I’m Your Venus String Art

Knitless

Posted by Running Press

About

If Botticelli could only see this now! String art gets a new twist and turn as Venus’s beautiful tendrils are reconfigured in yarn.

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You Will Need (14 things)

  • Template (see attachaments)
  • Wood or engineered Wood board cut down to 26½ x 22½ inches
  • 1 qt White Latex Paint with eggshell finish
  • Foam Paintbrush
  • Clear Tape
  • 2 (6-ounce) boxes 5⁄8-inch wire Nail(s)
  • Hammer
  • 20 yd Medium weight Cotton Yarn (dark gray-blue)
  • Scissors
  • Craft Glue
  • Disposable Plate
  • Toothpick
  • 2 Eye Hooks
  • Picture-hanging Wire

Steps (8 steps, 120 minutes)

  1. 1

    Photocopy the template at 407%. Set it aside.

  2. 2

    Paint the wood board and let it dry. You may need two coats for full coverage.

  3. 3

    Tape the template to the center of the board and nail around the lines of the image. Hammer the nail head firmly into the board. When all of the nails have been placed, carefully remove the paper template, keeping as much of it intact as possible to use as a reference.

  4. 4

    Tie the yarn around the mouth, and start wrapping it around each nail head in a counterclockwise fashion. Look at the template and examine where you placed the nails in it. Follow the yarn all the way around the mouth, connect the yarn to the nose, and start wrapping that.

  5. 5

    Continue up through the left eyebrow and around the face. Tie off, leaving at least a 2-inch tail. Cut the yarn.

  6. 6

    There is no particular order in which to wrap the yarn. You have to use your intuition. But a basic rule of thumb is to wrap it as long as you can, then tie it off and start at another section. Wrap the entire outside outline of the hair and the border, then go back and fill in the missing pieces on the inside of the hair, the neck, and the right eye.

  7. 7

    Once you’ve wrapped the entire piece, squeeze a small dab of glue onto the plate, and dip your toothpick into the glue. Cut each of the tails that remain hanging and dab the knots with glue. Using your finger, tightly wrap, then glue, any excess yarn to the base of the nail. Hold it in place until the glue starts to set up.

  8. 8

    Screw two eyehooks into the back of the board and run some picture wire through the eyehooks, then twist it to secure.

    TIP: Print out an extra template at 100% for reference. It will give you a visual to look at while you are deciding how to wrap the yarn around the nails.