Batik - a perfect summer project with your children

Are you looking for a fun project with your children this summer?
Think about batik and decorate fabric or T-shirts with wax and dye.
It is so easy with these brief step-by-step instructions.

Step 1 - Materials & Preparation

I recommend light colored, natural fabrics made from cotton. Find material in your local Arts and Crafts Store or even better use old plain tablecloth or cotton sheets. Pre-washed fabric will absorb the dye better than new ones and saves you money ! All fabric should be ironed before using for batik.

You will need as well paraffin and beeswax and a few cold water fabric dye colors (hot water dye will melt the fabric !). Any home goods stores carry these items. All other tools are most likely to be found in your household.

In an open space in your yard, arrange all children into a large circle with fondue dishes in the center and dye buckets on the outer edge. This will help everyone stay close to the tools they need without stepping over one another’s cloths.

Step 2 - Create a Design

Kids can practice their design on scratch paper or if they feel confident apply the design directly onto the spread out, ironed and wrinkle-free fabric. Any tool found in the house can be helpful to create a design. Use crayons, rulers for geometric patterns, plastic container lids for circular shapes just to name a few.

Step 3 -Waxing

Combine two parts of beeswax and one part of paraffin wax. Heat both types together in the fondue dish until clear. Caution: keep the wax away from direct heat as it is inflammable!

Next, dip brushes into the wax and trace over the design on the fabric. The wax should be soaked all the way through the other side of the fabric. Remind the kids to avoid holding their wax soaked brush over the fabric as the drops will become part of the design. Let the wax cool for several minutes, its time for a little break and home made lemonade !

Step 4-Dyeing

Hand everybody rubber gloves for this step. Mix the dye according to the packages descriptions in the buckets on your table.

Now let them crumble the cloth to encourage the wax to crack. This will add texture to the design. Then let everybody immerse the fabric into the dye for the amount of time suggested by the dye manufacturer.
Last, hang the fabric on cloth lines and let them drip dry without wringing. The final color of the batiks will show when the fabrics are completely dry.

Step 5-De-waxing

This step should be done by you and the kids may assist. After the fabrics have dried completely, heat your iron to moderate heat. Then place a layer of newspaper on each side of the fabric and iron over the waxed areas. The melted wax will be absorbed by the newspaper.

And this is all it takes to batik and enjoy a fun afternoon with your children ! They can wear their batik shirts proudly during summer or have a wonderful gift for grandma's birthday, their own handmade curtain or shawl.

Check out African batiks from Mozambique and Tanzania on World Travel Art !