DIY Grinch String Art With Lights

3 Materials
$20
3 Hours
Medium

Add some extra light to your holiday decor and make a lit Grinch, using string and LED lights.



Do you LOVE How The Grinch Stole Christmas? Such a great story. I’ve always been obsessed with that book and it’s awesome characters. So lately, I’ve been inspired by some great string art and have been thinking about Christmas decorations. So I thought an idea might be to utilize fairy lights as string art to put a bright twist to the craft popularized in the 60’s.



Also, if you haven’t seen them yet, I even have another Grinch Christmas decor tutorial, using cement and resin, which you can check out here.



*This tutorial is in full on my website, ArtsyPrettyPlants.com. To see all the in-process photos and final photos, please see it at DIY Grinch String Art icon

The Grinch String Art With Lights Tutorial Steps


Step 1 | Prep The Plywood:


Sand the edges of the plywood. Just make them smooth enough that you get splinters.

 


Step 2 | Print The DIY Grinch String Art Outline:


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Print out the Grinch using my free **downloadable image**, you can get only on my website (see below). Depending on how your printer is set up, it may require 15 sheets of paper. When you click on the image, it will open as a PDF on another tab. Scroll down, you will see the image.


**This tutorial is from my website. You must download The Grinch printable there.**


Step 3 | Layout The DIY Grinch String Art Artwork:



Keep the sheets in order when they come off the printer and number them.


Then lay them out on the plywood. Carefully tape the sheets together so that the outlines lines up. You can trim the edge of each top sheet that overlaps if you want to make it perfect, but’s it’s not necessary.


After taping the image together, use the frame I drew in the printable to help center the image on the plywood. You may need to trim the outside edges of the paper if it overlaps the plywood.

 

Step 4 | Hammer The Nails:


Now follow the outlines and start hammering in the nails. Go deep enough that they don’t fall out, but they don’t need to be too deep. Mine were about 1/3 of the way in.


At the upper parts of the body, I was more detailed and I put quite a few nails close together. Use this image below as your guide on where to place the nails.

 

Step 5 | Drill The Hole For Threading The Grinch String Art Lights:


Drill a hole for the lights and string at the bottom of the Grinch where his feet meet. Get it started by pulling the non-plugged end through the hole, then tape it to the paper to keep it in place, you’ll thread this later in Step 7.

 

Step 6 & 7 | String The Yarn and Lights:



 


Next, start stringing the yarn. Tie the yarn to the nail at the middle of the feet, near where the lights are threaded through. Then work the yarn around the nails, don’t let the yarn overlap.

 

Now follow the same for stringing the lights.


*This tutorial is in full on my website, ArtsyPrettyPlants.com. To see all the in-process photos and final photos, please see it at DIY Grinch String Art icon

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  1 question
  • Thea Thea on Dec 07, 2019

    These seem to be tiny, tiny fairy lights?

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  • Patti Patti on Dec 12, 2019

    I love your grinch string art. Way too complicated for me though! I showed it to a friend , she's going to try to make one for her kids playroom. They have lots of grinch art work on the walls. It will be year round decoration. Merry Christmas!

    • Artsy Pretty Plants Artsy Pretty Plants on Dec 18, 2019

      Hi Patti,


      Thanks. It really wasn't too bad- complication was, but it did take a while to do. It was all the nailing that took so much time.

  • Lily Dibbie Lily Dibbie on Dec 14, 2019

    Use I will, I am pretty crafted my self, I loved it, thanks.

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