ZODIAC CONSTELLATIONS

DIFFICULTY:

If there’s one shape that lends itself best to string art, it’s a constellation. The nails work perfectly as little stars! With so many to choose from, I thought the twelve zodiac constellations would be the most fun. This quick project makes a great personalized gift. Here, I’ve chosen to make a couples’ constellation piece, pairing Virgo and Capricorn.

Materials

Basswood round, large size

5⁄8" (1.6cm) silver nails

Embroidery floss in 1 color (DMC shown: 336/Navy Blue)

Photocopy of pattern(s) (page 28)

Picture-hanging hardware

2 felt furniture pads

Tools: Hammer, needle-nose pliers

Basic supplies: Superglue, scissors, transparent tape

Techniques Used

Applying a nail pattern (page 9)

Stringing basics (pages 10–11)

Double-wrap technique (page 13)

Finished Size (h × w)

11" × 9" (28cm × 23cm)

Aquarius

(January 20–February 18)

Taurus

(April 20–May 20)

Leo

(July 23–August 22)

Scorpio

(October 23–November 21)

Pisces

(February 19–March 20)

Gemini

(May 21–June 20)

Virgo

(August 23–September 22)

Sagittarius

(November 22–December 21)

Aries

(March 21–April 19)

Cancer

(June 21–July 22)

Libra

(September 23–October 22)

Capricorn

(December 22–January 19)

ZODIAC CONSTELLATIONS PATTERNS

Enlarge at 200%.

  1. Trim your patterns down to a manageable size and position them on your tree slice or board. You’ll notice the name of your constellation is under it, demonstrating its proper orientation. Tape your pattern in place.
    Note: This pattern can easily be enlarged beyond the suggested percentage if desired.
  2. Hammer your nails everywhere there is a dot on your constellation, then remove the paper and debris.
  3. Choose your floss color and tie it onto your pattern, securing your knot with glue. Refer to the pattern again to be sure you connect the right nails. Since this doesn’t take much string at all, I chose to double-wrap the design. Seal your knots with superglue.
  4. Attach your picture-hanging hardware to the upper back and felt pads to the lower back. Sign and date your work and you’re done!