How to Make a Silk Stretcher Frame

Typically, white silk works best for painting.

Silk stretcher frames hold silk while paint or dye is being applied. Like canvas, silk needs to be stretched on a wooden frame before you can paint or dye the fabric. Because of the delicate nature of silk, you can't staple it to the frame like canvas. Silk will tear if too much tension is applied. However, inadequate tension allows the fabric to sag. Silk stretcher frames suspend the fabric between hooks, allowing the silk to expand and contract as it is wet with paint or dye and dries. Reuse the frames for other silk pieces of the same size.

Things You'll Need

• Tape measure
• Silk
• Wood, 1 inch by 4 inch boards
• Saw
• Wood glue
• Clamp
• Metal corner brackets
• Screws
• Drill
• Eye hooks
• Elastic cord
• Pin hooks

Instructions

1. Measure your silk; add 2 inches to the measurements. Cut the boards so that the inside of your frame will be these dimensions. Don't forget to account for the overlap of the boards at the corners of your frame.

2. Glue the wood into a rectangle, and clamp until dry. Add a 90-degree metal corner bracket in each corner for additional support.

3. Screw on one eye hook every 4 inches along the inside of the frame. Ensure the hooks on opposite sides of the frame are directly across from one another to ensure the fabric is held taut.

4. Cut the elastic cord to the length of the inside of the frame. Feed the elastic cord through the eye hooks and knot it together at the ends.

5. Place one pin hook on the elastic string in between every eye hook.

6. Slide opposite pins through the fabric on each end, starting with the center of the silk. Work from the center out until the entire fabric has been stretched on the frame.

References

• Dakini Silks and Things: Silk Painting: Make a Frame to Stretch Silk for Painting Tutorial page
• Wearable Art Connection of Southern California: Silk Painting and Salt Effects