These glue batik t-shirts are inspired by traditional batik. Batik is a 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.
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Before making the glue batik t-shirts, first 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.
Batik T-Shirts for Kids
And now it’s time to make our own batik t-shirts! 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 batik 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! UPDATE: 2 years later, the kids are growing out of their batik t-shirts and they still look good!
I love these! They turned out so beautiful and it looks like your kids are very proud of their wearable art.
Thank you! I was surprised that regular acrylic paint would remain so bright. I guess that’s why it stains clothes:).
Wow!!! Absolutly adorable 🙂
Thank you so much!!! A cute art project that they can wear!:)
They are so colorful and creative! Nice job!
Thanks!!!!! 🙂
What a fun project! And your kids are adorable!
Aw, thanks;). My oldest son was at soccer and missed the fun! We’ll just have to do it again.
do you let the glue fry first? How long does it take if you do? I want to do this project for a homeschool group, it looks creative and inexpensive.
YES! Let the glue dry completely before painting. When we did it, we left it overnight— but I have seen other people only letting it dry for an hour or 2. Once it’s dry, paint and then let that dry a couple of hours (or overnight). It is cheap, super-easy- and a great way to recycle shirts with slight stains!:)
Becky – I really love this! Wish I could do something similar here at the library, but our crafts have to be done in an hour. I am hoping to do Sharpie scribbles on T-shirts sometime though. Hope to see you and your lovely children at the library soon! – Kapila
Thank you Kapila!:)
Hi, I have done this project for a long time at my school and I actually use flour and water, with a touch of glue. So, if you want to save money on glue, you can try it. I use it with a lesson on African Adire cloth designs. Your t-shirts are beautiful!
That is perfect- especially for a school or Scout group that has more kids! Did you put the flour, water, and glue into a glue bottle to apply it to the shirt? I’m going to have to try that!:)
Hi! I did this with flour and water – no glue. 1 part flour to 1 part water. Put it in a nozzle bottle and draw with it like you do the glue. Rinse the bottle to use it again next time. The bonus is if you’re in a hurry you can pop the t-shirt in the oven at a low heat and bake the shirt for 5 minutes to dry the flour mixture. I can send you a picture of the end result if you like. It’s how I’ve been doing it for years 🙂 The flour mixture soaks off much more easily than the glue and is obviously less expensive.
Ooh, that is great!!!! I would like to try your method for our Daisy Troop! Definitely less expensive:).
awesome!
What kind of acrylic paint did you use?!?
We used this kind and this kind (see the pictures and I’m sure you will recognize them!:).
I’m trying this amazing art with my summer art camp. Always wanted to do batik with kids but the hot wax was the dealbreaker. I’m doing some “sample” shirts…the flour/water works pretty good, but the blue gel glue is the best. I’m also mixing the acrylic paint with equal part water.
Yay! Let me know how it goes!!!
These are beautiful! What a great summer project, and what wonderfully happy kids! Thank you for sharing it.
The shirts came out so well! What a great craft!
They are really easy too- the hardest part is waiting for them to dry with patience!!! 🙂
Love the idea! My niece and nephew are coming from Pakistan later this month and this is definitely on our to do list… I’ve done batiking with wax.. and with hot glue.. but really love this idea.. and the acrylic paint option! Thanks! I’ll post photos when I get some done!
Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful activity for kids..i would like to share it..Love this activity very much..!!
I love this idea! Can you wash the shirts after?
Nicole- YES! I have washed ours a million times and only recently (2 years later!) have they really started to look cracked!! 🙂
Do you wash the shirts separately? I’m doing this with a school group and don’t want the shirts to bleed on other items of clothing being laundered. I want to make sure my parents will have washing and drying info when the kids take the shirts home. Thanks for your help!
I DID separate the first time (and they did not bleed), but every other time after, I washed them with normal laundry and it was fine!