Introduction: Mario String Art

About: I love to craft all sorts of things! I have recently begun to craft Video Game themed items. My husband is a huge collector so it was a way to integrate his hobby with mine. I have an etsy account where you ca…

I am going to start by apologizing now. I forgot to take photos of each step because I got to excited about making it. I will use some of the photos from my previous Instructable to help show the process better.

Step 1: Gather Your Materials

  1. (1)Foam poster board
  2. (1)Blue poster board
  3. (1)Picture Frame (I used 5X7)
  4. (1)Package of nails (Craft Nails can be used I used wire nails size 1/2X19, item # 532392. I bought them at Lowes)
  5. Transfer paper (I used saral, which contains many colors and I used white)
  6. Thread; yellow, red, blue, black, brown, and flesh colored
  7. Knife or box cutter
  8. Tack
  9. Scissors
  10. Pencil
  11. Ruler
  12. Water
  13. Pen with a whole in the cap(I ended up holding the cap without the pen) or mechanical pencil.)(I borrowed this image from http://quelinda-crafts.blogspot.ca)
  14. Coloring Supplies. I used Crayola water colored pencils;brown, green,yellow,blue,black. I also used a black sharpie and a green sharpie. As well as paint pens in white and yellow
  15. And most important a copy of the image of your choosing to the correct size.

Step 2: Prepare the Background

  1. Take apart your frame.
  2. Trace the glass onto your foam poster board and blue poster board
  3. Use your knife and cut out the foam board

Step 3: Start Your Background Drawing

  1. Follow your tracing paper instructions and trace Mario.
  2. Use a pencil and ruler to draw in background images.
  3. Use black Sharpie to outline where it is needed.
  4. Begin to color.
  5. Color without water on everything except; All Mario, brown Gumba's body and the red on the mushroom

  6. Use the white paint pen for the clouds, the mushroom body, the Gumba body and the white outlines in the block on the bottom.(do the white on the blocks after you color the blocks in. You may need to touch up some black.)

  7. Use yellow paint pen on the mushroom,blocks and Mario's buttons
  8. After the yellow blocks and mushroom are dry lightly color over them with orange WITHOUT water. Then touch up black.(on the blocks)
  9. Use green sharpie for the dark green on the pipe and the bush

Step 4: Prepare for Nails

  1. Put background Image(blue poster board) into the frame
  2. Put foam board into frame and attach the back of frame

    back on.

  3. Begin by using your tack to poke holes.(you do not need to push deep it is just a starter hole to save your fingers some pain. you can skip this step if you'd like and just use the nails.) I found it easiest to map them like tiny squares. I turned the image on its side and did one row of "Blocks" at a time.
  4. Insert your nails into the pre poked holes.
  5. Only put nails at the corners of colors(look at the blue part in his pants for an example.)

Step 5: Start Your String

The order that I chose to layer my strings was like putting on clothes.

  1. Skin colored sections
  2. Red colored sections
  3. Black sections
  4. Brown sections
  5. Blue section
  6. Yellow sections

Ta-DA! Now Hang it and enjoy it!