Stage Designs

Patterns in the Yarn

Christopher Law from SpringHill Camps brings us this very cool use of patterned yarn.

This design was for their annual fall women’s retreat (2012). They needed something quick and inexpensive.

They didn’t plan the designs until they started stringing them up. The frame sizes were 3’x8′ with 6 total – with a center screen hung in the center.

Build steps:

  • Build frames.
  • Use a Sharpie marker and a single row of peg board as a template. Markings were made on the front of the frames for even spacing – top, bottom, and sides.
  • 1-1/4″ screws, screwed into markings from template exposing about half of the screw.
  • Eye hooks attached for hanging.
  • Paint black.
  • String up.

They required about 15 man hours and cost about $125. Yarn was Red Heart Super Saver (about $3/ each).

Notes:

  • Apply medium tension to yarn so that when it stretches it holds its shape.
  • Apply additional bracing to middle if you want to keep the square shape or move to thinner wood if you prefer an hourglass shape. Because of the number of strands, tension builds up on the wood and it bows inward.

Tangled Midsummer Night's Porch

33 responses to “Patterns in the Yarn”

  1. Jenifer De Figueiredo says:

    This is great! I’ve had this idea in my head and drawn out! Glad to know it works and looks great! So smart to use the peg board for a template! I would have been with a tape measure! Could you please let me know what you are using for the uplights? I don’t think the ones we use will do the job. They are beautiful without light too! Thank you! Great job!

  2. Patrick says:

    Hey Springhill, I’m thinking of using this design for our youth worship space after Christmas time. We bring our middle school and high school groups up to SpringHill Michigan for Winter Teen Retreats. You’ll have something different by then, right? Just wanna make sure we don’t get shown up by how much better yours would look ;)

  3. Patrick, We have some big plans in the works for WTR’s this year! We have moved into our Juniors retreats and have a completely different set up now which will be posted here in a few weeks! We are really excited to get started with the Winter Teen Retreat stage soon! Looking forward to having your group with us this winter!

  4. Eli says:

    How did you hang these? Are they free standing?

  5. Liz Withers says:

    Brilliant.

  6. Bobster says:

    What size is the yarn #4 or #6? Great design by the way!

  7. GELBERT says:

    hi, great idea!
    what type of yarn you are using? crochet yarn, cotton or ordinary yarn?

  8. Christopher Law says:

    It was red heart econo yarn. It’s a synthetic I believe.

    • rebecca says:

      This is a great Idea and can be used for so many different things but, I was wondering did you put anything on the yarn glow in dark paint, neon paint anything? or is that just lighting.

    • LifeCommunityChurch says:

      Do you know how much yarn you used?

  9. David Hawkins says:

    Getting ready to build this. Thank you so much for the idea.

  10. Ryan Sharp says:

    This is incredible. We are inspired by this and are going to try to let this be our influence for our next design. How much yard did you end up using on this design? Where did you buy it from?

    THANKS!

  11. Deb Carr says:

    How many skeins of yard did this take? Looks great! Can’t wait to do this at our church.

  12. We used about two per frame.

  13. ken says:

    What size wood did you use? 1×2, 2×2, 2×4?

  14. Jim Hardy says:

    Hi just wanted to ask if this still looks good even though the background is white? Thanks!

  15. Jim Hardy says:

    Hi just wanted to ask if you guys think this stage design will look good even in white (or beige) background? Thanks!

  16. Glenn says:

    How far apart are the screws? What size screws? What kind of light works best? Thanks

  17. This project can be made quicker and cheaper by cutting a 4×8′ sheet of pegboard into two 2×8′ sheets and just looping the yarn through the holes. Then, just hang the sheets from the wall with two screws at the top, or prop them up against a wall for quick setup/tear-down.

    Using the pegboard sheets also give you the opportunity to do more intricate designs since you can go in and out of any of the holes on the whole board.

    Big props to @Christopher Law for the idea!

  18. Hanna Grace says:

    I just came across your site and I want to thank you! I have been looking for ideas for my editorial photography shoots and these with the light boxes will be perfect!

  19. Scottie says:

    Looking at making some of these for a high school play and was just wondering what size lumber did you use for the frame. Great work by the way, they look amazing!

  20. Steve says:

    Hi, we want to make this for are party-event. This could work, not? I wonder what I need to buy and how to make it perfectly. Can someone post some links to good material, the best?

  21. Philip says:

    Hello
    Approx how much yarn did you use to complete these panels?
    Thank you
    Philip

  22. Shalom says:

    How many skeins of yarn were used for this?

  23. Randy Willis says:

    Beautiful work! What size wood did you use to build frames?

  24. Brad says:

    Just wanted to know if you used multi colored yarn or just solid colors and then mixed them? Great job!

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