Yarn drawing
Draw with yarn coming out of an empty pen, on a frame of sticky tape: the yarn stays wherever your hand goes.
Age : age 4+; the grown-up cuts the frame with a craft knife
Materials
- A flat piece of cardboard (cereal box, parcel) : About 20 × 25 cm.
- A craft knife and scissors : The knife is for the grown-up.
- Wide clear tape (parcel tape)
- A ballpoint pen that comes apart : Keep only the barrel and tip.
- Thin or medium yarn, several colours : Avoid chunky or fluffy yarn: it won't go through or stick badly.
Steps
Prepare the frame and the pen
- The grown-up cuts a window about 10 × 18 cm in the middle of the cardboard, leaving a 4–5 cm border all round.
- Cover the whole window with slightly overlapping strips of tape, stuck to the frame.
- Turn the frame over: the sticky side of the tape now faces up.
- Take the pen apart: remove the end cap and ink tube, keep the barrel and tip.
- Thread the yarn in at the top of the barrel and out through the tip.
Draw
- Press the end of the yarn onto the tape with a finger, then hold the pen as if writing.
- Move the pen with light pressure: the yarn lies down and sticks behind it.
- Go for curves, spirals and loops: sharp corners hold less well.
- To change colour, cut the yarn close to the tape and thread another.
- To keep the drawing, cover it with another layer of tape.
For the littlest ones: no pen, just lay the yarn on the tape with fingers — it already looks lovely.
If it goes wrong
- Yarn comes unstuck behind the pen : Leave some slack between the ball and the pen.
- Yarn won't come out of the pen : Thinner yarn, or use the pen without its tip.
- Corners won't stay : Round them off, or hold the corner with a finger.
- Tape no longer sticky : Add a fresh strip of tape on top.
Safety
- The craft knife is for the grown-up only.
- Don't leave a toddler alone with yarn (risk of it wrapping round the neck).