PLANTS IN NATURE – The Ancient Art of Batik on Fabric

1. Tape all 4 sides of the fabric to a piece of paper or tag manila.
2. Pull the edges tight as you tape them down to give a smooth surface.
3. Refer to your picture or rough sketch.
4. Use erasable coloured pencils to draw the main details of your design onto the fabric.

1. Select the colours of crayons you need for your design.
2. Remove the papers and break the crayons in half.

1. Place a muffin tin into the electric frying pan.
2. Place the broken crayons into one of the muffin tin spots.
3. Continue to do this until you have all the colours you need in your palette.
4. Set the temperature to medium.
5. Always have water in the pan when the crayons are melting.

1. Paint with the melted wax crayon.
2. Make sure the colour is hot enough to melt into the fabric.
3. Be sure to fill the entire surface of the fabric with melted wax crayon.

1. When you are finished remove the tape.
2. Turn the fabric over.
3. Add more melted wax crayon to any fabric not coated with colour.

1. Crumple the fabric in your hands.
2. Make as many cracks in the wax crayon as possible.
3. Unfold the fabric.

Be sure to wear plastic gloves to protect your hands and an apron to protect your clothes.

1. Place the entire fabric into a basin of dark blue, cold water fabric dye.
2. Scrunch the fabric down into the basin.
3. Squeeze out the excess dye before you remove it.

1. Flatten the fabric on a piece of newspaper.
2. Place several pieces of newspaper on top of the fabric.

1. Set the iron to cotton.
2. Slowly move the iron over the newspaper to remove the wax.
3. Keep the iron moving and stop when the newspaper is full of melted wax.
4. Repeat, using fresh newspaper until all the wax is removed.
5. When you no longer see wax on the newspaper you are finished.

1. Decide how you want to display your finished work.