DIY Handwritten Scarf

Back in my posts about Literary Lusts, I went ga-ga over a scarf with words from Jane Eyre printed on it.  I've also spotted other swoon-worthy, word-printed scarves on Pinterest... but failed to find any in brick-and-mortar shops.  I bought a plain beige scarf for just $5 when I was home over Thanksgiving break.  And while I've enjoyed its ability to be a neutral accomplice to any outfit... I really prefer a little bit of pattern on a scarf. 

So I decided to turn my plain-jane-beige scarf into something more unique!  And I guess you could say I used a little "poetic license" with this do-it-yourself project... ;)

What I used: a solid beige scarf, permanent marker, the poetry of e.e. cummings.

What you'll need: a solid colored scarf (lighter hues are recommended), a permanent marker or other type of fabric marker, words from a book, poem, song, movie, etc.

I started out by trying to decide what to write on my scarf.  It was difficult!  I thought of many songs that I'm digging lately, but I wanted something timeless that I'd love forever.  So I went with my all-time favorite poet: e.e. cummings.  I rounded up several (six) of his poems and over six one-liners and quotes.  I typed 'em up on the computer so that I could look at them as I wrote.

Next, I stretched the scarf out along my desk.  This is a surprisingly long scarf!  My desk is six-foot-long and the scarf ended up being about five.  Stretching it out, I started writing.  The permanent marker was tricky at first, but you'll get the hang of it by stretching the material while you write.  It's awkward at first, but as you move along it becomes second-nature.  

I also didn't stress about perfection.  I played around with different sized writing.  I alternated cursive and manuscript lettering---sometimes even in the same word.  I varied the weight of pushing down on the marker.  I varied spacing.  I like an eclectic, interesting look... and I love that this is in my own handwriting.

I will say that the writing took a lot longer than I expected.  And I needed more words than I expected, too.  I had to find another poem to add, as well as a couple quotes just to fill up the entire scarf.  (I only did one side of the scarf since the marker bleeds through to the reverse side.)

That's it!  As soon as I can get my hands on an iron, I will probably iron the scarf just to set the permanent marker... but I really don't think it's going to be a problem.  I probably won't wear this scarf on rainy days and I'll want to be careful not to spill on it so that I don't have to wash it.  (If you're wanting something you can wear everyday without care, you may want to look into specialty fabric markers, ironing, etc.)  This was just a spontaneous little project for me. :)

But I loooove how it turned out.  There were times when I doubted the outcome---like half way through when it just looked kinda weird.  But I kept going and once it was all filled up, it looked lovely!  I'm going to get a lot of use out of this