DIY “Glue” Batik T-shirts

Batik is a traditional textile made by hand where artisans use wax to create a design, and then dye the cloth, which resists the vegetable dyes. Originally from Indonesia, batik has symbolic meanings in its colors and designs, and people use the craft to express their creativity and even spirituality. In this easy project, kids substitute hot wax for Elmer’s blue glue and convey their own creativity by choosing images that represent themselves, and colorful paint that reflect their personalities.

First, let’s learn the history of batik and its importance today. Anthropologist believe that the wax resist technique of dyeing cloth began in the 4th BCE in Egypt, and from there spread to Asia (notably India and Japan). In Africa, people in Nigeria and Senegal also employ a similar process. Today, woman and men use batik cloth as a sarong (long fabric wrapped around them into a skirt or dress), and mothers use batik slings to carry their babies. In 2009 UNESCO designated Indonesian batik as a “Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity,” because the craft of batik is intertwined with the cultural identity of the Indonesian people.

While fragile, intangible cultural heritage is an important factor in maintaining cultural diversity in the face of growing globalization. An understanding of {it} helps with intercultural dialogue, and encourages mutual respect for other ways of life.  The importance is… the wealth of knowledge and skills that is transmitted through it from one generation to the next.

Here is a video from the Indonesia Batik Museum Institute. From 1:20- 5:00 you will see how batik is traditionally made by drawing out the intricate designs, detailing them with pine resin or beeswax, and then dyeing the cloth with natural dyes in blue, red, brown, and yellow.

And now it’s time to make our own! Gather your supplies:

• Elmer’s Blue Glue Gel (note: regular white glue doesn’t work as well- said from experience:).
• a white t-shirt (we upcycled some that had light stains!)
• acrylic paints (I supposed you could use fabric paints as well- though acrylics work just as nicely. We’ve put the shirts in the washer and dryer and have had no issues with acrylics).

Use the glue to “draw” your image. My 7 year old was able to do this herself, while my 4 year olds dictated to me what they wanted (and helped with details). Wherever you squeeze the glue will eventually be white.

I used a brown paper bag inside the t-shirt to keep the back and front separated- this is especially important once you start painting. Let the design completely dry- we waited overnight just to be safe.

Let the kids paint the designs as they wish. My son used a LOT of paint- it was so thick that even after washing his shirt in the washer and dryer, not all of the glue was removed. It also took forever to dry- but you eventually will be able to see the batik effect (or you could always instruct the kids to use less paint if you’d like to do so). We dried ours in the sun!

Next comes the magic! Soak the t-shirts in warm water overnight. The glue will begin to dissolve and reveal the white designs. We were impatient and decided to just throw them in the washer and dryer, where most of the glue came off (my girls kind-of picked off the rest of the glue). How cute are these t-shirts!? You can see how Ricky’s still needs to be washed a couple of more times to get off the thick layer of paint over some of his glue:

I love how they turned out! If you try out this project, send me a picture and I’ll post it in the gallery.