Making A Nail Art Picture

Nail art pictures were sold in kits, additionally patterns were printed in magazines. You started with a piece of wood, painted black or covered in black material. Nails were hammered into the wood, forming the outline of the artwork. Then coloured string was tied to one nail, fed to another, wrapped round it, fed to a third nail, and so on. Eventually a pattern would build up and the image (a ship or whatever) would appear.

Artistic skills are never obsolete. They may go out of style, but there's usually someone who'll appreciate it.