Silk Painting Tutorial: Salt Patterned Silk Scarf with Jane Cameron

Salt Patterned Silk Scarf
By Jane Cameron
 
I wrote this tutorial for Creative Crafting Magazine back in 2013, so I think it's about time I shared it with you!
 
Make your own gorgeous intricately patterned silk scarf to wear in this fabulous summer weather!
 
You will need:

• 1 silk scarf (The one I used was Ponge 5 silk, 40x150cm)
• 2 small bottles of iron fix silk paint in toning colours (try dark and light purple, pink and purple, blue and green, red and yellow. Note: if you choose opposite colours (such as red and green) you will end up with black or brown muddy bits where the colours merge!)
• Table salt
  
• Pipette
  
• Bin bag
  
• Iron / ironing board

 
(Silk painting supplies available from www.silkcraft.co.uk – use the code GUILD1 at checkout for a discount on your first order)
 

• Cut the bottom off your bin bag, slit up the side and open it out so you have a nice big plastic surface to work on
• Wet your silk scarf and squeeze it out gently so it’s quite damp but no longer dripping
• Arrange your scarf in a random scrunched pattern on your bin bag
• Using the pipette, drip your two colours of paint over the scarf – you will see the colours run and merge
  
• Scatter a light sprinkle of table salt over your scarf
• Leave it to dry fully (watch the salt absorb the paint and make awesome patterns!)
• (Note: Leaving it to dry overnight in a warm place is best, though if it’s not windy you could easily dry it outside in the sunshine!)
• Once your scarf is dry, lift it off the bin bag, flatten it out and iron it for 3 minutes per square foot on medium heat (as per instructions on silk paint bottle!). This sets the colour into the silk
• Brush any loose salt crystals off your ironing board
• Rinse your scarf in warm water with a hint of detergent, then again in clean water. This removes the residual dye and the salt crystals
• Roll in a towel and squeeze gently to remove most of the water
• Iron while damp
• Ta-dah! You are now the proud owner of a fabulous silk scarf!

 
If you want to find out more about the art and craft of silk painting, visit www.janecameron.co.uk and www.silkpainters-guild.co.uk.
 
Jane Cameron runs silk painting courses in Woking, Surrey and is a member of the Guild of Silk Painters.
 
© Jane Cameron 2013. Instructions are for personal and educational use only. Please get in touch if you'd like to use this tutorial with your students or your art group.

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