Hammer & String Heart Art

What you'll need

• A soft pine or balsa wood board, about 15 x 15 cm
• A simple printed shape (heart, star, first letter of their name)
• About 20-30 small nails with wide heads
• A lightweight hammer
• Painter's tape
• A ball of pastel embroidery floss or thin yarn
• Safety glasses (optional but fun)

How to make it

1. 1

   Tape the printed shape onto the middle of the wood board so it can't slide.

2. 2

   Together, mark small dots along the outline of the shape, evenly spaced about a finger-width apart.

3. 3

   Adult starts each nail: hold a nail on a dot and tap gently twice to set it standing up straight.

4. 4

   Now let your child take over the hammer. Two hands on the handle, small taps, aiming for the nail head.

5. 5

   Once every nail is halfway in, peel off the paper. The shape appears in nails only.

6. 6

   Tie the string to any one nail with a double knot.

7. 7

   Wrap the string from nail to nail across the shape in any zig-zag pattern until it looks full. Tie off with another knot.