Halloween is right around the corner, so what better time is there for making a cute, spooky ghost as a String Art craft! Adults and teens can pick up a kit at Fondulac District Library, available in the Adult Services Department or from the drive-up window (while supplies last).
Kit Contents:
Wooden Board (5.5” x 5.5”)
Acrylic Paint (Black)
Foam Paintbrush
Stencil
Painter’s Tape
Nails (31)
Embroidery/Crochet Thread – White & Black
Supplies Needed (At Home):
Scissors
Hammer
Instructions:
- Paint the face of your wooden board. Use thin layers – and let each layer dry completely before painting another layer. (If you paint the edges, be careful when painting rough/textured edges – use a dabbing motion, rather than a basic stroke.)
- Let the paint dry completely!
- Begin taping your stencil to the board. To correctly orient your ghost, pick a flat edge to be the base – as long as it’s flat, the board can stand on its own when displayed. (The rough/textured edges are not always flat enough to stand on their own. If a textured edge ends up as your base, you might need to get a small easel to display it.) Tape all four corners or edges to keep the stencil in place!
- Begin hammering in those nails – starting from the center of the design, and working your way to the outside. (Starting from the outside-in will lead to pinched fingers!) Try to keep the nails straight (up and down) and approximately the same height. (If they’re slightly uneven though, that’s okay! They’ll be less noticeable once the string is on the piece – so no worries!)
- Check those nails – make sure they’re secure! If any appear loose, just nail them in a little deeper and check again. (You’ll be tearing the paper out from around the nails, so you don’t want them to move around or get pulled out!)
- Tear the paper out from around/under the nails. If tiny bits of paper end up stuck to the nails, just carefully remove them with a tweezer (or even an extra nail) – but don’t stress over it! Tiny pieces, even small remnants, won’t be noticeable once you’ve finished the project.
- String the Outline: Begin by tying the white thread to an outside nail (along the outline of the ghost), then secure it by double or triple knotting it. Once secure, cut the loose end off and begin stringing the outline. Wrap the outline twice – once by wrapping toward the inside, then (on the second pass) by wrapping towards the outside.
- String the Inside Body: Once the outline is done, you can start connecting random nails to color in the body of the ghost – fill to your heart’s content! Avoid outlining the eyes for now, but feel free to connect points between the nails around the eyes, plus the nails around the body.
- String the Outline (Again): When you’re happy with the look of your ghost, make sure to finish off the body with another outline. (Repeat #7) Once that’s done, tie off the string with a double or triple knot around a nail on the border. Cut off the excess – but avoid cutting the surrounding, secured threads!
- String the Eyes: Switch to black thread. Begin by outlining one of the eyes – follow the steps used for the body: 1) outline, 2) fill-in, then 3) outline (again). Once finished, you’ll tie off and trim the excess thread. Afterwards, follow the same steps for the other eye!
- If you’d like to paint the nails around the eyes black, use the acrylic paint that we’ve supplied – let dry (completely) before adding additional layers. Be very careful and avoid painting the white string by accident! (If you paint the string black, you may want to find some white paint to cover the stains – just let the black paint dry before covering it white white!)
- You’re finished!! Display your spooky, little ghost wherever you’d like your tiny haunting to reside!
Thanks for following along with our Halloween Take & Make. Stay tuned for more adult and teen geared Take & Makes in the future!
– Katie Smith, Reference Specialist