Do you love paper crafting? I do! In fact I love all kinds of crafting. I guess that makes me an equal opportunity crafter. That means I'm always up for trying new things. Or old ones for that matter.
Remember string art? I had some fun with it as a child and it was always so much fun. When I saw some darling string art boards by Cosmo Cricket last January at CHA, I knew one had to go on my wishlist. It's been awhile since January but yes, I'm finally getting to the project. As long as you get there eventually, right?
Having fun with the string art board was fun and it inspired this gift duo. I started off with the string board and then created a card that coordinated.
The Cosmo Cricket String Art boards come in three different patterns. Star, heart and anchor. These boards are super cut finished wood and are 8"x8" in size. They make great decor accents and are so easy to do. There's no right or wrong way to add in the string. In fact random looks fabulous and fun. As I created mine my younger boys were very intrigued and as it is something that young or old can do, I think I'm going to be purchasing a few more for them to craft with as well.
This is also why the string boards are so awesome. No black thumbs from hitting them with a hammer and no scratches from nails. The metal pegs on these boards are smooth and wonderful.
I found some wonderful twine in my stash. It's the Jute Twine from Prima and comes in a myriad of colors. I've linked the Teal jute that I used in the supplies below but if you like other colors, be sure to do a search in the store as there are some really pretty ones.
To start your string art, simply pick a non-conspicuous peg and tie the end of the jute to it. I double knotted mine and then trimmed away the tail.
From there just start wrapping twine around pegs until it it nice and full. I made sure that each peg had at least a couple wraps around it to "tie it all together."
This is what it looks like when finished. I love it in the teal but it would be sweet in red or green for the holidays, or how about three stars of red, white and blue?
Here's a peek at the side of the project. You can see how I've kept the string up towards the top of the pegs to highlight the texture and dimension.
To create a little personalized touch, the Tim Holtz Typewriter Charms make a cute accent.
See how fabulous it looks for very little work?
From there I wanted to design a matching card. Inspired by the star shape and the teal twine, I thought of an adorable hand stitched wood accent for the focal point of the card. These sweet wood pieces are from Maya Road and you can stitch on anything you wish. I created a five point star just by stitching my needle through the holes.
This kraft cardstock layer mimics the wood base of the star design. It was easy to create by stenciling on a woodgrain pattern with Frayed Burlap Distress Ink.
To put the card together I layered on my paper layers. The top ephemera map is adhered with foam tape to add some extra dimension. I choose cardstock to match the jute twine and went with a more masculine theme for this project.
By adding in the wood embellishments with the woodgrain background it really gives a fun and unique look.
Thanks for joining me today in the CLASSroom! I hope you feel inspired to get your craft on!
Supplies: