My latest girls night out was last weekend making art with The Knotty Nail. The good thing? I didn’t have to go anywhere to do it. The Knotty Nail came to me.

I was asked to host a Sips & Strings Workshop and get my nail artwork for free in exchange for writing about it.

What is The Knotty Nail?

The Knotty Nail is pretty new to Omaha. Becky Pospisal launched it in 2016 in Des Moines as a workshop helping participants make unique artwork they get to keep. She has a studio space in Des Moines for The Knotty Nail. It’s caught on so she’s expanded the business to Omaha and Council Bluffs, where workshops are pop-up workshops that can be done in homes and businesses.

My set up for The Knotty Nail: I received a stained wooden board and all the supplies needed for my art (I supplied the wine and food).

Typically, workshops last two to three hours. My friends and I must have had laser focus (to be honest, it didn’t seem like it, though). We finished in two hours. And that included a wine break.

Each participant gets a 10×10 walnut stained wood, unlimited string, one of three patterns to choose from, scissors, glue, pliers, hammers, nails, etc. After you pick the design, you hammer it into your wood, then left the paper out and begin wrapping string. It’s easy. And then it’s not. String has a way of springing out from your wrapped nails if you’re not careful.

The Knotty Nail instructor guides you on the best way to wrap the nail for your design. The paw print? That’s a tough one!

Our instructor, Vicki (also Becky’s sister-in-law) stuck with us every step of the way, helping where needed and offering encouragement when string suddenly sprung.

How to book

Head to The Knotty Nail to pick a workshop type and date. Then you just invite your friends. These kind of workshops are best for adults, but if you have a kid who’s pretty crafty, Becky has some kids workshops available with the designs already nailed into the boards.

The instructor arrives about 15 minutes before the party is to start, and she begins setting up. All the materials are ready to go at the start of the party. Guests pick their design, start hammering, pick their string colors, and start crafting. Vicki helped us finish our pieces by gluing all the string so nothing would unravel.

In a couple of hours, everyone walks away with a new home decoration.

Some of the artwork my friends and I made during our Sips & Strings Workshop. The little heart in the middle was the hostess surprise gift from The Knotty Nail.

At our party, the hostess and one guest also got to walk away with an additional cute nail art surprise.

The cost per participant is $40, which includes all the materials prepped and ready to go.