Fractaleria
Short answer: a 30 × 30 cm (12 × 12 in) MDF board, small-head nails 2 to 2.5 cm long (3/4 to 1 in), a skein of waxed cotton and a tack hammer. You can find all of it in a hardware store and a craft store.
The board
MDF 12 to 15 mm thick (1/2 in) is the most comfortable: it is even, cheap and the nail holds firm. Pine works too, but it has knots and the nail drifts when it lands on one.
To start, 30 × 30 cm (12 × 12 in). It is enough for a complete mandala and it will not wear you out. Bigger means more nails, more string and more hours; better to leave that for your third piece.
Ask them to cut it where you buy it. It is usually free and saves you the saw.
The nails
Small heads, 2 to 2.5 cm long (3/4 to 1 in). If the head is too big it steals the attention; if the nail is too short, there is not enough left above the wood to catch the string.
Count on 60 to 200 depending on the design, and buy 20% extra: some always bend. They are sold by weight, so the price difference is minimal. The nail spacing calculator tells you how far apart they go on a circle.
The string
This is what changes the result the most:
- Waxed cotton. The best to start with. It does not fray, it holds its tension and it forgives mistakes.
- Embroidery floss. More shine and more colors, but it tangles and has to be tensioned more carefully.
- Nylon thread. For very fine effects. I do not recommend it at first: it slips on the nail and the knots come loose.
One skein is more than enough for a 30 × 30 cm piece in one color.
The hammer
Small, a tack hammer. A big hammer is awkward for small nails and ends up hitting the board. If you can, also get a pair of needle-nose pliers to hold the nail as you start, so you do not hammer your fingers.
What it costs in total
Very little, and that is the point of this technique: for the price of a couple of coffees you have material for your first piece. What has value is not the materials, it is knowing the order.
What you do NOT need
No hot glue gun, no power tools, no expensive kits. Ready-made kits cost several times more than buying the parts separately, and they come with a single design.