Silk Painting How to

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How To Use Wooden Stretcher Bars To Stretch Silk

Stainless steel pins, thumb tacks, Bulldog clips, Chinese suspension hooks with rubber bands, string, silk, etc. can be used to stretch the silk onto the wooden frames.

There are various types of wooden stretching systems:

Artist's canvas stretcher bars found in art stores.
Picot frame from Atelier de Paris.
Susan Louise Moyer's stretcher system.
You can also build your own wood frame.

Making a Stretching Frame

There are a variety of types of frames you can use, depending on the size of the piece you are painting, your budget and what is available. Artist's canvas stretcher bars work very well and are sold at most art supply stores.

Your frame needs to be soft enough to allow push pins or 3-pronged tacks to be pushed into it OR you can create a 'trampoline' effect with rubber bands and hooks or silk clips (see photos).

The last method is best if you are painting a piece that has pre-finished edges, make sure that the inside measurements of the frame, are at least 2-3 inches larger than the silk to avoid leaving bleed marks on the hem.

In a pinch, you could also cut out a frame from a cardboard box.

Wooden frame