String Art is a trend that has been around for a minute now, and while I normally avoid trends with every part of me, I’m still totally loving these string art medallions. I get so snobby about paper straws and mason jars, but it’s a hazard of the crafty job. I’m looking at this stuff at least a year before it hits stores, so by the time it’s hit the zeitgeist I’m sick to death of it. But not this one. I think it’s the Spirograph look I came up with. I spent so many hours playing with a Spirograph during my kid years, putting these on my wall is like a grown up nod to a kid craft I loved so much.
Supplies are simple. A wooden circle, tiny nails, and some kind of thread. I used this elastic cord because I love the look of it and because I find having a little bit of stretch makes it really easy to work with while still getting things nice and taut.
Paint your plaque your desired color, including the edges. I have been using Rit Pearl Gray Dye throughout a lot of my projects, which is how I got things like the hanging lamp and the corners of my bedskirts to match. I added that same dye to some pearl acrylic paint to tie it in to the other projects. The dye is great for this because I don’t have to have a matchy matchy bedroom. A little more dye here and a little less there keeps it interesting while all still looking related.
Add a picture hanger if necessary, which it was for me. I used glue to make sure that the nails wouldn’t pop out the front side.
Tap in your nails around the edge of the circle, spacing them out evenly. The number of nails you use will affect the look of your pattern, so you could wing it and have fun discovering like I did, or plan something out. Either way make sure you keep them close to the edge while still leaving enough room so you don’t pop through the side. Since these nails are so itsy bitsy, I found it helpful to use a pair of jewelry pliers to get them started as I hammered until they were deep enough in to stand up on their own, and then I could hammer the rest of the way without endangering my fingers.
Tie one end of your cord around one of your nails. Leave yourself a couple of inches at first, you can always trim it up and glue your knot later, and you don’t want that to come undone while you’re tugging the thread around all the nails. It is such a bummer when a knot comes undone halfway through a project and you haven’t left yourself enough to retie it. Don’t let that be you!
Stretch the cord across the circle and wrap it around another nail. Bring it back to the first side and wrap around a different nail. Or the same one. Or wherever you want. The point is to experiment and see what amazing shapes you can come up with.
Once you see a pattern emerging you could lean in to that and repeat it. See what happens if you skip four nails every time. Or skip two and then cross the circle. Or zig zag from one side to the other. The possibilities are literally endless.
When you are happy with your pattern, tie off the other end. I liked the look of finishing where I started, but that’s by no means a requirement. Experimentation, remember? If you end where you began you could tie both ends together to add another layer of stability. Add a dab of glue to the top of the knot, then, when dry, trim the ends close.
My go to wall decor style is with lots of groupings, and this project was made for it. I did a bunch in silver, a bunch in gold, and then mounted them all together above my bed and I think the effect is just gorgeous. Sharp and clean and geometric, I’m still obsessed with them. And if I’m obsessed with something by the time you can buy a kit for it at Michael’s, that’s when you know it’s a win.
