DIY Network

Scarf Slider Slip a sweet slider on your favorite scarf. From "B. Original" episode DBOR-506

Make your own sliders for every outfit.

You don't need a badge in knot-tying to wear scarves with style: Just make these fun sliders with Michele Beschen.

The B. Original host collects sliders, but her favorite ones are those she makes herself from small scraps of wood or acrylic. Cut them out, add a few embellishments and you're ready to step out in style.

Scroll down for Michele Beschen's easy how-to.

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Scarf Slider

Materials:

thin pieces of wood or acrylic
existing slider to use as template
drill with thick bit
scroll saw, rotary saw or hand saw
medium-grit sandpaper
beads, old earrings, other embellishments
stain or paint (for wooden sliders)

	Figure A
	Figure B
	Figure C
	Figure D

• Pick up some scraps of colored acrylic about 1/8" thick. Sign-building shops often have boxes of scraps they will sell. If using wood for the slider, be sure to use a piece of solid wood instead of plywood or a pressed product. If using acrylic, leave the protective paper on the material until after it's been cut and sanded.

• Use an existing slider as a template. These are available at any fabric store.

• Trace the template onto the material (figure A).

• Drill pilot holes in the inserts to accommodate the saw blade (figure B).

• Cut out the shapes from the inside of the piece. Michele Beschen has found that a scroll saw is the best tool for this job. A hand saw or rotary saw also works. Use a regular wood blade for the cuts.

• Cut around the outside of the slider (figure C).

• Sand all the edges smooth with medium grit sandpaper and peel away the protective paper from the acrylic. To shape an acrylic slider, warm it slightly in an oven until the material is soft enough to bend or curl (figure D). Stain wooden sliders and/or add cool designs with a wood-burning tool.

• Dress up the slider further with wire, beads or paints, the use it to secure scarves or belts.

• See how quickly your collection grows once you get started creating these sliders. If you get tired of a slider, just attach beads or an old earring to the front and glue a pin back to the back – you'll end up with a new brooch.