I just LOVE snowmen, don't you? They are so cute, and fun! I've decorated my home so many different ways with different styles of snowmen! String Art has taken a comeback, so why not just combine the two? It's a fun thing to do. Not extremely difficult, and what a fun an creative way to decorate or gift something hand made! Keep reading and I'll share my snowman making story with you!
Now, you can go to a craft store and purchase an already prepared piece of wood. They come both plain and painted. What I have here is a scrap piece of wood leftover from a previous project that was cut and sanded down. I liked the natural wood look but it needed something to make it POP! So I took a small amount of light blue crafting paint and added water to it. Thinning it out made it super easy to apply, allowed the wood to still shine through, and dried VERY quickly!
I looked online for patterns and ideas. Searched through coloring books and transfer patterns. I just couldn't find exactly what I was looking for, so I went to the office and grabbed a piece of copy paper. Then I just drew out what was in my mind. Didn't turn out too bad if I don't say myself! By then the paint was completely dry and I was able to make sure the masterpiece fit the wood. I did make a few tweaks, and then it was ready!
From previous experience I found that if you keep the paper pattern ON the wood, you get a better feel for what you're making, and don't put the wrong colored string on all those nails! An added tip might be to lightly color the hat, nose, and scarf to help keep your string where you want it! If you have a tiny hole punch, that really helps too! You can fold your paper to reach all the middle spots, and add the punches at an even distance. I wasn't perfect, and when it came time to nail, I did choose to dismiss a few of my punches and place wherever I wanted. Only thing about nailing through the paper is the messy cleanup after! Grab a pair of tweezers at that paper is in there tight!
When it comes to nails, you will want to choose something with a sharp tip, and not extremely long. On this project I thought the rounded ends looked nice, but a flat top works well too! A tip to keep your fingers out of the way is to grab some needle nose pliers to hold the nails as you hammer them in. Make sure you get them in good, you would be surprised at the pressure that string will put on the nail, and you DO NOT want those nails popping out after you've started! You'll cry.... or at least I may have... This part takes time and patience...so try and relax!
So you've nailed them all in and you're ready to start stringing! Great! I used crochet thread, and embroidery thread! No real rules here, just find what you like! If you choose something thick, you won't have to go around the nails as much, but I personally like all the patterns that you can make by going back and forth in random directions over the nails! Wherever you choose to start, make sure to tie a good knot to keep the string from slipping!
You'll find a technique and style that works for you. I like to place the string between my fingers like a pencil and wrap around the nail head twice to "lock it in" before moving to the next nail! As you can see below, I did choose to follow a pattern, or row formation along the outside of the snowman. This gave each snowball distinction and made it easier to move to the next snowball. The inside was just random directions! I started from the bottom and worked my way up! Next I tackled the nose because it was so small! It really doesn't matter, the project is yours, create it however you desire! Just tie a knot off at the end and rest as needed!
This was a great evening project for me to work on while the "boys" were watching some sports on TV. It doesn't take up a lot of space and I was able to keep my hands busy stringing and secretly really enjoying the family time! I think he's pretty cute!
I hope that you will try some string art too! It really is relaxing and good for keeping your mind and body alert! Winter can bring out the lazy in us.... handwork is a good way to keep busy when the sun goes down! Winter can bring on the blues, keeping creative is a way to avoid that!
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