Flipped Fantasia
"Hodor" String Art
If you know who Hodor is, then we both know how devastating the loss of this charactor was. See, I am a HUGE Game of Thrones fan. HBO has provided date nights for my husband and I for years. With three kids and limited funds, we can't justify spending a lot of money going to the movies. So we started watching this show and immediately became hooked. Of course a lot of characters have been killed on the show, but the death of Hodor was so upsetting, it sent social media into a firestorm of "memes". I honestly feel there should have been a support group for those who were tramatized by Hodor's death. Anyway, enjoy the tutorial!
Gather your supplies...
-String
-Wood Board (painted or stained if you want)
-Stain or Paint
-Brush and cloth
-Hammer
-Needle Nose Pliers
-One inch Nails with flat head tip
-Tweezers (not pictured)
-Scissors
-Stencil or Printed Image (can free hand if you want)
Get your materials ready for stainging. I used a sock instead of a cloth, due to having an abundance of missing and mismatched pairs.
I like MINWAX stain because its a penetrating stain, not a single application stain. This allows me to "shade" the board. I wanted the perimeter of the board darker and the middle of the board lighter. So I applied the stain on the outsides first and let the stain sit for a few minutes before I blended it. After it was dry, I applied more stain to the outside for more "shadow". After I was done, I let the stain dry overnight before I attempted the next step.
I measured my board and figured out the size of the letters I needed. I printed out my images and taped them to the board. Make sure its taped down well so the paper shoes shift!
I marked my letters by using the nails as a guide. Trust me, you will be happy you did this instead of "winging" it. This will help with an even coverage with string and a straight appearance with the nail placement.
Using your needle pliers, hold the small nails and start hammering away! I told you those marks would help!
Its fun at first, but then starts to get tedious. Take your time and a few "time outs". Your hands will start to cramp a little.
This took (5) 2oz boxes of those little wire nails. After you finish with the nailing part, take a moment and appreciate your hard work. This took me about 2 hours per letter. I went slow to ensure I had my nails at the same level.
OMG....finally finished!
Remove the paper by peeling in an upwards direction. You will have pieces of paper stuck between the wood and the nail. Use your tweezers to grab the wedged paper.
Ok, make a knot BEFORE trying to tie onto the first nail.
**I didn't have my tweezers, so you can see the wedged pieces of paper**
Slide pre-made knot onto the first nail and then tighten. Double knot it to ensure it stays. Keep that tail of the knot long so you can tie of the ends when you are done weaving your string art. You should end where you started! If not, I am sure you will figure out how to tie off your string art.
**Ugh...those wedged pieces of paper is making this tutorial look hidious.**
I started weaving my string in an up and down direction. I wasn't very happy with the way it was turning out, so I decided to try a "criss cross" weave around the nails and decided I liked it better for this project.
YAY!!! This part only took about an hour. Once you find your groove and get comfortable, the weaving part goes quickly!
I love it.
"Hodor" is actually going to be situated above my antique halltree that I built with my step dad, or Pop Pop, as my children call him.
If you would like to learn more about the character, Hodor, just find him with the hashtag...
#HoldtheDoor