DIY Pink And Gold Elephant Scarf

It’s scarf week again! In case you missed it last year, scarf week is hosted by a bunch of bloggers who all share awesome DIY scarf tutorials throughout the week. You can check out the schedule below. But first, I have a tutorial for you on how to make your own pink and gold elephant scarf from scratch! (If you don’t sew, you can start with a plain, lightweight, store-bought scarf.)

Make your own lightweight pink and gold elephant scarf with Rit dye, fabric ink, and stamps!

I started with a piece of muslin fabric I had laying around, but if you have a plain scarf that you want to decorate, you can start with that instead!

DIY Pink And Gold Elephant Scarf

Here’s what you need: (affiliate links below to the products I use and recommend)

  • white muslin fabric (or a store-bought, plain scarf)
  • Rit dye (I used Petal Pink), water, and salt
  • soft fabric ink and block printing stamps (I used the same stuff I used for my stamped Moby wrap)
  • sewing machine
  • scissors or a rotary cutter
  • iron
  • pot/bucket/sink and metal tongs for dyeing fabric

DIY Pink And Gold Elephant Scarf-4


I started by cutting my muslin into a long skinny rectangle. Then I sewed a small hem around all four edges of the scarf.

DIY Pink And Gold Elephant Scarf-6

Next it’s time to dye the scarf! There are a few different ways to dye fabric and you can find detailed instructions on the Rit dye website, but I like dyeing with the “bucket method”. It doesn’t require a stove or heat or anything other than a bucket, pot, or metal sink, and metal tongs.

Follow the instructions on the bottle for mixing up the dye concentrate; I used 5 teaspoons of dye, 5 teaspoons of salt, and a gallon of hot water. Stir together the dye, salt, and hot water (make sure it’s really hot; fabrics soak up the dye better in hot water!) in a large pot, bucket, or metal sink.

Then get your scarf wet with warm water, gently wring it out, and stick it in the dye. Stir the scarf constantly for 10 to 30 minutes, depending on how dark you want the dye. I only left this scarf in for ten minutes and it’s a nice soft pink! But if you leave it longer the color will get brighter and stronger.

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Remember, when the scarf is wet the color will appear darker, but it will lighten slightly once it’s washed and dried. Once you’re happy with the color of the scarf, pull it out of the pot and rinse it in the sink until the water runs clear. Then wash the scarf with mild detergent and rinse again. At this point you can toss the scarf into the dryer along with an old towel to help fill up the load, or you can hang the scarf to air dry.

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Once the scarf is dry, it’s time to add the elephants! I used an elephant block printing stamp and gold fabric ink for this part. I put a little bit of fabric ink onto a paper plate, then dabbed a sponge in the ink. I used the sponge to add the ink to the elephant stamp, then I stamped the scarf. The stamps look best if you reapply ink in between every stamp, so I just kept inking the stamp and stamping the scarf until my scarf was full of gold elephants!

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Let the fabric ink dry for 24 hours, then press the scarf with an iron to heat set the ink. I set my iron to the hottest setting, put a press cloth over the scarf, and firmly pressed down for 30 seconds on top of each gold elephant.

After you’ve ironed every part that was inked, let the scarf cool down for a few seconds, and you’re done! If you follow the directions on the bottle of Rit dye and the bottle of soft fabric ink, your scarf will be totally washable when you’re finished!

Make your own lightweight pink and gold elephant scarf with Rit dye, fabric ink, and stamps!

Make your own lightweight pink and gold elephant scarf with Rit dye, fabric ink, and stamps!

Want More Scarf Week Inspiration?

The dyed, painted, and stamped scarf fun has only just begun! Be sure to chomp those shark scarf teeth into each of these inspirational D.I.Y. projects hitting the blog-o-sphere today.

Tie Dye Infinity Scarf Using Super Soaker Water Gun by The Southern Couture From Drab to Fab: Stenciled Scarf Makeover by Creative Savings Flower Embellished Ice-Dyed T-Shirt Infinity Scarf by Architecture of a Mom Tie Dyed Scarf {tutorial} by Ginger Snap Crafts DIY Pink And Gold Elephant Scarf by Practically Functional How To Create A Brush Stroke Scarf by The Small Stuff Counts Abstract Ink Blot Black and White Scarf Dyed with the Sun by Where the Smiles Have Been Creating a Butterfly Infinity Scarf by Crafty Bonds Rorschach Inspired Art with Yarn by It Was Weekend D.I.Y. Galaxy Print Infinity Scarf by The Thinking Closet Graffiti Bicycle Scarf by Tried & True DIY Gold Polka Dots Scarf by The Crafting Nook DIY Linen Scarf by H2O Bungalow Image Map

Click the images above or links below to check ’em out.

1. Tie Dye Infinity Scarf Using Super Soaker Water Gun by The Southern Couture

2. From Drab to Fab: Stenciled Scarf Makeover by Creative Savings

3. Flower Embellished Ice-Dyed T-Shirt Infinity Scarf by Architecture of a Mom

4. Tie Dyed Scarf {tutorial} by Ginger Snap Crafts

5. DIY Pink And Gold Elephant Scarf by Practically Functional

6. How To Create A Brush Stroke Scarf by The Small Stuff Counts

7. Abstract Ink Blot Black and White Scarf Dyed with the Sun by Where the Smiles Have Been

8. Creating a Butterfly Infinity Scarf by Crafty Bonds

9. Rorschach Inspired Art with Yarn by It Was Weekend

10. D.I.Y. Galaxy Print Infinity Scarf by The Thinking Closet

11. Graffiti Bicycle Scarf by Tried & True

12. DIY Gold Polka Dots Scarf by The Crafting Nook

13. DIY Linen Scarf by H2O Bungalow

Want to share this tutorial with your friends? Just click any of the share buttons on the left to share with Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, etc.!

Don’t forget to check out all the other scarf tutorials being shared this week! Click the image below to see all of the tutorials for the whole week in one place!

ScarfWeek2015-Rec

If you liked this project, check out some of the other simple apparel and accessories tutorials I’ve shared!

Signature

Jessi Wohlwend

I believe that anyone can do crafts and DIY projects, regardless of skill or experience. I love sharing simple craft ideas, step by step DIY project tutorials, cleaning hacks, and other tips and tricks all with one goal in mind: giving you the tools you need to “do it yourself”, complete fun projects, and make awesome things!

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Reader Interactions

  1. Camila says

    9 years ago

    I so love how your scarf turned out! Using your stamps with fabric paint to create the pattern was genius!!! Love love love! Pinning!

    XOXO

  2. Chandler says

    9 years ago

    It’s funny because my little ones theme is elephants, and when I saw this I now NEED it. I’m such a sucker for elephants and this is the easiest project ever with a newborn!

  3. Elena aka. Midsommarflicka says

    9 years ago

    Why did I never think of putting a stmap into fabric paint?! So neat!
    And I love the somehow “Indian” feeling of the scarf 🙂

  4. Vanessa says

    9 years ago

    That color pairing is absolutely gorgeous! Thanks for joining us for Scarf Week 2015!

  5. Lauren @ The Thinking Closet says

    9 years ago

    I was *this close to working with muslin on one of my scarf projects…and now I’m kicking myself for not trying it. Yours just turned out so beautifully. Also, could that elephant stamp be any cooler? I think not! Love the Asian vibe. Off to pin! Thanks so much for being a part of Scarf Week 2015!

  6. Brittany @ DIY Just Cuz says

    9 years ago

    So cute!! I have always wanted to dye something but I’m always way too scared haha 🙂
    I also love the elephants…my niece’s nursery is elephant themed and it’s so darling. Great job!!
    –Brittany

  7. Ginger says

    9 years ago

    I love the pink & gold combo! 🙂

  8. Christine | Where The Smiles Have Been says

    9 years ago

    I love elephants and the symbolism behind them. I also love the pink and gold color combination you used here! I have yet to try out Rit dye, but this tutorial has certainly peaked my interest. Pinned, and I’ve enjoyed taking part in this Scarf Week event with you! 🙂

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