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Today’s project holds a special place in Andrew and I’s hearts. When we were just friends, I recruited Andrew to help me on my first DIY project.
I set out to make a simple string art for one of my friends, but I was afraid of a hammer. Cue Andrew.
We made the string art and then decided to go into business together as two broke college students. We bonded and made some money, which eventually funded our first few dates!
String art was the start to our love story!
Alright, let’s start DIYing!
The ONLY tools you need to DIY
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Tools
- Hammer
- Pliers
- Scissors
- Tape
What You’ll Need
- String
- Nails (you can really use any nails. We chose brass 16 x 5/8″ nails)
- Wood (we just used a scrap board that was 7″ x 8″.
- Optional: stain/paint (we used Minwax Special Walnut stain)
DIY String Art Heart
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Step 1: get your base
You can purchase a wood piece that is ready to go, or sand and stain your own board.
Step 2: choose your design
Once you pick your pattern, size it to whatever size looks best on your board. If you like the exact heart we used, you can grab it here.
Print out your pattern.
Cut out your pattern.
Place a few pieces of tape on the back of your printed pattern to keep it in place. Set it on your wood piece.
STEP 3: nail
Begin nailing around your pattern. While nailing, hold your nails in place using pliers. This will protect your fingers and hopefully keep the nails a little straighter.
A few notes to keep in mind:
- Maintain similar spacing between each nail. No need to measure, just keep it in mind and eyeball it.
- Try to hit your nails in straight.
- Keep your nails at similar heights. Again, no need to measure, but stay consistent and make sure there is enough space for your string.
Step 4: remove your pattern
Remove the paper from your wood.
Step 5: string
Tie your string to one of the nails and start stringing. You want to go in a random pattern that covers a lot of distance. Don’t string around a nail that’s only 3 away, make it cover your heart. You can string a little bit or a lot depending on how filled in you want your pattern to be. Make sure to hit every nail along the way!
If you want define your shape even more, you can loop the string around all of the nails to outline it.
To finish your string art, bring the string back to where you got started. Loop the string around the nail and then tie a knot around the nail. You can use the beginning string for this. Cut your excess string.
There you have it! You now know how to make a simple string art! Use this technique for any pattern you wish. If you’re looking for some DIY Valentine’s Day decorations for your home, the heart is a simple one! It’s also a great Valentine’s Day craft that you can use as a gift!
As always, we would LOVE to see your photos. Send us (or tag us in) a picture of your string art on Instagram and feel free to reach out with any questions!
There you have it! Now you know how to make a simple DIY wood art! You can get more creative with the patterns by cutting some of the boards partially and staining or painting them different colors.
As always, we would LOVE to see your photos. Send us (or tag us in) a picture of your wood art on Instagram and feel free to reach out with any questions!
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