String art paintings diagrams. String art lessons for beginners: free videos for home learning. What you need for string art

16.10.2023 Boilers

Today it is very popular to have at least several hobbies. Our world is developing rapidly and sometimes you want to take your time. Therefore, most begin to master needlework. In this article we want to talk about a new type of hobby of the younger generation. From the title you can already understand what we are going to talk about, namely string art for beginners with diagrams so that you can create beautiful paintings and more.

By the way, this type of hobby is very exciting and not only young people engage in it.

What kind of animal is it and what is it eaten with?

As many sources say, no specific place of origin has been found. Some refer to English roots, and others to African ones. However, this craft is considered not so ancient, since its popularity began to grow only in the last century. Who would have thought that thanks to a math teacher, this technique would become popular. The story goes that the teacher was trying to get kids interested in algebra and geometry. Nails were hammered onto the board, and the desired shapes were created using thread. American designer John Eichenger became interested in this technique. He became the man who was able to turn geometric shapes into art. His first work was directed towards oriental art, which is why we can often find paintings in the form of a mandala.

From the English word “string” is translated as rope or string. Accordingly, literally “string art” sounds like rope art. Agree, this is a strange combination of words. Although in reality it looks very attractive. Surely you have already come across pictures with nails and threads stretched between them.

Let's move on to preparation

Since the technique is simple, we can create drawings, paintings or decorate a room. Typically, haircut art uses straight lines that are layered on top of each other. This creates a lot of work. So, to start creating, we need:

  • choose a scheme to create (do not take complex options yet);
  • working tools (hammer, nails);
  • skein of thread (any kind will do);
  • base (can also be any: paper, wood, concrete, and so on).

How to make a beautiful picture? First of all, we need to choose a drawing. We are thinking about what size it will be and in what color scheme. You can also use templates from the Internet.

The next stage is preparing the base. For starters, you can consider cardboard or foam.

We print out the diagram of the selected image and attach it to our base. Then we take a needle or an awl and make holes along the contour. We nail nails in the places where the holes were made.

On a note! The nails should be at the same distance; there is no need to drive them deep.

Creating a masterpiece

This is the most enjoyable moment in creating a drawing. We begin to play with the threads and mix them up as we please. But remember about straight lines.

Let's give a couple more tips:

  • do not pull the threads too tightly, otherwise the nails will bend under pressure and it will not look very nice;
  • You should also not pull it loosely, as the pattern will become unclear and the threads will begin to tangle;
  • combine colors, this is a creative process;
  • For richer lines, wind more layers of thread.

An example of a simple string art

You've learned the basics, and maybe you've already tried yourself as an artist. However, below we will look at a master class for beginners.

The first thing we did was choose the size and pattern of the product.

As mentioned earlier, we select and prepare the base. Then we attach our diagram in the center, as in the photo below.

Mark an equal distance with a pencil. If the pattern you have chosen is more complex, then make marks with an awl or a needle (if the base is soft). Next we drive nails along the contour.

We remove the template; we won't need it anymore.

There's just a little bit left to do. We fasten the beginning of the thread and tie the carnations the way you like best. In our example, the outline is first tied, and then the empty space is filled.

The end result is this cute heart:

It would seem like a simple picture, but it looks so beautiful in the interior. It’s even more admirable when you create such things yourself. Many creatives started from the basics. Now some of them are organizing exhibitions in their galleries. Some people create panels to order, while others keep it as a hobby.

Video on the topic of the article

For those who are interested in viewing more options for creating drawings, we have prepared a selection of videos.

String art has long been a real art. Our master class is perhaps for beginners in this matter. The main thing is that this activity brings you pleasure both in the process and in the result.

So, what does it take to make a product like the one in the photo?

What you need

Necessary materials:

  1. Wooden board - 0.5-1 inch thick, size of your choice,
  2. Pencil,
  3. Ruler,
  4. Compass,
  5. Nails,
  6. Hammer,
  7. Colored threads.

We measure and make marks

It is more convenient and better to pull the threads if the wooden board is an equilateral square and the thickness does not exceed an inch.

Mark the center of government. Prepare the pencil and compass, making sure that the line of the compass and the line of the pencil are at the same level. Make notes. Draw a circle on the board using a compass. Circle of any diameter. You can draw more circles.

It is better if you mark the places where you want to hammer the nails. Use a clear ruler to mark the position of the nails along the circle. The photo shows points after every 1 cm.

Hammering nails

Now start driving nails at the marked points along the drawn circle.

Drive the nails halfway into the wood board.

This step takes time and it can be quite boring, but you must drive the nails patiently, since the whole art depends on the position of the nails. To cheer yourself up a little, it’s completely permissible to sing your favorite song)

Start

The colors used for this art are red, yellow, green, blue and purple. Although it would be more fun to use sazu in all the colors of the rainbow.

Choose a nail as a starting point. Take a thread, wrap it around any nail and tie a knot. Apply a drop of glue on the knot to do this, it's safe.

Count the nails and try to create an equilateral triangle with the string wrapped around the nails. After creating the first triangle you will return to the starting question again. Just skip that nail and grab the next one. Create another equilateral triangle by wrapping the following nails. Keep doing the same.

Take a thread of a different color. Wrap it around the nail, next to the previous nail (but not the same nail). Continue creating equilateral triangles until all the nails are covered.

DIY String art for beginners

String Art- this is a fairly popular creativity that allows you to combine
things that seem incompatible at first glance: the lightness of threads and the rigidity of nails. Appeared
This is an art in England, and there are two versions of its origin. Somebody
believes that the founder was a woman mathematician who was so original
explained geometry in a way, and someone says that weavers decorated in a similar way
their homes. DIY String Art- this is not just a beautiful intersection of threads, it is an art direction that requires care and careful calculations.

String Art Craft Materials:

- hammer;
- nails;
- plywood;
- threads;
- dye;
- drawing template on paper or graph paper
- sandpaper.

1. The base for driving nails must be sanded with sandpaper.
After that, paint it in a color that will match your interior.
2. Think of a suitable phrase or word. Using the same method you can do
company logo or sign.

3. Print the letters on a printer of the required size, while taking into account
dimensions of the plywood on which they will be attached.
4. Place something under the plywood, as nails can damage the floor covering.
5. Secure the template with a phrase or letters in the center of the plywood.
6. Now take the nails and start driving them along the edge of the template. Make sure that
the letters did not move, and the nails were located at the same distance from each other
friend.


7. Remove the paper template; if it is slightly nailed, pry it off with a toothpick.
8. Select the appropriate color scheme for the painting and select the appropriate
threads You can use floss or yarn. It all depends on the volume of your
crafts and nail heights.
9. The end of the thread must be secured under the head of the nail. Now draw the thread from
one carnation to another. If the thread runs out, do not forget to make a knot and
cut off the tip.
10. Threads of different colors can be layered on top of each other to create smooth
transitions.
The letters are ready, they can be used for wedding decor, photo shoots or just
interior decorations. At the moment, there are many schemes for how to weave on nails, and
also a large selection of templates.

Watch the video on the topic: DIY String art for beginners



1. The wooden base can be painted as in the first master class or coated
stain and varnish.
2. You need to draw a sketch of the Eiffel Tower on graph paper.
Using a compass, ruler and pencil, you can easily make something like this
sample.


3. Attach the finished sketch to the wooden base with masking tape.
4. Now start driving nails along the contour. Make it on
graph paper will be easier since you can stick to
a certain distance between nails. Also try to drive nails into
the same depth so that the picture turns out more neat and even.
5. After this, remove the paper completely from the base and start wrapping
threads. It is better if you have an additional sketch with a drawn diagram
windings or check the original. Tie the thread in the most inconspicuous place on
start weaving the knot. Try to keep the thread taut so that the picture
didn't bloom.


6. If you think the painting is dull, add another layer of thread.
We recommend securing thread knots with glue.
An original gift for France lovers is ready! Additionally you can do
signature or wishes made from threads.

1. Take plywood 6 mm thick, dimensions 35x50 cm. Sand the wood
surface, plaster and stain. Let the base dry.
2. Print out a silhouette of a clover or tree and tape it to the surface.
3. Place points along the contour at equal distances from each other, and then
drive nails into them.


4. In addition, place points and drive nails along the edge of the plywood itself. Distance
there may be a little more between them as it does not affect the accuracy
drawing.
5. Now start winding the threads. The advantage in making this
The trick is that you can wind the threads arbitrarily, from stud to stud.
6. This painting will take about 250 m of reinforced thread. Best of all
use thread in a skein, as you won’t have to make extra knots.
7. You can adjust the winding density to your taste. Optional silhouette
Wrap clover or tree around the perimeter to make the design stand out.

DIY String Art master class with video

The painting is ready, and it looks quite impressive, and the cost of materials
– minimal. Having mastered the basics of String Art, you can improve in this
direction and decorate not only interiors, but also exteriors with original
weaving.

Have you ever seen how a spirograph works? The principle of operation of this children's toy is that a pencil or pen is fixed in the hole of a special ring, it is inserted into a larger one, and due to the movement of the latter, intricate lines remain on the paper. Now imagine the same picture, but with a three-dimensional image? Beautiful? The main thing is that everyone, young and old, can master the string art technique, and to create a panel you will need ordinary nails and threads.

To create a panel you will need ordinary nails and threads

"The art of pulling ropes"

Entire paintings are created using string art technique

This is exactly how the interesting direction in decor String Art is translated from English. There are several Russian equivalents for the name of this skill: these are isothread, thread graphics, and thread design. The founders of this unusual art of figuratively stretching multi-colored threads onto a smooth surface were the British. The essence of the technique is that threads are caught and pulled onto nails driven into the board. In this case, the nails need to be driven in so that the threads eventually create a finished image.

This is interesting. The first mentions of thread graphics date back to the 17th century. But then, pulling threads onto nails driven into boards had a practical purpose: this is how sketches for weaving lace were created. And from the end of the 19th century, string art began to be used to decorate the interior, and the founder of this movement was the mathematics teacher Marie Everest Bull, who, with the help of three-dimensional figures made of threads, explained the features of geometric figures to her students.

Using the string graphics technique, you can create various panels, as well as:

  • postcards;
  • elements of external and internal decor;
  • applications using string art motifs to create inscriptions, etc.

String art for beginners - video

What does it take to be creative?

Portraits using string art technique look fascinating

So that nothing distracts you from practicing filament graphics, you should prepare everything you need in advance.

Substrate

This is the board into which the nails will be driven. It can be made from:

  • plywood;
  • traffic jams.

The undeniable advantage of these materials is that they can be tinted, painted, varnished or covered with film.

An important point: you can use a foam base, which can be easily painted in the desired color with acrylic paints. Just keep in mind that instead of nails it is better to use pins with small eyes.

Also note that cardboard is not suitable for isothread.

Nails

It is very important that there is a lot of this material. Of course, it all depends on the size of the idea, but even for the smallest picture you need to prepare at least 20 carnations. The following types of nails are suitable for artistic purposes:

  • furniture;
  • carpentry;
  • decorative.

Their advantage is that these nails themselves are small and have miniature heads.

Threads

Knitting threads are ideal for crafts using the string art technique in terms of density and color range. But you can also use:

  • twisted threads;
  • floss;
  • fine iris.

But it’s better not to take silk threads: they are very inconvenient to work with - they constantly slip.

What else?

Pulling threads over nails has a calming effect on the psyche, which is why string art was included in the list of art therapy techniques

It’s still too early to start working if you have threads, nails and backing. We will also need:

  • scissors;
  • pliers (if suddenly the nail is out of place);
  • drawing template on paper;
  • buttons;
  • loop if the picture will hang on the wall.

An important nuance: if you want to change the color of the substrate, then use wood paint of a suitable shade or stain.

String graphics - room for creativity

Ideas for panels in the photo

Such original panels make the interior even more comfortable

Using thread graphics you can create narrative paintings

The more complex the composition, the more shades of threads you can use

Paintings in which the design is revealed by filling the background with threads look very beautiful.

A painting using the thread graphics technique can become a memorable wedding gift

Scheme options - photo gallery

You can find individual patterns and combine them in one panel

If you are good at string art with single-color threads, then you can move on to combining several shades in one image

Diagrams for thread designs usually indicate the order in which the threads are crossed.

3 master classes for every taste

Making a three-dimensional heart

Panel “Heart” - an accent in any interior due to its bright color

As you know, it is better to start mastering any type of creativity with simple crafts. In the string art technique, this includes the heart.

Materials:

  • substrate;
  • sheet of paper, pencil;
  • double sided tape;
  • 90 decorative carnations;
  • hammer;
  • red floss threads;
  • scissors;
  • pliers.

Instructions:


DIY heart as a gift - video

How to make a bird?

Symbols of wisdom made of bright threads look especially original

The owl is a symbol of wisdom and tranquility. A panel depicting this bird will look great both in the living room and in the office. This is a craft for those who already have, albeit little, experience in “dealing” with nails and threads.

Materials:

  • wooden backing;
  • 2 sheets of white paper;
  • pencil;
  • PVA glue;
  • threads (you can use iris);
  • carnations;
  • hammer;
  • scissors;
  • pliers.

Instructions:

Panel “Deer” using string art technique

Due to the large number of sharp-angled parts, force must be applied when winding the threads

With winter approaching, we are always concerned with the question of how to decorate our home for our most favorite holiday - New Year. And the isonite technique can help with this. A beautiful panel with the silhouette of a deer will become a real symbol of the upcoming holiday.

Materials:

  • wooden backing;
  • A4 sheet of paper;
  • pencil;
  • white wool threads;
  • carnations;
  • hammer;
  • scissors;
  • pliers.

Instructions:

This picture, despite its apparent simplicity, requires some skills in working with the string art technique. This is all due to the fact that the design contains many details with sharp corners (for example, horns), which are difficult to wrap with thread without twisting it.

New Year's motifs using isothread technique - video

Thread design makes it possible to beautifully and originally decorate your home with unusual panels. What gives these crafts a special chic is that they were made by the hands of the owners. In addition, this type of creativity does not take up much time, but it can easily become a wonderful family leisure activity: dad gets materials, and mom and the children create and invent - an excellent division of responsibilities and a useful pastime.

My young ladies were making crafts the other day paintings made of threads and nails using string art technique and now they demand that I urgently (!!!) publish master class with their photographs)))

I received the “magic kick-off” and now I can resume my publications again after a long break. Thanks, kids! Otherwise, I didn’t know where to start, because I filmed so much over the summer. So, friends...

Hi all! How I miss you!

Not children's creativity.

Crafts made from nails and threads.

The girls took part in a competition and had to make a craft from waste material, i.e. practically out of garbage. Well, what kind of garbage do we have at home? That's right, construction! A pile of wood scraps in the carpentry.

I turned the boards over in my hands, figured out what I could do with them, and followed my husband. Having made him happy with the message that his work was over for today and we would do it with the children paintings on boards using string art technique, gave him the boards and dimensions and left to prepare the remaining materials.

String art — literally translated from English it sounds very beautiful: “string art.” And the works made using this technique are no less beautiful! See for yourself.

These works were completed by my girls (11 and 7 years old) with a little help from us.

STRING ART FOR BEGINNERS

STRING ART TECHNIQUE

To make a painting using this technique we will need some simple materials:

  • A solid base of board, plywood, OSB or chipboard - any material that can be nailed. The thicker it is, the better!
  • Nails with a head at least 1 cm long. Longer lengths are better, it’s more convenient to work with, but it all depends on the thickness of the base, we don’t want the nails sticking out from the inside, right? And we remember that the deeper the nail is driven, the stronger it holds and does not wobble. We used thin furniture nails 2 cm long.
  • Strong threads: iris or thin yarn.
  • Template - any drawing, silhouette, photo, or even a picture torn from a magazine. There are many ready-made diagrams on the Internet, with markings already applied.

STRING ART MASTER CLASS

1. Prepare a wooden base for the future painting.

The husband cut boards 15 by 20 cm, rounded the corners and sanded them. I covered them with tinted furniture wax. Wax is expensive, professional. I took it for testing, but you can make your own inexpensively. And after tinting the wood with stain, cover it with it. I did it this way

Paintings using the string art technique look best on a contrasting basis. Those. if the threads are light, the base should be made dark (painted or tinted), and vice versa, if the thread is black, then the base should be painted in light colors. The stronger the contrast, the more beautiful and brighter the picture looks.

I applied one layer of wax with a brush and rubbed it with a lint-free cloth. Dried it at an accelerated pace over an electric heater. I was in a hurry))) Ideally, I should have made it darker and had more layers. But... this is a children's competition))

2. Prepare the threads.

Paintings in a monochrome style look very cool. White thread on a dark background looks simply gorgeous. But we chose a more children's theme: “Seasons.” Four pictures of different colors:

  • Winter is a white snowflake
  • Spring is a bluebird
  • Summer - yellow sun
  • Autumn - red leaf

I, so confident that I had EVERYTHING, climbed into my “hamster holes” and then a bummer awaited me! A bunch of white irises, a couple of brown ones and not a single colored one!!! And it’s late in the evening, it’s too late to go to the store.

So I dyed the threads myself. Without sparing, I spread textile paints, tore off the labels from the iris and immersed the balls in the paint. Periodically I pressed the threads with my hands so that they were soaked through. Left it for 30 minutes. Then I washed it under running water, squeezed it hard and again - accelerated drying on an electric heater. The red one was not painted over, apparently the paint was squeezed, replaced with a brown factory one.

STRING ART PICTURES

3. Attach a template or diagram of the painting.

I placed dots in the picture with a marker, about one centimeter apart, so that the children could understand where to drive in the nails.

I attached the template to the board with masking tape. This is not necessary - you can immediately drive in 3-4 nails from opposite sides and the template will not “run away” anywhere.

5. Drive nails along the outline of the template.

Drive the nails to the same depth! Working with thread on nails of different heights is very inconvenient; the thread slips. It is better to immediately pull out a sunken nail with pliers.

Device-1 for string art

PIN

To prevent our children from breaking their fingers while swinging a hammer, our brilliant dad came up with such a device. I drilled a hole in the clothespin between the “jaws” with the thinnest drill. It turned out to be very convenient: both hands are intact, and all the nails are driven to the same depth! I think that even without a hole, a clothespin would be useful.

6. Tear off the string art template from the board

7. Tie a thread to the nail

8. And we begin to create a picture using the string art technique!!!

We stretch the thread and randomly, catching on any nail, fill the space. The thread is always taut!!! We make a turn around the nail and pull the thread to the opposite side. It turns out to be such a web. We make two turns around some nails so that the thread does not slip off.

Having finished the web, we make an outline: we pull the thread only along the perimeter of the work, making a “figure eight” between two nails. We made 2-3 figure eights on each pair of nails and moved on. Until we came to the beginning. There the thread was cut and tied in knots around a nail under the product.

Device-2 for string art

PEN

Dad came up with another device. I threaded the thread through the handle and only then tied the tip to the first nail.

This way it is easier to fill out a template in which the nails are filled often, at small intervals.

String art | Sun

My daughter made the sun the same way: first she filled in the middle and then traced it with figure eights along the contour.

STRING ART | SNOWFLAKE

The snowflake, which looked very simple, turned out to be the most difficult! Everything was fine until the template was torn from the board... There was a whole bunch of hammered nails on the board that didn’t look like a snowflake at all!))) Just a forest of nails!!! I had to print out another template and, looking at it, lay out the “rays” with threads.

We draw conclusions by looking at the finished product: where the distance between the nails is more than 1 cm, and in some places as much as 2 cm, the work looks less neat and rough. So 1 cm is just right!

String art | Maple Leaf

Everything is the same here. The same confusion. Only the space was filled not from edge to edge, but from the edge of the sheet to the veins, then between them. Then they drew figures of eight along the contour and along the veins of the leaf.

My girls are happy, tired (they worked for half a day!) and happy)))

Everyone loves to be photographed! Well, it couldn’t have happened without it))):

Especially when you have someone to learn from...

Like tired and tongue on the shoulder)))

The Addams Family... I love you, my Chukchi))))

That's all! In the morning they took me to school. He will go to the region for a competition.

Craft from waste material using string art technique “Seasons” by the Khvostov sisters)))

But my husband and I were left with a feeling of some dissatisfaction... We tried for half a day, sawed, painted, drove in nails, pulled threads... Well, okay, we weren’t the children, but we were there all this time and helped. They made such a beauty))

But in the end, she is not at home. I went to the competition in exchange for a certificate. Products are not always returned to us.

I cowardly suggested that the children leave it at home, hang it on the wall in their room, and I’ll print the certificate for you myself...

But, alas... The children looked at me with blank eyes. Like, mom, what are you doing?!! This is a GRADE FOR COMPETITION! What if we win?!! What if they congratulate you at the line?!! This is so COOL!!!

In general, I’m looking for a theme, new templates and preparing boards... We’ll do it again! But for myself. I really liked the string art technique itself and the finished paintings.

Friends, don’t be lazy, go to the Pinterest website and type in their search bar string art. This is something! So many beautiful and original ideas! Different execution techniques, different carnations and hats, collages with additional objects and inscriptions, with a filled-in design and vice versa - with a background...

And I assure you that tomorrow, having stocked yourself with nails and threads, and tearing off a board from the nearest fence, you will be hammering the whole house, creating something wonderful - a painting in the style of string art!!!

Yes Yes! And even those who claim that their hands grow from the wrong place will cope just fine!!!

Inspiration and good luck to you!!!

And don’t forget to write to me later and brag about what you did, okay?!

That's all. See you!

A small but very nice addition.

A couple of days after I published this post, I received a letter from a reader: “ Thank you for the good mood and interesting ideas that you sometimes give to complete strangers. We are inspired by your creativity and attitude to life. In the photo, my son and I work for the Autumn Fantasies competition, your idea with the girls.”

Is it really very beautiful?!! And how great it is that someone scrolled through my page and got to work!

If you are interested, you can look at the link, I did a detailed MK.

Hooray! One more addition!!! Another craft from a reader! Wonderful Christmas tree with a dancing star!

I’m sitting now and smiling... It’s so nice. The day spent creating this post was not wasted)))

More photos from a reader!!! Gorgeous daisy from Olga Goryacheva’s boys. You can enlarge the photo.

AND FINALLY, RESULTS!!!

OUR GIRLS WON!!!

BOOKED FIRST PLACE IN THE DISTRICT COMPETITION!!! In which they participated, just for a moment :) the children of the town itself and a whole bunch of surrounding villages, including ours!

I’ll take a photo of the girls and post a photo with a certificate. Yeah, people, literacy is cool)))))

I don't say goodbye anymore. Yours