How to Batik Tie Dye

Batik Tie Dyeing

• 1

  Prewash the fabric that you want to dye using hot water and regular laundry detergent. Brand new fabric may contain chemicals on the surface that will prevent the garment from dyeing properly, and dirty clothing will not be dyed properly without being washed first.

• 2

  Heat up an electric skillet, and place the beeswax and paraffin into the hot skillet to melt them together. You can use as much or as little wax as you think you'll need. Typically, you need about 1 cup of each wax for one T-shirt.

• 3

  Slide a cookie sheet inside the garment, shirt or pair of pants to prevent the wax from adhering the two sides of the fabric together. Dip a paintbrush into the wax and "paint" a design onto the fabric. Use tjanting wax pens, in which the wax is poured into the needle of the pen, then the wax flows out of the wax pen's needle spout, to spell out words or create thin lines and designs. Ensure the wax penetrates the fabric. You'll know the wax has penetrated the fabric when it slightly soaks or melts into the fabric. If the wax puddles on top of the fabric, increase the heat of the electric skillet.

• 4

  Allow severals hours for the wax to cool before starting the dyeing process.

• 5

  Put on a pair of rubber or plastic gloves to protect your hands from being dyed or stained. Fold, twist or twirl your garment to create a tie dye pattern. Place rubber bands around the garment to both keep it in place and to create a dyeing "grid."

• 6

  Pour 1 cup of soda ash fixer (sodium carbonate) into a large bucket, and then add 1 gallon of warm water to the soda ash. When the soda ash solution reaches room temperature, place your tied fabric into the soda ash solution, and soak it for five to 15 minutes. Prepare your dyes while your garment is soaking.

• 7

  Pour 1 tbsp. of urea into a small bowl. Add 1 cup of cool or room temperature water plus 1 tsp. of a fiber reactive dye color to the bowl. Mix thoroughly with a plastic spoon to create your first dye. Repeat this step with each individual dye that you want to use.

• 8

  Pour each dye into its own squirt bottle. This will help you control where each dye color is applied.

• 9

  Remove your fabric from the soda ash solution and wring it out so it's not soaking or dripping wet.

• 10

  Squirt the different dye colors onto your garment using the rubber band grid as a dye guide. Use as many dye colors as you want.

• 11

  Allow the dye to penetrate the fabric for up to 24 hours. Soaking the fabric for long periods of time creates bolder, deeper colors. Cut the rubber bands off the fabric, and rinse it out with cool water.

Removing the Wax

• 12

  Fill a large stockpot with warm water, and add 1/4 cup of liquid soap to the pot.

• 13

  Bring the water to a simmer. Place your fabric in the simmering water. After several minutes, the wax will peel off and float to the top.

• 14

  Remove the pot from the heat, and allow the water to cool so the wax slightly hardens on top of the water.

• 15

  Pull from fabric out from the water. Scrape any remaining wax off of the garment with your fingernails or a butter knife.

• 16

  Air dry your garment.