Be sure to seal your knots right after you tie and trim them. Once you start stringing, it's very easy to lose track of where the knot is.
Be sure to seal your knots right after you tie and trim them. Once you start stringing, it's very easy to lose track of where the knot is.
I prefer to use skeins of embroidery floss since there are so many color options; however, for larger projects I opt for crochet thread. Size 10 crochet thread is pretty similar to embroidery floss and also comes in a wide range of colors. The advantage here for larger projects is you won’t have to continuously start and stop when you run out of floss.
Most embroidery floss is sold as six-strand floss, since six strands are used to make this thicker thread. Don’t separate the strands; just use it as one solid piece. Most small projects take two to three skeins of floss.
Embroidery floss tends to get tangled when I work with it, so I unwrap the entire pack and stretch it across a room before I start. Then I wrap it around either my left hand (since I string with my right) or a cylindrical object such as a cup or a spool. Be careful—if you have cats, they will make this step a hard one!
To get started, choose a nail in an easily recognizable area of your pattern, such as an edge. Tie a double knot around the nail and trim the excess string. Then comes a very important step: Take your superglue and gently, very gently, dab some onto the knot. This secures the knot to keep it from raveling mid-project or months down the line. Be sure the glue has soaked into the knot (it will look wet).
Do this with every knot you have to make as you complete your project, to keep them secure and prevent strings from coming loose. This is usually the first and last knot of each color applied.
Time to connect the dots! First, refer to your pattern (the lines shown represent string) and “draw” the border of your shape with your string. This important step will help you see which areas should and should not be filled with string. You’ll notice on some curves that you won’t have to wrap on every nail, as the shape of the pattern will keep it in place.
I’ll admit, it can get a little confusing when you are looking at a ton of nails, so keep the pattern printout nearby (or open this book to the pattern page) for reference as you work.
Once you’ve successfully “drawn” your shape with string, it’s time to fill it in. Zigzag your string back and forth from nail to nail, in any fashion you like. I usually do a random fill-in, dividing larger areas in half with the string until the image has filled in nicely. Each project has more specific details and tips for completing the individual patterns.
If your pattern has any floating shapes that are separated from the main pattern, you may have to repeat the cut/tie/glue/string process for each shape.
Once you are happy with your stringing, choose a nail to tie another double knot to. Trim the excess string and secure with another gentle dab of glue.
After you have filled other shapes and colors, turn your string art over on your protected work surface and attach your picture-hanging hardware according to the package instructions. If using those tiny nails that come with a sawtooth hanger, use a thumbtack to poke two guide holes into the wood, to ease the process. I like to turn the top of the board toward me so that it’s easier to work with.
Sign and date the back of your piece, then stand back and admire your work.
Here you can see the progression of filling in a shape with string, starting with the outline (photo 1) and continuing in a random pattern (photos 2–6) until the desired fill amount is achieved. The amount of string you add is entirely up to you as the artist.