Make Your Own Silk Painting Frame from Stretcher Bars

Make It Yourself

I always thought stretcher bars were only for traditional artists who enjoy stretching a canvas over a frame. Having a quality frame for painting is certainly a big plus, but using these bars for other purposes can spark some great ideas.

Friends and fellow crafters, imagine making a great frame for painting on silk from stretcher bars! Here, I'll share a few simple steps to show you how.

The biggest advantage over purpose-made silk frames is the price. Stretcher bars are very affordable, so this painting aid will cost you about 70% less than wooden frames for stretching silk.

This can be easier on your wallet, especially if you're just starting to paint on silk or don't do it as often as other types of crafting. Stretcher bars are smoothly finished and available in various sizes, so you can easily put together a frame for square or rectangular silk scarves.

The bars are made of solid wood, so they have the weight and strength to match. They also have shaped grooves that make it easier to join the frame.

Besides the bars, all you need are two simple things—elastic bands and curtain hooks, or sturdier paper clips or pushpins. I chose plastic hooks, and one pack was enough even for a large silk scarf. We have the bars and the components, plus a few shades of silk paints, so let’s get started.

We fit the bars into the grooves and join them to form a frame by pressing them together. Not everyone is as strong as a giant, so if there are any small gaps, tap them into place with a rubber mallet or another tool you’d use to hammer in nails (high heels could work, too). Ta-da, the frame is ready. Place the elastic bands with hooks around the frame and attach the silk scarf. What surprised me most about this little frame was how perfectly it stretched the silk, which makes painting much easier and helps the paint spread beautifully and evenly.

I have to admit, this frame made me fall in love with silk painting. It’s like painting with watercolors, but even more sensual. The paint flows where it wants and stops only at the outline that guides its path. The finished piece doesn’t have to be just a silk scarf or a pillow. You can also create paintings and stretch them directly onto a frame made from stretcher bars. If you find that this tool is gathering dust, you can reuse it to stretch a canvas and get started on another creative project with acrylics, oil paints, or other art supplies.

Wishing you beautiful days of silk painting

Ingrid