Easy Yarn Wall Art

Ok, so you like knitting or crocheting? No? Ok, how about just playing with yarn?

Here's a really quick and easy way to make nice wall-hanging art using yarn. You probably have everything you need sitting around... we did.

My daughter made these a year ago as personalized presents for some of her favorite teachers....

The things that you mount your yarn designs on are just white-washed wood.

We used 1x12 lumber, which is actually 3/4" thick. Here's what you do:

1. Cut it to a reasonable size to hold your yarn art; we used roughly 8" tall pieces.
2. Drill a mounting hole part-way through what will be the back side, roughly positioned as shown -- in the center near the top. To make sure the piece will hang straight, after measuring the center, you can check balance by sticking a nail in the spot first. You should use at least a 3/8" diameter drill to drill about half-depth so there's a good lip to hang this on your wall using a nail or hanger.
3. Sand the wood if necessary.
4. Wash the wood with an appropriate stain or paint. We used a couple of thinned coats of white latex paint so that the color would be fairly even, but the wood grain would still show through.
5. Let it dry.

Take your yarn-thingies and arrange them on the wood plate.

The thingies could be crocheted pieces, or they could be individual strands (for example, see the Yarn Art Instructable). In fact, they don't even have to involve yarn at all.... Of course, the pattern also is entirely up to you. Feel free to make little pattern alignment marks on the board that will be hidden by the thingies when you're done.

Once you've got them where you want them, use a hot glue gun to make them stay there. It works best to put the glue on the board and then lay the yarn into it -- just be careful not to press your unprotected fingers into the hot glue. (This was something Daddy did... I mean have an adult do the gluing... but yes, Daddy did burn a finger or two.) Probably smart to use something like the backside of spoon to press the yarn into the hot glue. Don't worry too much about a bit of excess glue here or there because you'll be able to pick little bits off after everything has cooled, and the texture of the yarn and wood tend to make little glue threads less visible anyway.

You've made art suitable for hanging!