If you are looking for a sweet but really easy and budget-friendly souvenir thought that your kids tin brand to give to their grandparents, teachers, coaches…whoever!…and then I accept just the thought for you! These DIY cord fine art plaques only take a few supplies (that y'all tin can easily detect at your local craft store) and come up together actually fast. They are fun to make and can exist customized in countless ways based on what holiday you're making them for or who you are giving them to. Let me bear witness you how they come up together and then you can whip some upwards equally Christmas or Valentines gifts besides!

This easy DIY String Art project is the perfect kid craft or gift idea!

This elementary DIY cord art project really came about in a fun mode! I first came up with the thought as a project for a birthday brunch I threw for my girlfriend a few months agone. I wanted something that could keep our easily decorated while we visited and could be taken home as a party favor. I had a hunch a sting art project (which I had actually never done before) would be fun and somewhat mess-free, but I too wanted to keep it really elementary and inexpensive. And then I hunted effectually Michaels and found the perfect supplies for the projection. I then made a quick sample to put out at the party and let my guests get artistic on their ain! The results turned out even more darling than I could have expected, and I tucked the idea away to share at Valentine's Day.

This easy DIY String Art project is the perfect kid craft or gift idea!

But then Henry came home from school and saw my piddling center project and begged…literally begged…to brand 1 besides. Information technology never occurred to me that this could be a really fun kids' craft, and so I bought a few more than wooden plaques and helped him create his own string art for his chamber. No surprise…he picked an X-Fly fighter over a middle 😉

This easy DIY String Art project is the perfect kid craft or gift idea!

With the exception of helping him get some nails into the tighter corners, Henry did that art all by himself, even picking out which yarn would go where (he's 7.5 years old). And so I idea…non just would these exist a great classroom projection (if you're okay with a lot of hammering noise!), simply would also brand really, really sweet kid's gifts for family members, teachers, etc!

I kind of got addicted to making them because they're so darn cute, and I just know you volition all Love how quickly and easily they come together…so let me evidence you how information technology's washed!

This easy DIY String Art project is the perfect kid craft or gift idea! This easy DIY String Art project is the perfect kid craft or gift idea! This easy DIY String Art project is the perfect kid craft or gift idea!

Supplies Needed

My ii chief priorities with this project were 1) cheap and ii) easy. If you look upwards DIY String Art on Pinterest, you'll run across all sorts of crazy and amazing ideas. I wanted this to exist something that could be washed fast and while ladies were chatting…and it's this exact simplicity that besides makes this project perfect for kids! Here is what you need:

This easy DIY String Art project is the perfect kid craft or gift idea!

  • v″ square woods plaques – I found mine at Michaels for $0.99 a piece…I beloved this mesomorphic square because it stands up on its ain (perfect for bookcases!), merely you could certainly utilize any size and shape wooden plaque you can find! This majority set is another great selection!
  • Variegated yarn (more on this below)
  • Small nails (more than on this below)
  • Tack hammer – any hammer will probably work, just I notice these modest craft hammers perfect for the tiny nails. And if you're doing this as a party or classroom craft, go a few!
  • Acrylic paint and paintbrush – choose a colour that matches your yarn, these are my favorites!
  • Thumb tac (not shown)
  • Cord art template sized to about 3″ broad – I used this gratis heart template, but you can use pretty much any string fine art template y'all can find. Try using Google to find gratis designs (that's how I establish the X-wing), or this shop on Esty has corking designs besides!

A quick note most the yarn. It's actually when I stumbled upon all these Sugar'n'Cream yarn skeins at Michaels that the idea for this project really came to life. By using yarn with different colors, you end up with a actually pretty last product with only using one slice of yarn all the way through. There are dozens of color options, so yous can easily selection different schemes based on which holidays or people you are making this for!

TIP! You can meet AAALL the various color options hither, but note that these skeins run virtually $one.99 each at Michaels and often get on sale!

This easy DIY String Art project is the perfect kid craft or gift idea!

Since I originally did this craft for a party, I also wanted to provide different nail color options. I constitute the best choice at Lowes (in the department with thumbtacks and hooks) and bought silver, copper and gold versions…all which expect great with the different yarn schemes!

This easy DIY String Art project is the perfect kid craft or gift idea!

Making the DIY String Art

Once y'all notice a template you beloved (again, finding a pattern is piece of cake on Google or Etsy), re-size information technology to be virtually three″ wide (obviously adjust the size if you utilise a bigger wooden plaque). So tape the template onto your wooden plaque, orienting it exactly equally you lot want.

TIP! If y'all're doing this for a class or party, run off lots of templates so everyone has their own.

This easy DIY String Art project is the perfect kid craft or gift idea!

Next, employ a obviously ol' thumb tac to pierce the newspaper template where each boom should get. Button hard enough so that you puncture the wood underneath as well.

This easy DIY String Art project is the perfect kid craft or gift idea!

When you remove the paper template, you should be able to see exactly where each nail should go. (You can discard the template at this point, equally you lot will no longer need it!)

Next, use the tac hammer to nail each nail into the wood in the designated spots, leaving nearly 1/4-i/ii″ gap betwixt the top of the nail and the wood surface. Try every bit best yous can to put the nails in straight and even, merely don't stress also much well-nigh information technology. If you expect closely at Henry's X-fly, they aren't at all straight or fifty-fifty, but they held the yarn just fine!

Then, accept the end of the yarn and knot it twice around 1 nail, leaving a tail of two-iii." It doesn't affair which smash you use, just I advise one well-nigh the lesser of your design.

Then just wrap the yarn around the nails, moving dorsum and forth across your pattern as much as y'all can, keeping the cord taught. At kickoff I tried to be really systematic in my stringing, but I just grew frustrated. I found it easiest to simply string the yarn randomly while notwithstanding making sure I hit every smash at least one time.

TIP! Because the nailheads are small, the yarn has a tendency to pop off the previous smash. If necessary, use a finger to concord the yarn on the previous nail while you wrap it around the adjacent. One time you move on, the yarn will stay in place.

This easy DIY String Art project is the perfect kid craft or gift idea!

The more y'all string your yarn back and forth, the denser and more colorful your blueprint volition be. Go along weaving dorsum and along until yous're satisfied, then end up back where you started.

Before tying off the yarn, I suggest wrapping the yarn around the entire perimeter of the design. This merely helps give a conspicuously defined border and solidifies the design a bit.

TIP! You don't need to practice anything fancy as y'all go around the perimeter, merely information technology does help to go around the nail(s) at the corners/intersections before moving on. I merely looped effectually that top centre blast before going around the right side of the heart.

This easy DIY String Art project is the perfect kid craft or gift idea!

In one case you get all the way effectually and dorsum to where your original tail is…

This easy DIY String Art project is the perfect kid craft or gift idea!

…only knot off the strings (using the original tail) and trim off the excess.This easy DIY String Art project is the perfect kid craft or gift idea!

This last footstep is optional but I call back it makes a huge difference! Simply use some matching acrylic paint along the edges of the square plaque. There is no need to tape it off or make yourself crazy virtually it…just paint the edge for a splash of color!

This easy DIY String Art project is the perfect kid craft or gift idea!

Once they are stood up, the small-scale bit of color makes a big impact!

This easy DIY String Art project is the perfect kid craft or gift idea!

Start-to-terminate, this niggling heart design took me nearly 20 minutes…if that. The nailing is the longest and most deadening stride but the stringing and painting have just minutes. Surely it would be longer for kids, but even Henry had his X-fly washed in i sitting.

Even though the supplies are cheap and unassuming, the combination of the yarn design on the raw forest gives this project a really funky, modernistic, handmade-chic vibe. And past keeping the blueprint small and using a single slice of yarn, this actually is a quick trivial projection…ideal for kids or the classroom, as well as a ladies' craft dark or as DIY gifts! I loved this DIY String Art project, and I tin't await to conform this project with other designs, and hope you give information technology a try also!

Happy crafting my friends!

Meet You lot Soon!
Megan