DIY String Art Ice Cream Cone With Template

String art has become a big thing in the world of home decor lately, and it’s no wonder! It is such a cute idea and really jazzes up the walls of your home. I have seen pieces going on Etsy for $30 – $40, and it’s amazing to me that people would pay so much when, for only a few dollars in supplies, you could make your own!

Let me show you how easy it is to create your very own DIY String Art Ice Cream Cone with simple step by step photos and instructions. Plus, I’ll give you an easily printable template for making your own!

Here’s what you’ll need:

Wood Board, sanded and painted the color of your choice 

• mine is a pallet board and measures approximately 5.5″ x 13″. I painted mine with a Valspar Sample pot of paint. Color is Cathedral Stone #492457

Wire nails

• Mine are 18 gauge x 3/4″. You can find them at Wal-Mart for about $1 per 2 ounce box. I’ve also used 17 gauge 7/8″ wire  nails. Either will work, just make sure it has a larger nail head on it.

Embroidery Floss in the colors of your choice

• Mine are DMC Brand: red 817 | mint green 369 | pink 776 | brown 436

Tack Hammer or Regular Hammer

Ice Cream Pattern – printed on paper (not card stock)

I like to work with a towel under my wood. It softens the sound (or I like to think it does.) Center your pattern onto your board. Tap a nail into the top and bottom of the pattern to hold it to the board. You can also tape it on if desired. Drive the nails about 1/2 to 1/3 of the way into the board.

Continue to drive nails about 1/2″ apart all the way around your pattern. I’m right handed, so I hold the hammer in my right hand and the nails in my left. I begin at the top and move down the left side, across the center and finish with the right side.

Once all of your nails are in, pound them down one last time, to be sure they are all in and to even out any that seem higher than the others.

Pull the pattern UP from the board – straight up, and then rip it off. Discard.

Begin stringing with the item that is behind (don’t follow my photos, start with the brown at the bottom. I made the mistake of going with pink first. I then went back and did the pink outline after completing the brown). Tie the embroidery floss onto a nail and secure with a double knot. Do not unravel the floss. You’ll use all six strings of floss.

You’ll move in a zig zag pattern skipping every other nail and then some. Just randomly crossing until the coverage is to your liking. You may need to wrap the string around the entire nail head every now and again to keep it tight. You’ll want to end around the same place you began.

Now you’ll start your outline. You will wrap the floss completely around the nail head and carry it to the other nail, and repeat. This will create  an outline (either inside or outside) and when you get to the end, revers to create the opposite (outside or inside outline).

Ending near your starting point will allow you to tie the two strings together in another knot to secure. Trim ends.

When you outline your pieces, you don’t have to outline the space that will get covered with another color. For example, the top of the cone will be covered with the pink. And the top of the pink will be covered with the green. Just be mindful of this.

Continue in the same manner with the pink, green and red floss until finished.

How easy is that? Now you, too, can create your very own DIY String Art at home without spending a small fortune to have someone else do it for you! 

Katie Reed

Katie Reed is a passionate writer and mother of four vivacious boys from Salt Lake City, Utah. Drawing from her own journey through TTC, pregnancy, and the joys of raising children, she offers a wealth of insight into the world of motherhood. Beyond her heartfelt tales, Katie delights her readers with family-friendly recipes, engaging crafts, and a curated library of printables for both kids and adults. When she’s not penning her experiences, you’ll find her crafting memories with her husband and sons—Dexter, Daniel, Chester, and Wilder.