Do you want to be the very best, like no one ever was?

Is catching them your real test? Is training them your cause?

Or do you just want to make some awesome string art?

I can help you with that last one!

These string art canvases are easy and fun to make. There's no need to stick to Pokemon either, any design with clear, bold colours should work beautifully.

Step 1: What You Need

You will need:

A picture to use as template
A canvas
Thread (of the right colours for your project)
Tapestry needles (thick enough to go through canvas comfortably)

Step 2: Layout the Pattern

Place your printed image in the centre of your canvas. Push the needle through both the paper and canvas together at regular intervals along the outline of your design, including any features you want to include like eyes.

If you accidentally move the paper, you can line it back up by holding them both up against a light source and matching the holes you have already done to the points of light shining through the canvas.

You should be left with a dotty outline of your character.

Step 3: Threading

Choose the colours of thread you need for your project and set them aside.

Thread the tapestry needle and tie a knot in the end. Starting with one of the smaller areas of colour, criss-cross the thread between the holes. Try to go through each hole at least once and some multiple times until you get a good covering of thread and not many large gaps left.

Step 4: Useful Tips

Useful tip 1: Rather than keep turning the canvas over to see where the needle is, you can press lightly onto the back of the canvas to track how close you are to one of the holes.

Useful tip 2: Finish any smaller areas of colour before starting on the main body. This helps to prevent accidentally covering a small area with the wrong colour.

Useful tip 3: Make sure to fill in all the colour first before doing any outlines. Doing the outlines last means that the line stays uncovered and keeps things looking neat.

Step 5: Outlines

Once the design has been coloured in, you can start adding the outline. This is a simple back-stitch running around the edges.

Where two areas of different colour meet, you can choose which colour to do the outline in (i.e. Charmander's belly could have had an orange outline rather than cream). I find it generally looks better to use the colour of whatever is further forward in the image to give it some depth, but feel free to experiment.

Step 6: Tidying Up

When you are finished, you will have quite a few loose threads coming out of the back of the canvas. Tie the ends together and trim off the excess to keep things neat and tidy.