State Inspired String Art {Alabama – Heart of Dixie}

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Happy Monday, lovely friends!! I’m super excited to show you my latest project today! I’m participating in a “state pride” blog tour this week beginning with my sweet friend Beckie from Indiana. As soon as I decided to participate in this event, the silhouette of Alabama and the phrase “old times there are not forgotten” popped into my head. My goal was to make a classy piece of art that I’m proud to display in my home. After blood {not really}, sweat {yes} and tears {not kidding}, I present to you my Heart of Dixie String Art…

Heart of Dixie String Art | MyBlessedLife.net[pinit count=”horizontal”]
Y’all. I am thrilled with how this came together!!

If you don’t live in Alabama and don’t have ties to this beautiful state {and no, we’re not all rednecks!}, you can use this inspiration to create your own state-inspired string art. 🙂 Let me show you how I made it.

Supplies needed:

  • 9 – 1/4 x 3 x 2 poplar boards
  • 2 – 1/2 x 1 1/2 x 2 poplar boards {you can use any wood you want.}
  • Saw to cut the 1 1/2″ boards {Or just get one more 1/4″ board and call it good.}
  • Wood glue
  • Wood stain and rag
  • Clamps or heavy books
  • Outline of your state for a pattern
  • Package of 1″ beige paneling nails
  • Hammer
  • Hemp twine
  • Scissors
  • Brass tacks
  • Gold paint pen & pencil eraser

Let’s get started!

Heart of Dixie String Art | MyBlessedLife.net

Place 1/4″ boards beside each other. It only matters that they are perfectly lined up on one side. The 1 1/2″ boards are a little too long, so give them a quick whack with a saw.

Wood Glue

Use wood glue to attach the 1 1/2″ support boards to the 1/4″ slats. I didn’t glue my slats together because it’s totally unnecessary.

Heart of Dixie String Art | MyBlessedLife.net

Clamp wood together to dry. I just used heavy encyclopedias. 🙂

Heart of Dixie String Art | MyBlessedLife.net

Wait a day or so and you will have this lovely planked wood piece to work with.

Heart of Dixie String Art | MyBlessedLife.net

I’ve been wanting to try a gray stain, so I picked up Rust-oleum’s Driftwood stain. I really love it!

Heart of Dixie String Art | MyBlessedLife.net

I used a rag and wiped the stain on and off. Very simple. Allow stain to dry for 24 hours.

Heart of Dixie String Art | MyBlessedLife.net

In the mean time, find an outline of your state {in my case, Alabama} from Google images. I used PicMonkey to add the heart to the center. Save the image to your computer and add it to a word document. Obviously because of the size I needed, I had to play with it and print in sections. Note to self…find Silhouette Cameo power cord asap. Ahem.

I nailed down the corners of the outline with paneling nails. Then I used a pen to trace the outline  through the paper. I removed the paper and could still see the faint indentations in the wood.

Heart of Dixie String Art | MyBlessedLife.net

Go around the entire outline with paneling nails about 1″ apart. it is very important that you tap in the nails slowly so the wood doesn’t split. I also used a piece of wood under the slats for extra support when nailing. Then, tie the string around one nail and go to town wrapping the string around the nails. This step is therapeutic. 🙂

Heart of Dixie String Art | MyBlessedLife.net

Seriously. So pretty! I love the texture…and the bling of the thumbtacks. Oh yea, the thumbtacks. I used them inside the heart design to emphasize it. I love the glam that they add!

Heart of Dixie String Art | MyBlessedLife.net

To create the wording you could easily use a craft cutter to make a stencil. But I just used a gold paint pen from Hobby Lobby. At first the paint was quite yellow gold and I started to freak out because that wasn’t the color I was going for. After the paint pen dried, I used a pencil eraser to take off some of the paint and it worked beautifully.

Heart of Dixie String Art | MyBlessedLife.net

“Heart of Dixie”

Heart of Dixie String Art | MyBlessedLife.net

As you can see, you don’t have to be super particular about having the nails all lined up. It really doesn’t matter. And when you do the string step, just be gentle and don’t pull too hard.

Heart of Dixie String Art | MyBlessedLife.net

Since we’ve been working on my Memaw’s house, I’ve been reliving SO many memories. I can hear her talk. I can hear her work. I can hear her sighing. And her singing. Memaw had a precious singing voice. How I miss her! Truly, “old times there are not forgotten.”

Heart of Dixie String Art | MyBlessedLife.net

Here are a few more beauty shots…

Heart of Dixie String Art | MyBlessedLife.net

Heart of Dixie String Art | MyBlessedLife.net[pinit count=”horizontal”]

Now, I expect you all to go forth and create your own string art…whether you’re from the Heart of Dixie or not. *wink*

State Pride Blog Tour

Be sure to head over to Kim’s place. She’s sharing something from Washington state today!

I would love to know…What state do you live in? Do you live where you were born?

xoxo

Myra

Sharing at: Tips & TutesChic & CraftyI’m Lovin’ It Weekend Wrap Up Party!

21 Comments

  1. Your project turned out beautifully…yes, Alabama is a beautiful state…and your memories of your Memaw will only continue to sweeten! Great job, Myra!

    1. Thanks Kellie! It wasn’t difficult at all. It was the creative process getting to the point of putting it together that was torturous. HAHA! I’m looking forward to seeing you on Friday!! 🙂 xoxo

  2. I love it, Myra! String art is so cool and you did Alabama proud! 🙂 It’s adorable! Yes, I live in the same state I was born and looking forward to sharing my project tomorrow.
    Roeshel´s last blog post ..State Pride Tour

  3. I really like this but you do know that the song says “old times THEY ARE not forgotten” … right? If you knew that sorry I was just confused. If you didn’t know that then I would list this under the prettiest “nailed it” ever.

  4. I was born in Georgia, raised in Florida. I met my husband who is from Arkansas in South Carolina where we lived most of our married life except about three years in Texas. We have been in Tennessee about six years now.

  5. This is super cute. But I am confused by the “there are”… It is sidetracking me. They’re for they are???? I know it’s just me :).

  6. Myra, you just stole my heart! ❤ I was born and raised in the beautiful state of Alabama and your fabulous art piece definitely represents our state perfectly! Currently, I live next door (MS) after moving here from San Francisco. Talk about culture shock! But having 3 children, we knew we had to get back to the South. Don’t get me wrong, we loved it there, but there’s no place like home! Unfortunately, this is as close to home as we could get at the time, but we head down HWY 78 every chance we get!

    1. I guess I used all my characters in the above comment, but I’d like to add a couple more thoughts, if I may. I would love to try to copy your art piece exactly as it is, if you don’t mind. Then, everyone who visits will know where our heart is. BTW, you are correct with your wording. The original version of “Dixie” was written by Daniel Decatur Emmett in 1859. His lyrics began, “I wish I was in the land of cotton, Old times there are not forgotten”. Music to my ears!

  7. I LOVE this!!! My daughter-in-law is from Alabama and she and my son live there. I was born and raised in your sister state of Mississippi. I hope you don’t mind, but I may try to do this for one of her Christmas gifts. I know that she would love it but may use Roll Tide Roll….I will save the Dixie reference for when I attempt the Mississippi one.
    Thanks so much for sharing. Happy to have found you on Pinterest and plan on following you from now on.

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