CRESCENT MOON

DIFFICULTY:

The crescent moon is a classic string art design from the 1970s and actually what inspired me to get into string art. I fell in love with the design when I saw it large scale, and I knew I had to try it. This was one of my first string art projects, and it’s still a favorite. We use the same basic circle pattern for this. There are two variations: one is to nail every other hole in the pattern, 32 nails instead of 64. Following the same technique will give you a less dense result. The other, more detailed version is shown here.

Materials

Pine board: 1" × 10" (2.5cm × 25.5cm), cut to square and sealed (Shown: Minwax Polycrylic)

5⁄8" (1.6cm) silver nails

Size 10 crochet thread in 1 color (Shown: Red)

Photocopy of pattern (page 113)

Picture-hanging hardware

2 felt furniture pads

Tools: Hammer, needle-nose pliers

Basic supplies: Superglue, scissors, transparent tape

Techniques Used

Preparing a board (page 8)

Applying a nail pattern (page 9)

Stringing basics (pages 10–11)

Finished Size (h × w)

9.5" × 9.5" (24cm × 24cm)

  1. Trim your pattern and position it on your board. Secure the pattern with tape.
  2. Hammer the nails through your pattern to form the circle. Wait to correct any crooked nails until the circle is finished. Step back and check that the pattern looks circular to the naked eye. You can gently tap nails from the side if they are noticeably offset. Remove the pattern and debris.
  3. Tie your thread onto any nail. Trim and seal your knot. This will be Nail 1.
  4. Wrap your string to the next nail (Nail 2) and return to Nail 1 (see photo 4).

  5. Starting from Nail 1, skip a nail and stretch to Nail 3, then return to Nail 1 (see photo 5).

  6. Now that you are back on Nail 1, move one to the right to Nail 2 (see photo 6).

  7. Now starting from Nail 2, stretch your string across the interior of the pattern, skip the next available nail on the right, and wrap the following nail, which would be Nail 5 (see photo 7).

  8. Return to your starting nail, Nail 2, from Nail 5. Move one to the right, to Nail 3 (see photo 8).

  9. Repeating the pattern, you’ll now stretch from the starting point of Nail 3 and skip the next available nail on the border. You should have stretched your string to Nail 7. Return the string from Nail 7 to its starting point of Nail 3 and move one to the right to Nail 4 (see photos 9.1–9.2).

  10. Continue this pattern around the circle, until you are back at your first nail, and the crescent is complete (see photos 10.1–10.4). You can see that on one side we are working nail by nail, in order, stretching across to every other nail. The moon will naturally form when you continue to repeat this sequence, starting from a nail, stretching across to skip a nail, returning to the starting nail, and moving one to the right. You’ll want to be sure you are wrapping in the same direction on the nails, so your string forms what looks like loops rather than X’s.

  11. Add a border by wrapping your crochet thread around the outside of the circle two or three times (see photo 11). There’s no need to wrap each nail of the border, as the tension will hold it in place. Tie, trim, and seal your knot.

  12. Attach your picture-hanging hardware and felt pads to the back. Sign and date your work, and enjoy this blast from the past.

RETRO CRESCENT MOON (BASIC CIRCLE) PATTERN

Enlarge at 200%.