How to Make Captivating Pulled String Art

Make a pulled string art painting with paint, paper, liquid watercolors, and string. The process is captivating and the results are beautiful.

A couple of years ago, my daughter and I joined in on Rachelle’s ArtStart Challenge and instantly became complete and total process art addicts. Messy or clean, wild and crazy or calm and thoughtful, rainbowy or brown sludge, we love it ALL! We make up our own methods and search Pinterest and Instagram for new ideas regularly, but recently we tried one that we had seen on Facebook: pulled string art.

Have you seen that video? Kinley and I gave it a go with our beloved liquid watercolors and it’s just as amazing and irresistible as it looks — we could NOT STOP! Wanna try it, too?

It’s easy-peasy but the paint does tend to fly, so make sure you get your smocks or paint clothes on before you get started.

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Supplies for pulled string art

liquid watercolors
small jars or cups
string, cut into 18 inch pieces
a book that you don’t mind getting a few paint splatters on, we used an adult coloring book
printer paper

How to make pulled string art

pulled string art liquid watercolor paint

Step 1: Pour watercolors into jars

Pour your watercolors into the small jars and plop one string in each jar leaving about two inches hanging over the edge to hold onto.

Step 2: Fold your paper in half

Fold your piece of printer paper in half and put it in the middle of your open book.

Step 3: Coat your string in paint

Choose your first color, make sure the string is coated in paint, and pull it out of the jar. You’ll want to drag it through your finger and thumb to scrape off the excess watercolors — you can wear gloves for this part or earn your process art rainbow fingers badge of honor and go without.

Step 4: Move the string into position

Arrange the string on the side of your paper that will stay on the table when you shut your book. You can make loops, squiggles, whatever you want. There’s no wrong way to place a string!

Step 5: Close the paper in a book

Shut the book and, while pressing on the cover firmly with one hand, use the other to pull that string out of the book.

Step 6: Check out the results of your pulled string art

The first time you go hunting through your book to find the art page, you’ll be hooked guaranteed. It’s like a gorgeous surprise!

You can do it all over again with a different color on the same sheet. Repeat over and over with as many colors as you’d like and then make more and more until you’re out of paint and your finished art stack is so high it’s threatening to become an artalanche!

Don’t be afraid to try your own spin — different paints, different kinds of string. Our new favorite way to make string art is to use photo paper instead of printer paper. (See an example of this in the image above “Supplies for String Art.”) That stuff makes every art project extra magical!

More string art ideas

String painting with tempera paint

Make abstract art critters with string and markers

Stringing beads for toddlers and preschoolers

About Cara

Cara Huff is a homeschooling stay-at-home momma of one with a passion for picture books, hands-on learning, & ALL things creative! If you like this project, you can find all of Cara’s other rainbow-colored ideas on Instagram, her blog RaisingKinley.com, and on Facebook.