Batik dyed fabric is a fabric, usually cotton, that is dyed using a wax resist method. That means you use wax to draw your design then you dye the fabric. The areas that have wax will resist the dye. After you remove the wax, the fabric under the wax will stay the original color of the fabric. Most sarongs that you buy for beachwear are created using the batik process. The photo I have included with this article is a sample of fabric that has been dyed using the batik method.
Making batik fabric can be quite a process so I don’t recommend it for a large project. But if you are making a hippie doll and you only need a small amount of fabric then you should try making batik fabric at least once! Batik fabric is also great for someone who wants to make a most unusual quilt. You can let your kids draw with the wax on small pieces of cotton then dye them. You will be left with cotton swatches that can be turned into a quilt filled with your children’s art work.
This article will take you through the steps of making a single colored swatch of batik fabric. Doing multi colors can be quite a challenge. But making a single color swatch is really quite easy, especially if you keep the fabric on the small side.
Cut a piece of light colored cotton. A good size to practice on is about one foot squared. You can use muslin fabric or any other cotton that is not treated with sizing. If you are not sure if the fabric is treated with sizing, it’s best to hand wash the fabric first then let it dry.
Once you have your cut of fabric, it’s time to apply the wax. For a small piece of fabric you can just light a candle and let the wax drip onto the fabric. Then just move the candle around until you create the design of your choice. If you don’t want to use a candle, you can buy some paraffin wax and melt it according to the directions. Then you can spoon the wax onto the fabric to create your design.
After applying the wax, let the wax dry completely. Then soak the fabric in a bath of cold water dye (you can buy cold water dye in the laundry section of any store). Soak for about 20 minutes. Then remove the fabric, rinse it and lay it flat on some newspaper to let it dry.
When your fabric is dry, you will need to iron it with a hot iron to remove the wax. Place several layers of newspaper on your ironing board to protect it. Then place the fabric swatch between several layers of paper towels and press with a hot iron. Replace with clean paper towels and repeat until all the wax is removed. Your batik fabric is now ready to use in any craft project or quilt!
If you like very easy crafts, I have an article right here on Associated Content explaining how to make a life size doll that is about as simple as you can get. If you get good at dying fabric, you could always dye two cotton sheets or two large pieces of cotton muslin using the batik method then turning the fabric into this fun life size doll! This is a sew or no-sew project... you decide! You can see the article here [How to Make a Life-Size Doll Pillow]
