- 1). Wash and dry fabrics to remove sizing before batiking.
- 2). Start with easy fabrics ' cottons are very good; silks are difficult. Old, white bed sheets cut into 18-by-18-inch squares are excellent for learning and practicing.
- 3). Draw your designs on the fabric with colored crayons, colored pencils or water-based markers.
- 4). Make a double boiler using an electric skillet filled with water and a coffee can.
- 5). Put a pound of clear paraffin wax in the coffee can and melt it.
- 6). Paint over the design with wax. Make sure the wax penetrates the fabric completely ' you should see it on the back of the cloth.
- 7). Remember that everywhere the wax goes, there will be no dye.
- 8). Let the wax cool. You can put the fabric in the refrigerator or freezer to hurry things up.
- 9). Crumple the fabric to create cracks in the wax after the wax has cooled completely.
- 10
Put on a pair of latex gloves. - 11
Prepare dyes or inks as suggested by the manufacturer. Use cool dyes so they won't melt the wax onto the fabric. - 12
Dye the material the first color. Immerse it for about 20 seconds. - 13
Rinse it in cool water to remove excess dye. If the color isn't dark enough, dye it again. - 14
Allow it to dry by hanging it with clothespins over a stainless steel sink or an old, folded towel. - 15
Use hot wax, and paint the areas that you want to remain the same color as the first dye. - 16
Let the wax cool. - 17
Crumple the fabric again to make cracks in the wax. - 18
Dye the material the second color. - 19
Remove the wax, either by scraping it off or by ironing it between a few paper towels. Put newspaper under the paper towels to absorb the wax and moisture. This can be done while the fabric is still wet.
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