How To Make Your Own Handpainted Silk Scarf

Wouldn't you like to be able to create your own artisticdrying slightly to the point the colors aren't running any
silk scarf? Well, you can. With a few tools from thelonger, think about your next color combination for the
arts & crafts supply store and a little imagination,scarf soaking in the bucket. You might want to add
you can have a beautiful silk scarf in a few hours!some metallic gold or silver this time with a finer brush.
Begin by using whatever supplies you might have atYou might also sprinkle some salt crystals onto the
home already. Paint brushes, plastic pans and buckets,fabric at this point and see what happens.
styrofoam cups and plates, sponges, rubber gloves,As soon as the first scarf is no longer wet and you
paper towels, white vinegar and salt crystals.can lift it off the papertowels, place it gently onto a
Now go to the arts & crafts store and find threestyrofoam plate and put it into the microwave oven
acrylic paints that you like, plus one or two metallicfor 1-1.5 min. on medium. This will heatset the paints
ones such as gold and silver. Then go to the fabricnicely and dry the silk scarf more. Take it out and hang
store and find ready silk scarves or silk fabric suitableit to air dry outside if you can or in the laundry room
for scarves, such as an 8-10 mm habotai silk.near an open window. Sometimes the vinegar odor
Prepare a well-ventilated area at home with a smalllingers a while but most of the time it's gone by the
table covered with plastic. Take the silk fabric or scarftime the scarf is dry.
and soak it in the half white vinegar, half water mixtureKeep this procedure going for as many silk scarves as
in a pan or bucket. While the silk is soaking, take outyou want to make. Change out the paper towels in
your paints and styrofoam cups, mix about abetween, but save them for another painting session.
tablespoon of acrylic paint with a tablespoon of water,The paper towels will dry in pretty color patterns and
stir with a brush until the mixture is even and nocan be used again. The brushes can be used again,
pigments are floating around. Do this with each colorjust clean them in soap and water. The cups and
you've selected, even the metallics.plates can be reused as well, just run water over them
Take the soaked silk fabric, wring it out under runningand make sure any paint residue is gone. I use thin
water quickly, and take it to the table where you'rerubber gloves to protect my hands but you can do this
working. At this point you can take paper towels andif you're neat and careful about rinsing your hands in
spread them out to cover the table or the area wherebetween things.
you will be placing the silk scarf. Lay the fabric pieceTry scrunching the fabric, try twisting it into a long
on top of the paper towels.sausage, try folding it into pleats and see what
Now take one of your acrylic colors and make broadhappens when you drip the paints over these. Have
brush strokes in any pattern on the scarf. Takesome paints in applicator tip bottles and spray bottles if
another color and do the same, overlapping here andyou like for added effects. Don't be afraid to
there with the first color. Follow this with the third colorexperiment with color combinations and techniques,
by dripping the paint from the brush all over the scarf.that's the whole idea here. Have fun!
Notice how the various colors will run into each otherAfter the silk scarves have dried, I then iron them with
and make interesting abstract patterns, sometimesa medium iron and I sometimes sprinkle water on them
taking the texture from the underlying paper towels.if they're really wrinkled from the process. Then sign
Have another silk scarf soaking in the vinegar-wateryour creations with a permanent fabric ink pen and
mixture while you're painting the first piece. While it isgive them away as gifts to friends and family!