Sailboat String Art

Supplies

A piece of wood 7" x 8 1/2 " or larger and minimum of 1/2" thick
(we used a ready made piece of beechwood 8 1/2" x 10 1/2" (1" thick) with beveled edges purchased at a craft store)
CARON Watercolours thread (or comparable weight threads)
  Spinaker Sail - Tahiti #CSO86311
  Main Sail - Dawn # CS134223
   (untie each of the thread bundles to separate the threads)
  Mast and Body of the Boat - Blueberry #CSO41318
Nails ­ we used brass hobby nails (pins) size 16 x 3/4"
Masking or other tape

Instructions

Step 1 Click on printablesand print out the nail pattern guide.

Step 2 - Securely tape it on to your piece of wood. Make sure to tape it on all four sides so it stays put while you nail in the pins.

Step 3 - place a nail on any dot on the pattern guide and nail the nail in half way so at least 1/4" to 3/8" of the nail remains above the paper. (You need to have enough room to wrap the thread around each nail.) Nail in a nail in each of the dots on the pattern guide until you have filled the entire sailboat shape.

Step 4 - Carefully tear away the paper so only the nails remain on the wood.

Click on Printables and Use the numbered guide for how to string the thread.

Step 5 - First we'll start with the multi-colored Spinaker Sail. Starting with the Tahiti Watercolours thread at point A-1 tie the thread to the nail using a double knot, but don't cut off the excess yet.

Step 6 - Holding the thread taut bring it to nail B-1 and wrap it around the nail once. Bring it back to nail A-1 with a single wrap around the nail and proceed to nail B-2, where you will repeat the above process, continue wrapping nail B-3 and B-4 the same way. After you wrap B-4 thread around A-1 continue wrapping the thread to B-5. (There are 4 B wraps for every A wrap as shown in the diagram.)The proceed to wrap B-5's strand to A-2 and continue with B-6, B-7, and B-8 the same way. Continue wrapping around A and B nails until you reach the top. The last nail A-7 will only have threee wraps on it. Once you have wrapped the last thread from B-27 to A-7 tie a knot around A-7 to secure the thread. Closely cut off the excess thread on both A-1 and A-7 nails.

Step 7 - Next we'll do the Mast. Tie the Blueberry Watercolours thread to Nail C-1 with a double knot, but don't cut off the excess, yet. Wrap the thread to nail C-2 and back to nail C-1 then up to C-3 and back to C-4. tie a knot around nail C-4. Then tie the strand from C-1 together with the C-4 strand inot a double knot and cut off the excess.

 

Step 8 - Now the Sailboat body. Using the Blueberry Watercolours thread tie a knot to nail D-1. Then wrap that thread around E-1. Proceed wrapping D-2 to E-2 and so on until the whole body of the boat is filled in. After you have wrapped thre thread around D-8 take the thread to E-8 again and wrap around it, proceed to E-1 and then back to D-1 where you will tie the thread together with the remaining thread on D-1. Tie a double knot and cut off the excess.

Step 9 - Lastly the Main Sail. Using Dawn Watercolours thread and starting with nail F-1 tie a knot then proceeding to the left to G-1 and then back and forth to row F and G until you reach the top as shown in the diagram After you reach the very top, wrap the thread around it and then bring it back down to F-1 and tie it together in a double knot with the remaining strand. Trim the excess thread close to the nail.

Step back and admire your handiwork. Your ship is ready to set sail.

This craft is reprinted courtesy of The Caron Collection. If you would like illustrated go to their site and click on Kids.