Yarn Swatch Wall Art

This shop is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group® Elmer’s and Wet Ones, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #CraftandCleanUp http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV

Since I apparently can’t get yarn off my brain at any given time, today’s DIY wall art idea is inspired by the yarn swatches you’d knit to test the gauge of your yarn before casting on a new project. This would make a great gift for any knitting lover in your life – it’s back to school time, does your kid’s teacher have a yarn addiction? Or maybe their librarian… ;)

I am a Librarian at a public library, and I work with teens. Of course, I do a lot of craft projects with my teens, but there’s not always a ton of time for prep and cleanup before and after DIY nights. When I discovered this Elmer’s/Wet Ones combo pack at Target, I immediately felt like someone had teachers and other professional folks like me in mind.

PS: You can find this Wet Ones and Elmer’s combo pack in select Target stores’ back to school sections. 

Before every library program I do, I take the time to wipe off the dirty handprints from our program room tables. A lot of the littler kids stop by the library in the middle of playing outside and/or eating hot cheetos, so the tables are usually a bit gray when I get to them. Then I gather the supplies for the project we’re doing.

Supplies

cardboard or art canvas(es)
paint brush
acrylic craft paint
cotton swabs
Elmer’s School Glue
Wet Ones for cleanup
hair dryer (optional)

Directions

Double-checking that your canvas or cardboard is dust-free, draw a series of V’s that look like knit stitches, making sure to have the same number of stitches every row. If I were working with the teens right now, I’d show them my yarn swatch example, but let them do whatever design excited them the most. I’m sure I’d get lots of logos or hashtags or their favorite bands. :)

Next, you’ll let your glue dry for several hours (or use a hair dryer on low if you’re in a rush like we’d be at the library). When all of the Elmer’s is completely dry, it will be clear instead of white. Then you’ll paint over the whole canvas/cardboard with a layer of acrylic paint. The trick to get this to look like a knitting swatch is to not use too much paint. Too much paint coverage will flatten the 3D effect of the glue, rather than giving it depth and texture like a swatch would have. The darker canvas and brown of a piece of cardboard are good here because they’re harder to cover in a single coat of paint, causing more depth.

See the difference the paint’s thickness makes?

After your paint dries (again use the hair dryer if necessary), all that’s left is the cleanup. When I do DIY nights for teens at the library, we usually finish somewhere within 30 minutes of closing time. Since we have a small staff at my branch, that means that many of us are rushing around getting ready to close, and I’m on my own (and on a tight time frame) for craft cleanup. That’s where Wet Ones become a necessity in my professional life. Just a few swipes on my program room tables, and I’m good to go without holding up my coworkers!