How to Make Silk Scarves

Silk scarves are a beautiful and versatile accessory. Depending on shape and decoration, they can look great with anything from a formal dress to jeans and a t-shirt. Silk is also extremely comfortable--besides its luxurious smoothness, it has the advantage of keeping you warm in the winter while still breathable in hot weather. The process of turning fabric into scarves is so simple that, if you've got a silk fabric you like and a few basic sewing skills, you could almost make silk scarves in your sleep.

Things You'll Need

• silk fabric scissors needle fine thread iron

Instructions

1. Cut the silk into the size you prefer. You can make silk scarves as small as handkerchiefs, or as large as shawls. Using very sharp shears and pinning the silk to a cutting mat may make this process easier.

2. Hem the edges. Since silk is so delicate, a tiny hem is preferable. Roll one edge in tightly until the raw edge is no longer visible, then sew this roll down using tiny stitches and a very fine thread (silk thread is probably best for this project, though other fine threads will work).

3. Continue hemming around the scarf, making sure to roll all the edges toward the same side.

4. Finish each thread inconspicuously by knotting it off, cutting the thread short, then using the needle to thread the tail through the hem.

5. Iron the scarf carefully. This step helps make silk scarves look crisp and tailored. However, silk is very sensitive to heat and can easily be burned, so make sure to set your iron on the lowest setting, dampen the scarf or use steam, and move the iron quite quickly. If you're concerned about the ironing process, test it on a fabric scrap first.

Tips & Warnings

• One of the best properties of silk is its ability to accept a range of dyes. You can make silk scarves very unique by dying them yourself with fabric dye. Dye the fabric before or after cutting and hemming, but before ironing, so that the heat of the iron can help set the dye.

• Tearing fabric is actually a great way to get straight "cuts", but it can be nerve-wracking with precious fabrics like silk, since it can go wrong and ruin your fabric. If you want to try this method instead of cutting your scarf out with shears, start each cut with scissors, then hold the fabric on each side of the cut tightly in one hand. Pull the sides apart to rip the fabric in a (usually) very straight line.