bit longer?................

While I do miss my little craft classes things are certainly busy at home with my own 3 little people so I am very much loving the chance to focus on them at the moment. But no classes doesn't mean no more craft adventures and I am relishing having a little more time to explore different crafty arty stuff - and so - if you're still cool with it - I would like to share a few ideas with you guys via this Craft Dept. blog.

In addition, if I happen upon any really good worthwhile creative classes (for young or old) I'll definitely pass on the details and hopefully review them first hand as a participant - we have our spring time school holidays coming up here in NZ so definitely need to get myself and my kids out and about to check out what others are running in the way of creative classes and experiences.

It is also my hope that, until I find the perfect real-time space for my craft and art experiments, this can be our online Craft Dept. hangout.

So onwards with my first craft adventure and review......!

String Art

= such a 70s thing?....but I had to give it a go because I was convinved it would be pretty fun and fairly easy to achieve an interesting result worthy of sticking on my wall.

I've seen heaps of variations on pinterest etc and the complexity varies. Fiddly examples are certainly very striking but for the sake of my Craft Dept. objectives I am focusing on achieving something that is as striking as it is quick, and hopefully is simple enough that kids can also get involved too.

So with a nod to the whole font/ typeface art and design trend happening at the moment I've based my first 'attempt' at string art on 3 boards each featuring the first initial of my 3 kids names. After much fluffing around I ended up using "Times New Roman" font - so a very classic look perhaps but I encourage you to be more adventurous!

so here's the how to =

Ingredients:
9mm particle board cut to preferred size - use thicker or thinner whatever you prefer
Spray paint - I used white gloss
Embroidery Thread - I let my kids pick their colours....so they chose a variegated purple, blue & a green. I would have gone for a solid colour myself but the colour variation/ shading actually created a cool shaded effect, so I'll have to suck it up this time!
Bullet head nails - 1.1 x 12mm e.g tiny silver variety

Tools:
Computer + Printer
Hammer
Pliers

1/ Create your image or letter/word etc on the computer - enlarge to the desired size and print.
(NB. go for strong distinct silhouette - nothing too twiddly or fiddly!)

2/ lay printed image onto your painted (& dried) particle board - hammer your bullet nails into your particle board following the outline of your image i.e. you are nailing your print-out to the board.
(N.B. I used my pliers to hold the small nail in place while I nailed it in - this helped me get the nails fairly close together in even spacing - a helpful technique if you're keen on closely spaced nails).

 

3/ once you've nailed all the way around your silhouette carefully pull away the paper image so that you are left with just the particle board surface with the silver nail outline.

4/ start stringing! slip knot onto first nail and start looping it around opposing nails - I went for random angles and tried to avoid looping string around nails directly opposite for example....I would also recommend fully looping the string around the nails to help fix the string.
(NB. you can go for more regular patterns by following a consistent pattern or formula when crisscrossing).

In summary - this is what I discovered and how I would rate this 'craft' activity....

Time Friendly:
7/10 - a fair bit more time consuming than expected, the time consuming aspect being the hammering of the nails, so the less nails and less intricate your design the quicker the project.

Kid Friendly:
7/10 - have scored a bit low here because in reality there is quite a bit of adult involvement in this craft if little kids are involved....e.g. printing the image, possibly helping them to select appropriate image, then nailing in the nails.....but after all that there really isn't much reason the kids can't go for broke on their own stringing the stringy bits... again the less nails = the younger the kid as a guide I'd say.....probably best with kids 5yrs+ but really big kids and patient adults could go for more nails, cool intricate patterns, and/ or multi colour effects.....

Wall Friendly:
8/10 - I was actually really impressed with the end result - I have my E, G & M on some shelves in our family room nestled amongst some family photos, the TV and other junk.....

Overall I encourage you to give it a go - its a good way to use up some random quirky scrap wood, or even drift wood with that cool coloured fishing nylon could be quirky beach house art chic, or any interesting textured wool or yarn remnants....!

Good luck - x Rebecca!

(keep me posted on how you go if you decide to try some string art and what you think of this 'review' of course - would love your feedback - cheers!)