Bunny Nail & String Art
Yes, you got it, we're bringing it back from the 70's (for those of you who are old enough to remember it from the 1st go-round).
So, here we go:
1. Pick your image (I chose a clip art that has 6 identical shapes, in this case bunnies) and prepare your surface (I used a 12" x 12" cork square that I spray painted yellow to go with my theme).
2. Make sure the surface is completely dry before beginning. Lay the image down on the surface, hammer small nails into the outline of the image (or you can nail into the outside edge of the image and the outer perimeter of the surface to highlight the negative space instead of the image itself). Make sure to space the nails evenly to keep the image consistent throughout. Once all of the outlined edges are nailed, carefully remove the original image, being careful not to remove any of the nails (Since the cork is not as dense as wood, I had to go extremely slow, have a LOT of patience, and still had to replace a few nails).
3. Once the image is removed, you can start with your colorful string. (I used 6 different colors, but it's up to you and your design as to what you use. I used embroidery thread since it is readily available and comes in so many colors.) Start by selecting a color, tie off one end of the string onto an outline nail, then start your stringing. You can run the string across the design from nail to nail until the inside is all covered, or you can wind the string around each one of the outline nails to just highlight the shape itself, there's no right or wrong, it's up to you. (I used a combination of the 2 techniques, to make sure I got the inside shape as well as the outside shape). When you are done with that color, just tie off the end to a nail and cut any excess.
4. Once you are finished stringing your image, you're done. I framed mine to give it some stability, but that's up to you.
Have fun with these techniques, let your imagination go and see what you can come up with!