Easy Silk Painting for Children

You will need:

• Softwood frame (can be home made) approx 300x450mm (12" x 18")
• Silk
• Silk pins (drawing pins can be used)
• Silk paints
• Brushes, one for each colour
• Small containers of water, one for each colour
• 'Pilot' gold marker pen, extra fine point.
• Rock salt
• Glue stick
• Yoghurt cartons or similar to suspend frame away from table top to allow silk to dry.

Warning:

Silk paint is a dye; it will not come out if spilt on clothes - tables also should be protected.

As this activity is not used often, it might be better for a District to purchase the equipment which Units could borrow with contributions towards silk and paint.

To Make:

• Cut strips of silk approx 3" x 12". Pin taught between top and bottom of frame with space between strips, this should take 4 strips.
• Mark strips into three sections approx 3½" each, use the gold metalised pen and a ruler to draw two lines close together between each section; also draw a line top and bottom right next to the frame, this stops the colours running into each other.
• Dip the brush in water before a small amount of silk paint, then colour one section of the silk. Immediately sprinkle with rock salt; the silk must be wet for the reaction that will form a random pattern.
• Leave to dry completely on the suspended frame, then tip off salt. It can be used again even though it will be coloured.
• Cut into sections before inserting in an aperture card or gently gluing on the front of cards, book marks etc. Take care when using a glue stick; a small amount on the card is preferable to gluing the silk as it is fragile. Spray glue is an option; any other liquid glue will just go through the silk.
• To help the girls remember which section is theirs, number the strips and make a grid on a sheet of paper so they can put their name in the corresponding space.

Items are available in craft shops; thin silk can be purchased by post from Art & Craft Valley Ltd 19 Chipstead Valley Rd Coulsdon CR5 2RB (they advertise an on-line shop but this is still in development as at October 2009)

Kath Haldin

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