Pinterest Challenge DIY String Art

I jumped at the chance to tackle the newest Pinterest Challenge. It seems like forever ago, January to be exact, I was talking about big plans to make string art. What originally inspired me was this wedding sign while I was (not so) secretly pinning away for my sister’s wedding, fyi…she’s not even engaged yet!

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But what really got me fired up was this etsy sign, granted I clearly don’t know scale because in my mind I saw this and saw HUGE and fabulous not 16″x11″!

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As I was throwing ideas around with my fav blogger and dear (never really met) friend Cait and she said she loved the idea. Well then life (aka Tenley) happened and as embarrassing as this is to admit, I started seeing a ton of other string art projects and it totally bummed me out. My copy cat idea was now one of a million as opposed to one of a few and I really didn’t want to sacrifice my time for something I had lost my excitement for…till the challenge came up and I couldn’t not do it, plus I had already started it! I stained the wood and had the California map already printed at Staples. Thanks to yet another Pinterest pin, the ability to get a HUGE picture printed as an “engineer” print for dirt cheap, as in less than $5! After figuring out where I wanted California to be in relation to the board we got to nailing along the outline, surprisingly it took less than an hour. When I started Todd informed me there would be no way we’d get it done today, Tenley only allows so much in this house, especially since an hour a day in naps is deemed amazing!

California outlined in nails

Obviously then you’ll remove the paper from the board, be forewarned…you will most likely need tweezers to get the tiny pieces out! Honestly, it was the stringing that was gnarly! We intended to fill it completely but the string that was available (after 2 stops) was super thin and I think I would have lost my mind or my fingers had I tried to go that route!

She napped for a whole 40 minutes so we took advantage and started stringing it up!

After several days of a few stolen hours here and there we deemed it complete and regardless of its imperfections (bowed wood), splinters, raw fingers and hours spent wrapping a tiny string around a slightly larger nail we’re finished and it’s up using a french cleat!!

Wider angle of the room

We REALLY need to get some color in there! We have a long way to go before the living room and house is how we’d like it, I’m sure by then we will be ready to rent the house out and move to our next house but eh!! Todd says it’s too big and wants it to go onto artsy fartsy (etsy)…he’s just grumpy that he didn’t come up with it but who knows! I have to say it was seriously a blast but I was a bit crazy tackling a 4×3 print!!!

Linked up! Young House Love, Bower Power Blog, Ten June, Centsational Girl, 504 Main, Chic On A Shoe String Decorating, The Shabby Nest, Liz Marie Blog, Tip Junkie, Funky Junk Interiors, Tatertots & Jello, Lolly Jane, Addicted 2 Decorating, I Heart Nap Time, Serenity Now, Shabby Creek Cottage