FractaleriaIdeas
11 string art ideas, from the simplest to the hardest
Eleven geometric designs to make with string and nails, each with a photo of a finished piece, the number of nails and the board size. Each one links to its pattern.
To start with
A single circle of nails and one technique that repeats. Both are unlocked in the generator demo, with their template.
1 · 23 nails · 30 × 30 cm board
Prime Number Circle
A single circle of nails. When the number of nails is prime, any skip you count passes through every nail before coming back to the start, so each layer closes on its own. It is the first design of the basic course and the best one to start with.
See the pattern →
2 · 36 nails · 60 × 60 cm board
Sun Disc
A circle of 36 nails on a 60 × 60 cm board, strung entirely with the forward and back technique. Each layer uses a slightly shorter skip than the one before, and that opens the disc of color outward.
See the pattern →
The second step
The same moves, with a little more to look at: two circles, nails in a straight line or a seal in the center.
3 · 54 nails · 40 × 40 cm board
Two-Circle Mandala
Two circles of nails, one inside the other. In one version the inner nails line up with the outer ones; in the other they alternate. Each circle is strung on its own and, in the alternating version, the two are also strung together as if they were a single line of nails.
See the pattern →
4 · 18 nails · 40 × 40 cm board
Hexagon
The nails sit along the six sides of a hexagon. It is strung in layers, and one of the versions is made only with lines parallel to the sides.
See the pattern →
5 · 126 nails · 20 × 140 cm board
Seven Chakras
Seven circles of 18 nails, one per chakra. They all share the same base and the seal in the center changes: a triangle, a star, a half moon. In the course they go together on a 20 × 140 cm board.
See the pattern →
With more nails
Designs from the advanced course. Here the nails no longer sit on a single circle and each layer asks for more attention.
6 · 162 nails · 30 × 30 cm board
Ray Star
The nails sit on rays that run out from the center, not on a circle. The string is worked in blocks between one ray and the next, and that is where the points come from.
See the pattern →
7 · 108 nails · 40 × 40 cm board
Torus
“The torus is a vortex that goes toward the center and then comes back out again,” says Daniver in class. The nails sit on rays and circles, and each petal spirals down toward the center.
See the pattern →
8 · 60 nails · 40 × 40 cm board
Flower of Venus
A circle of nails strung with cardioid curves: each cardioid forms a petal. The classic version has 5 petals and 60 nails; the large one, 9 petals and 90.
See the pattern →
Sacred geometry
The three classic figures, from fewer to more nails. These are projects of several days.
9 · 229 nails · 60 × 60 cm board
Seed of Life
Seven circles of the same size that overlap: one in the center and six around it. It is the figure the Flower of Life grows from.
See the pattern →
10 · 241 nails · 60 × 60 cm board
Metatron’s Cube
Thirteen circles joined by straight lines. Each circle is strung like a small mandala and the straight lines build the cube.
See the pattern →
11 · 763 nails · 62 × 62 cm board
Flower of Life
A grid of same-size circles that overlap and form petals. It is one of the designs with the most nails: 763 in the standard version and 1,753 in the one-meter giant.
See the pattern →
Six ways to make the same idea look different
- Change the background. The same design changes completely on black, off-white or natural wood. String only stands out when it contrasts with the board.
- Use fluorescent string. With fluorescent string on a black board and a blacklight lamp, the only thing you see is the drawing. There are examples in the blacklight gallery.
- Make it bigger. A 30 × 30 cm (12 × 12 in) design can be taken to 60 × 60 cm or to one meter. The distance between nails changes, not the way you string it.
- Build a series. Several pieces of the same size on a wall, or the seven chakras on a single long board. See the walls and original pieces.
- Work a gradient. Each layer in a shade next to the one before: from yellow to red, from light blue to violet. The layers stay distinct and the piece looks ordered.
- Leave the circle. The nails can also sit on a triangle, a square or a hexagon. The generator, in its full version, has a free design mode to try it.
Where to go next
If you have never strung a piece, the guide how to make string art step by step covers a whole first piece, and the free patterns include ten mandalas ready to print. To understand why each design turns out the way it does, read the math behind string art.
Frequently asked questions
What is the easiest string art idea to start with?
A circle with a prime number of nails, such as 23. Any skip you count passes through every nail, so each layer closes on its own and there is nothing to work out.
What size should a first piece be?
A 30 × 30 cm (12 × 12 in) board. It takes few nails, can be finished in one afternoon and lets your hands learn to hammer and to keep the string tight.
What can you make with string art besides mandalas?
There is also silhouette string art, where the string fills in a word, a heart or an animal, and portrait string art, made with a single thread around a ring of nails. What Fractalería teaches is the geometric kind: mandalas, stars and sacred geometry.
Do I need a template for each idea?
To begin with, yes: the template marks where each nail goes. You can use the free patterns on this site or build your own in the generator, choosing the nails and the size.