How to Make Batik on Cushion Covers
Batik is an age-old decorative dyeing technique that involves drawing a pattern onto fabric using liquid wax. When the fabric is dyed, the wax resists the dye, resulting in a colorful patterned effect. Cushion covers are a good size for a beginner batik project. You need some specialized equipment but the techniques involved are quite simple.
Things You'll Need
- Light-colored cotton or silk cushion covers
- Cold water dye(s)
- Batik wax
- Wax pot or double boiler
- Newspaper or brown paper
- Bucket or plastic basin
- Rubber gloves
- Iron
- Masking tape or thumb tacks
- Thick cardboard to fit inside the cushion covers
- Pencil or fabric marker
- Paintbrushes, chopsticks, sponges
Instructions
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Making Batik Cushion Covers
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1
Prewash the cushion covers. Allow them to dry and press well with an iron. Meanwhile, practice your batik design on paper and cut out cardboard or paper templates if you need them for your design.
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2
Melt the batik wax in the wax pot or double boiler following the manufacturer's directions.
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3
Place the piece of cardboard inside the cushion cover and use masking tape or thumb tacks to secure it in place and hold the fabric taut.
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4
Paint your design onto the cushion cover with liquid wax using a paintbrush, sponge or other appropriate sized tool. You may want to draw your design onto the fabric with a pencil or fabric marker, place templates over the fabric or just paint it with wax freehand. You should see a transparent line on the fabric.
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5
Wearing rubber gloves and following the dye manufacturer's instructions, make up a dye bath deep enough to soak your cushion covers. Dampen the cushion covers with cold water, then submerge them in the dye. Try not to crack the wax lines when you submerge the fabric.
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6
Soak the cushion covers in the dye solution until your desired depth of color is achieved. Rinse the cushion covers with cold water, being careful not to crack the wax, and leave them to dry flat.
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7
Remove the wax by layering newspaper or brown paper over and under the fabric and pressing it with a hot iron. The wax will melt and soak into the paper. Replace the paper and continue to iron until the wax is gone.
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Tips & Warnings
For a multicolored batik, paint more wax on the covers and dye them again using a different colored dye. An alternative way of creating a batik effect is the "false method," which involves painting the waxed fabric directly with dye instead of submerging the entire piece.
Do not allow the temperature of the melted wax to exceed that recommended by the manufacturer.
