String Bowl

I had read an short how-to years ago on making a string bowl similar to this one. At work the kids were getting stir crazy after the fourth day of snow and ice, so I brought the materials for these bowls. Though they loved making them, this isn't just a kid's craft. The one I made really is a piece of art that could easily be sold at stores retailing upwards of $30. Check out the materials:

- 100% cotton string or yarn (I chose Lily Sugar 'n Cream yarn in a variated purple color)
- Elmer's glue (or similar off-brand)
- Bowl of any size for mold
- Plastic wrap to protect bowl from glue
- Bowl to put glue in

I would post a How-To PDF but have yet to find a good one online. Here are the steps to create one similar to mine:

1. Cover the outside of bowl or mold in plastic wrap

2. Pour a generous amount of glue into extra bowl

3. Cut desired size of string and completely saturate with glue (you can always add more string, the more you start out with the greater chance of it knotting in the glue)

4. Drape string around bowl in any desired pattern (if you want it to be sturdy, pay close attention to the bottom of the bowl and make sure it has a solid base)

5. Let glue dry for about 4 hours on the plastic wrap

6. After the glue dries on the outside, there will still be wet glue on the inside. To prevent the plastic wrap sticking to the glue on the inside I took the string bowl off the mold, took out the plastic wrap, and set it right side up to dry overnight.

The finished product is very impressive and I currently have mine on display on my dining table as decoration.