How to Do String Art on Wood With Nails

I tell ya, it's astonishing when and where inspiration volition strike.  I went to our upstairs closet on the chase for batteries to supervene upon some expressionless ones in my son's favorite toy (Why oh why are the noisiest, most abrasive ones always their about cherished?!), and while rummaging through the shelves for some adept ole AA's, I stumbled across an item from a Pinterest fail I attempted years ago: some cork tiles!

I've been wanting to brand a string art project for quite some time, but I don't have a spare woods block laying around.  Plus, I'g not really too great on hammering all. those. nails.….it seems like it would be very time-consuming, and OH! those poor smashed fingers.

Luckily, these extra cork tiles would make the perfect substitute for wood, and a piffling faux forest contact paper would complete the issue!

No Hammering Faux Forest String Art

Supplies

• Cork tiles (Ii 12″ x 12″ tiles, cut in half)
• Glue
• False wood contact newspaper
• Stencil of name/word in paper (I cutting mine out with a Silhouette Cameo, but you can do it by paw likewise)
• Washi record(used to transfer stencil to board)
• Scissors or Xacto knife
• Brass pins
• Green apple duct record
• Embroidery string

Prepping the Cork Tiles

I purchased a 4-pack of 12″ x 12″ cork tiles and used two of them in my kitchen command center Pinterest fail.  This was years agone, so loooong before this piffling web log here was even a thought of mine.  I must take thrown the 2 tiles from that projection away ("I'll never use these for anything!") instead of hoarding holding onto everything similar I do now.

I had ii remaining tiles left, and they would get the job done nicely on their ain once cutting in one-half.  I'chiliad certain styrofoam would piece of work just as well, too, every bit another no-hammer option.

To cutting the cork tiles in one-half, I drew a line down the center and and then sliced through the cork with an Xacto knife.  I first tried scissors, only that resulted in some shredding and flaking off of the cork (and a huge mess), but the Xacto knife cut through it like buttah.

Oh, I also made sure to place the tile that I wasn't currently working on underneath the one being cut to spare my poor dining room/craft room tabular array from getting even more abuse.

Later cutting both tiles in half, I ended up with four 6″ x 12″ tiles.  Using some glue, I then adhered all four tiles together, and since they're each near .25″ thick, the terminal piece ended upwards beingness 1″ in depth…..and looking very much like a wood block, minus the faux woods covering….simply that was coming!

Calculation a Duct Record Frame

To clean up the edges and add a decorative frame, I applied some green apple duct tape effectually the edge of my cork block before applying the imitation wood contact paper (if I always brand another one of these, I'll skip this step though….more on this below).

Applying the Simulated Wood Contact Newspaper

I bought ii different types of faux woods contact newspaper considering I have a difficult fourth dimension making a conclusion: 1 was an actual Contact-brand roll that was more beloved oak, and one was by DC Ready that was more than rustic and weathered looking.

I concluded upwards using the latter considering I liked the await of information technology better for this project (plus it has an actual woods grain texture when y'all await closely….very cool!).

It's technically a self-adhesive vinyl and it couldn't be easier to apply.  Information technology'southward also very forgiving if yous demand to readjust your placement….which I had to do several times.

In one case the faux forest contact newspaper was applied, I decided to add together another frame of greenish duct record around the edge.  If I were to practice this over again, I would skip the start application of duct record and simply add the ane after the contact paper was practical….live and larn.

Cutting & Applying the Name Stencil

This projection was going to be of my son's name and hung upwardly in his room.  Instead of free-handing the nail placement, I decided to make a stencil of his proper name with the help of my Silhouette Cameo.

{You certainly don't *need* a Silhouette to practice this of form….just print out your give-and-take on newspaper and then cut it out past paw with pair of scissors.}

It was cut out of some regular printer paper using the Print Paper cut settings, and then I transferred it to my block with some washi tape.

Adding the Brass Pins

Information technology was now time to add the pins!  I used some 3/iv″ brass pins and but pushed them into the cork with my fingers.  I pretty much just center-balled their placement, roughly 1/2″ autonomously from each other.

It ended up taking about two and a half of these packages of pins….feel free to count them all up though if you want an exact count!

Here'south the final pin placement:

Adding the Colored Embroidery String

At present that my pins were all in place, I removed the washi tape and paper stencil and selected my string colors.  Like with most projects I undertake, I didn't really know what colors I wanted to employ, so I bought a variety pack and then selected five bright and bold shades that were very BOY.

And it was now onto adding the string to this string art!  Starting in the corner, I tied the end to a pin then started wrapping the string around each pin, going around the entire letter of the alphabet first.  Then I went and completed the inner edge before filling in the letter.

I just wrapped the string effectually very haphazardly with no rhyme or reason, just making sure to fill up in whatever gaps and then the fake wood wouldn't show through.  Once the alphabetic character was filled, I trimmed off the string tails.

I did that same process to all v letters.  Each letter ended up taking i whole skein of string, with the exception of the W….that used 2 since it'south wider than the others and therefore required more than string to make full.

Calculation the White Embroidery String Outlines

To make the letters actually pop and to make clean up the edges a bit, I decided to add an outline to each with some white string.  I showtime wrapped the string around the outside of each pivot, then back around the within, then diagonally between them.

The Final No Hammering Faux Wood Cord Art!

And here's the terminal result!  Not too shabby, eh?  I betcha tin't fifty-fifty tell information technology's not a real woods block!  This volition make a nice addition to a wall in Rowan'due south room, for sure.

Not only does it wait *just* like existent wood, just I'm too glad I was able to use an item I already had shoved away in a closet….and hooray for no smashed fingers or a migraine thank you to ZERO hammering!

I'm sure this false-wood-cork-substitute is much faster than having to hammer in each and every nail into a real wood block.  But then once again, I've never tried it so who knows!

I just know this was a fun little project that reused a discarded particular I had long forgotten nearly and turned into a cute decorative piece for my son's room….sounds like a success to me!

Cheers and so much for stopping past!

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Source: https://www.wherethesmileshavebeen.com/no-hammering-faux-wood-string-art/

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