I like the idea of craft kits because they allow me to try something new with minimal commitment. If making is your full-time job, it can be relaxing to use someone else's materials and design rather than come up with your own for a change. You can concentrate on learning basic techniques without the added layer of expectation and pressure. This is not to say that I always feel compelled to follow a project or kit in every detail. I might decided to skip some steps or put my own twist on a project.
My First Time Making String Art
Last November I bought myself a kit from Strung on Nails on Etsy. (I got the DIY Moon and Stars one.) What attracted me to this kit was its smaller size. I've been curious about string art -- winding colorful strings around nails to form a pattern -- but most kits I've seen in the past are huge. I'd much rather make a project that measures in inches, not feet, the first time out.
When I finally opened my kit in June, the first thing I did wasn't required by the kit: add a picture hanger on the back. (To be perfectly accurate, a very kind person added the hanger for me. Hello there, if you're reading this.) I honestly had no idea if I'd want to hang up the finished result, but I knew that it would be harder to add anything on the back once the nails and string were in place. It was nice that the piece was stamped on the back; this made it easy to figure out which was was up.
I started by adding the nails. One thing that I didn't realize until close to the end was that not all of my nails were standing perfectly straight. This became a problem later with one of the stars when it became clear that I couldn't make a crisp point because one nail was leaning towards the center of the star. I ended up cutting the thread, pulling the nail out and replacing it, and trying again. (It still isn't quite right, but better.)
The second challenge with the nails was figuring out how far in to hammer them and keep them at the same height. What I decided to do was to hammer each nail the same amount of strokes (10). While that wasn't perfect, it worked fairly well.
Adding the string was the fun part, particularly for the moon. That's the piece I did first. I don't know if it was because it was a larger space or because it had the curve but it turned out to be the easiest part to make a random design with the string. With the stars, I struggled a bit. There weren't as many nails and the shape was all angles, so I felt more driven to make geometric triangles inside rather than a truly random pattern.
One funny aside: I just now looked at the photo of the kit online and I reversed the suggested colors. The moon should have been silver and the stars, yellow. Oh well!
I did leave quite a bit of space in my string art; others I've seen are much denser with string. This seems to be a personal preference, although most of the examples I've seem to favor denser strings. Overall, I was pretty happy with this craft experience. I don't know that I'm going to become obsessed with it, but I always like learning new things and this certainly satisfied that itch for me.
What Makes a Good DIY Craft Kit?
I've been thinking about what makes a good craft kit. Here's what I learned from this particular one:
- Good packaging
Good is relative, of course. I liked the simple packaging of this kit. The little bit of washi tape on the bag with the nails inside was a nice touch. It added a little personality but didn't seem excessive. I do like to see some kind of packaging, particularly if I'm giving the kit as a gift. - Clear instructions
The instructions were printed on a small square on paper. For some projects, videos or step by step instructions with photos or diagrams might be needed. While the instructions were simple, they felt adequate. - All necessary materials, plus extras
There's nothing worse than running out of materials in mid-project! If it is possible to include extras of the little pieces (not the main one), it's always appreciated. It's extra stressful if you know you have the exact right number of something and then you drop one of the items on the floor and it disappears. With this kit I had plenty of thread and extra nails. Some of the nails were deformed, so it was great to not have to worry about making them work. - Difficult/boring/messy parts minimized
I was happy not to drill all the holes so that they were evenly spaced and at a similar depth. I also appreciated that the board came already stained because it let me skip that messy and smelly step. It's always nice when a craft kit is structured so that the most fun part is the one you spend the most time doing. - Specialty tools not required
If you're brand new to a craft, it's best if the tools needed are minimal or easy to find. Adding tools increases the cost of the kit. This project only required a hammer and scissors, both of which I already owned. - Completed in an appropriate amount of time
This project was fairly quick to make (a couple of hours), which I'd hoped, given its small size. I liked that this project had discrete steps (like hammering, stringing) and sections (moon, stars) so that I could easily stop and pick it up again. I did the hammering and the moon before lunch on a Saturday and the stars right after.
Further Reading
- The Origins of String Art
It's older than you think! - 8 Contemporary Artists Taking String Art to the Next Level
An article from the Modern Met shows some amazing uses of string in art galleries. The website also has a list of beautiful string art kits. - How To Do String Art
A good overview of the steps needed if you're making string art from scratch. - Math Art Idea: Explore Geometry Through String Art
Use art as a teaching tool! - String Art Tips and Tricks
Good info in the comments as well as the article.