DIY: Nail and String Letters

*Just want to give a quick shout out to Design Mom (not that she needs it) for posting this link on her blog.  So cool!  Thanks Gabrielle.

So, I was at Anthropologie the other day and saw these letters on the wall made with nails and string.  I took this quick photo while I was browsing.  Love Anthropologie...so inspiring.  So I thought I'd go home and try to make my own nail and string letters.

The wall space above my kitchen cabinets has been begging for something.  So that's where I thought I'd try this out.  I decided to write "Bon Appetit," since it was going in the kitchen.


DIY: Nail and String Letters (Inspired by Anthropologie)


1.  Find a font and size you like.  The font needs to have strait edges (no serifs) so you can create the letters with the nails and string.  The font I used was Bell Gothic Std Black.  Print out a banner.  Make sure all letters are correctly spaced.

2. Hang the banner where you'd like the string letters to be.  Step back and make sure the banner is strait and the letters look the way you want them to.  This is important.  Take your time on this one.

3. Now you get to break out the nails!  First put a mark on each nail 3/4 inch away from the head.  This will help you to know how far in the wall the nail should go.

4.  Put a nail in each corner of the letters and also around any curves.  Decide how many nails you're going to use around the curves and be consistent.

5.  Carefully tear off the paper.  You'll have to pull the paper around the letters, so you don't yank any nails out of the wall.

6.  Get out the string and start wrapping.  I used some embroidery thread I already had on hand.  To begin, tie a knot to one nail and start wrapping.  When you're finished, tie the end to the same nail.  I went around each letter 7 times with the string.  

Now step back and look at how awesome your new wall looks. :)