Outdoor Needle-Point

Ok, so after 24ish hours (that's seriously how many hours I logged on this project, not including sleep, cooking, etc.) I have finally completed my outdoor needle-point project. I wanted to make some artwork for my potting table that I have in the backyard, and yup, that's exactly what the area needed.

So, if you are ambitious, or you just want a project to work on nightly for weeks, lol. This is the one for you! Just remember....IT'S VERY TEDIOUS AND TIME-CONSUMING!

Outdoor Needle-Point

--------------------------

-boards for frame (What size you chose depends on how thick you want the frame and how large you are doing your artwork. Bigger artwork=bigger frame.......I chose 1x4's)

-different colors of yarn to suit whatever picture you are making

-window screen

-stain

-spray polyurethane

-yarn needle

-staple gun

-sandpaper

-chaulk

1. Make your frame to whatever dimentions you want. Miter the corners to 45 degree angles.

2. Assemble your frame. Make sure you drill pilot holes where you will be screwing this together or the boards with chip. Drill the holes near the the edges aiming towards the neighboring board.
3. Once the frame is assembled, sand it down (or not, whatever) to give it a nice finish

4. Stain the frame. Outdoor paint can also be used, but in my experience, the solid stain works better than any paint.

5. Once that's dry, staple your screen (keep in taught!) to the backside. Trim away any excess.

6. Draw your picture on the screen in chalk. Small chaulk works best.

7. Thread the yarn through the needle eye. Don't make the string all the way double like you would do in sewing! With the increase in size, the yarn will just wear down faster when you thread it through. Just keep it double long enough so that the yarn won't come out of the needle.

8. Tie a knot in the very end of the yarn so it won't fit through the screen holes. You may need to knot it a few times.

9. Start threading it through the screen, folling your design. Play with different techniques and patterns. You will notice that on mine: the flower I did in a circular style, the middle of the flower I did a bullseye, and the leaf I did half going horizontally half vertically.
10. Once you get that all finished (days later) spray it down with polyurethane. You will need quite a few coats, and let dry between each coat.

11. After this, I just stuck mine up on the shelf, but if you want to hang it, get some hardware and stick it up! Wala!