Making panels of threads and nails with your own hands is a simple and exciting way to make an unusual gift or interior element from improvised materials. This technique is not complicated, but real masterpieces are obtained, therefore designers and other representatives of creative professions often use it.
For example, to create stunning realistic portraits of women and men, Japanese artist Kumi Yamashita uses one continuous thread wrapped around a thousand nails. In a series of works entitled "Constellation" (a hint of the Greek tradition of finding mythical figures in the sky), she uses three simple materials that are available to everyone, and makes real works of art from them.
Panel of threads: the necessary materials
If you have not tried to create panels from threads and nails, be sure to take some time to engage in creativity and invite the children to participate in the process to create an unusual picture together . This type of needlework helps to develop coordination of movements and creative abilities.
For work you will need the following materials:
- wooden plank;
- scheme for panels of threads and nails;
- tracing paper;
- pencil;
- scissors;
- pliers;
- hammer;
- threads of the right colors.
Wood blank design
First, prepare the board. It should be smooth and even. All roughnesses must be removed with sandpaper and the edges rounded. Depending on the details of the project, the wood can be painted with acrylic or varnished. But sometimes the natural structure of a tree looks much more attractive than a toned surface. If the coloring of the board occurs in an apartment, you need to ventilate the room and use a respirator in working with varnishes. After the tree has completely dried, we proceed to create our masterpiece.
How to make a template yourself
Before you make a panel of nails and threads, you need to prepare a template: any contour drawn with your own hand or printed on a sheet of paper is suitable for it. It can be an animal, symbol or other drawing. Making the inscription an unusual font is quite simple: you just need to type the text in any photo editor and print it on the printer. The main thing is that the line is clear.
Using tracing paper we translate the drawing on the board. We will hammer nails along its contour. Some masters do it even easier: they cut out an inscription or drawing and stick it with tape on the board. It is necessary to fix the sheet, otherwise the paper will shift during operation. Then, when the last nail is nailed, they simply tear it off.
Do it yourself patterns
One of the most popular stories for panels of threads and nails is the heart. Making a blank for him is quite simple: just fold the sheet in half and cut a half, and then straighten it. You will get an even template that is easy to transfer to a tree or attach to it.
Experienced masters do not stop at simple drawings and create various compositions, from animals to a world map. You can combine different techniques, for example, to make flowers from corrugated paper and make for them a panel of threads and nails in the form of a vase. Another idea: a dream catcher with shells mounted on a board. Its upper part is performed as usual, and real sinks are attached below with a glue gun. Combining different colors and thicknesses of the thread, you can achieve amazing effects and add originality to the work.
The technology of manufacturing panels from threads and nails
We choose carnations with a long leg and a large hat, so that it is convenient to hold them and hammer. For working with nails, it is better to use pliers, then the risk of hitting a finger with a hammer is reduced. Moving the drawing, we begin to hammer in the nails at an equal distance from each other, not to the end, but about a third of the length. The main thing is that they stay firmly in place.
Hats are sometimes painted with acrylic paint to add more color to the work. If the nails are slightly curved, they can be straightened with pliers or replaced with others. All of them should be at the same height, therefore it is better to use a small hammer to create a panel, it will be easier to calculate the force of impact with it. When the contour is finished, delete the template.
The threads used are durable, and the colors and thickness are selected for the project. Experienced craftsmen most often work with cotton or nylon. We continue the design of the panel, fixing the thread on one of the nails with a knot, and pulling it, we wrap the hats. Create a drawing. You can help yourself with your finger so that the thread does not come off.
Then we make the second layer and repeat until the panel of threads and nails is ready. Sometimes when using this technique you can limit yourself to only one layer by pulling the thread under the caps. The direction is random, parallel, or according to a given pattern. When the end of the thread is fixed on the last carnation, the work is ready and it can be used to decorate the interior.