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