Stunning Thread Painting Projects to Inspire You
Updated on February 4, 2020
No matter the technique, we’ve loved painting all our lives. As happy as we are, however, to create art using simple paint, a brush, and a canvas, sometimes it’s nice to shake things up a little and try new things! That’s why we were so pleased to learn about the stunning art of thread painting. By dipping a thread, piece of yarn, or thin string into paint and folding it between the halves of a page before pulling it downward, you can create patterns and images that are nothing short of breathtaking… even though the whole process only takes a few minutes.
1. Thread painted roses
There are all kinds of lovely abstract art inspired shapes and patterns you can create using thread painting techniques, but what if you’d rather create something a little more definable? In that case, we think you might get along well with the way Datta Benur Creation created a lovely pattern that resembles roses by placing their thread just so (which they’ll show you how to do).
2. Thread painted daffodils
Perhaps you’re a big fan of the idea of making thread art that’s shaped like and inspired by flowers but you’re just not sure the rose design is quite the one for you? In that case, we’d urge you to consider this tulip inspired tutorial from Art Hemil instead! We adore the way their tulips appear to be blooming from within one another.
3. Abstract rainbows
Are you quite interested indeed in the idea we mentioned of creating abstract patterns but you’d like to specifically take that opportunity to get creative with colours rather than shapes? In that case, we have a feeling this wonderfully bright tutorial outlined on Twitchetts that shows you how to make beautiful rainbows might be right up your alley!
4. Basic thread pulling how-to for any age
Have you actually been looking at these tutorials and thinking about how much fun it all looks but wondering whether there might be a more basic guide that actually walks you, step by careful step, through the whole technique from the very beginning? In that case, we’d definitely suggest taking a look at this wonderful Morena DIY tutorial that’s nice and easy to the point of even being kid friendly.
5. Thread painted greeting cards
Perhaps you’re feeling confident enough to create patterns and colour combinations all of your own but you’d really like some guidance or inspiration when it comes to actually making something practical that you can embellish with your string art, rather than just creating more pieces for your walls? Then we think you’ll get a kick out of the way Craft Ideas for Kids made these lovely greeting cards!
6. Single colours and simple swipes
Perhaps you’re not quite a brand new beginner from scratch in this whole thread painting game but you’re looking to refine your technique a little more and see how other people do it? In that case, we’d definitely suggest taking a look at how Instructables outlines their steps and process for making simple but interesting single coloured art with paint and thread.
7. Painting with thicker string for kids
Have your kids been positively begging to try out the thread painting they’ve seen you doing but they’re quite little and you’re worried they might struggle using a kind of thread or string that’s quite so thing? In that case, we’d definitely suggest taking a look at how Let the Children Play taught their little ones how to do it using slightly thicker yarn in their paint instead!
8. Splashing dual colours
Perhaps a slightly messier aesthetic with lots of different shapes and colours is actually kind of look you’d prefer to go for when you try thread painting for the first time? In that case, we’d definitely suggest taking a look at how Life’s Little Treasures made this fantastic splash inspired art that’s a blend of two complementary but still well contrasted colours!
9. Adding flower stems to thread art
Have you created several different thread paintings now that you were convinced looked like flowers even though that wasn’t necessarily your original intention? Then we have a feeling you’re going to love this next idea from Maremi SmallArt, especially if you also enjoy drawing or freehand painting! Check out how they sketched and painted leaves and stems on their thread art to embellish the shapes into stunning flowers.
10. Combining thread painting with embroidery
Have we really caught your attention with the idea of making fantastic multi-media art but you’d prefer to combine some other skills with thread that you already possess? Then you just might be the perfect person to give this fantastic embroidered thread art idea a try! We love the way Laughing Cat Designs used glow in the dark paint to create their base thread painting and then embroidered fountain shapes in neon thread.
11. Thread pull from a spiral
Just in case you’re still looking for suggestions on where to start and what kinds of shapes you should try out first while you’re still learning, here’s a fantastic tutorial from Morena DIY that will help you create a lovely downward shape that starts out as a spiral! We love that you get that satisfying swoop down the page but also that you still see the spiral near the top quite tell.
12. Thread pull from overlapping loops
In reality, there are basically unlimited ways that you can start your thread pull painting but we can understand wanting some suggestions before you start branching out into your own shapes! That’s why we thought this overlapping loops tutorial featured step by step on Creativity Window was such a great resource to bookmark for later. We love that you can see where the loops started out on either side!
13. Paintings done with many threads at once
Once you’ve tried creating lovely thread pulled patterns with a single thread a few times, why not shape things up a little bit? We’re completely obsessed with the way Preschool Powol Packets made awesomely overlapped art by using three or more threads at once, letting all of them drag the paint down the page in different ways that play off each other beautifully.
14. Thread art with ink instead of paint
If you’ve already tried making different types of art with alcohol ink then you’ll already know precisely why this fantastic ink and thread pulling tutorial outlined on Blowout D appeals to us so much! There’s something almost watercolour paint inspired about the way the ink moves across the page, giving thread art pieces like this one an almost ethereal appearance.
15. Adding different colours to thread paintings in layers
Just as you might in watercolour paintings, you can add distinctly different colours to your thread art paintings without having them mix and bleed together by working in layers! By that we mean starting with a pulled pattern in one colour, letting it dry completely, and then going back in with another colour and repeating the process until you’re happy. See how it’s done in more detail on Sheetal Crafts & Recipes!
Do you know someone who adores learning new kinds of painting techniques and who has been looking for some inspiration lately? Share this post with them to show them how stunning thread painting is and teach them a little about how it’s done!