How to Use Slash & Burn Techniques in Textile and Mixed Media Art

How-To Guides

Slash and Burn is a great way to combine recycling with creativity! Try fusing, layering and burning fabrics to give texture and depth to your artwork. You can even burn holes into your fabrics to reveal layers beneath.

Step by step - Let's Create

Slash and Burn is a great way to recycle old clothes and fabrics as you can use natural and man-made materials. Cut or rip pieces of fabric into all different shapes and sizes. Try using polyester, nylon, viscose, rayon and felt and see what sort of effects you can achieve.

Lay down a layer of base fabric such as some Polyester Felt. Using the fabrics that you have cut up, place different sizes on top of your felt base. Only place a few at first because you can build up more layers as you work.

Using a Fabric Master or Multi-Purpose Heat Tool to fuse the fabrics to the felt base by gently touching the nib of the tool around the edges of the fabric to be joined. It will singe and burn a little, causing them to fuse together. Alternate the Fabric Slashing Tips to create a greater variety of marks

You can even burn shapes and lines into pieces of felt or fabric to show layers below. This can add more depth and texture to your design. Ensure to only gently touch the fabric with the nib of the tool.

Experiment further by adding materials such as Angelina or Crystalina fusible fibres. Cover your work with Baking Parchment and iron over with an iron on a wool setting. The fibres should stick to the felt. Try putting a thin, transparent material over this, such as organza. Fuse it together around the edges, and then burn holes into it

Once you are happy with the results, you can add further decoration to your work. Try gluing or sewing sequins or using embroidery techniques using coloured threads to create more texture. Try using Slash and Burn techniques to make beautiful motifs for bags or card making, or even develop intricate pieces of clothing.