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String Art
 Math and art often cross paths. Try this activity to see how you can create curves using straight lines.
What You Need
Round dinner plate
1 sheet paper
Pencil
Scissors
Sticky tape
16 straight pins*
Corrugated cardboard*
String, yarn, or embroidery thread
*You can also create your string art board using nails hammered into a piece of wood.
What to Do
1. Make a circle by placing the plate on the piece of paper. Use the pencil to trace around the edge. Cut the circle out.
2. Fold the circle in half four times. You will end up with a folded shape that looks like a slice of pie.
3. Open the circle and place it on the cardboard. Tape the paper in place. Push a straight pin into the cardboard at each crease in the paper. The pin in the 12 oclock position is Pin 1. The pin to the right is Pin 2, then Pin 3, and so on. Remove the paper.
4. Tie one end of a piece of string around Pin 1. Wrap the string around Pin 4. Now go back to Pin 2, then to Pin 5. Carry on around the circle in this pattern (3, 6; 4, 7; 5, 8; etc.) Continue until you arrive back at Pin 1. Knot the string and cut off the excess thread.
5. Repeat this process with other colors, but begin at a different pin. Or, you can choose a new pattern (e.g., Pin 1, Pin 6; Pin 2, Pin 7; etc.) beginning on Pin 1.
How it Works
By using only straight lines in a repeated pattern, you have created a rounded shape called a Bιzier curve. There are many different ways to create art using string and repeated patterns.
For more ideas for string art, check out this site.
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