Tuesday, April 16, 2013

DIY Dyed Batik Scarf + GIVEAWAY!

I’ve been wanting to do a batik project for awhile, but fabric dyes, and the inherent mess and hassle that accompanies them, have always deterred me. Well, those days are over! I think I've stumbled upon the easiest and most mess-free way to dye fabrics.




I played around with the idea of using wax to make this more of an authentic batik process... but then I found an easier alternative. So easy that I was able to complete this project in the time it took the hubs to take the kids to their favorite ice cream shop. Now that's my kind of project!



How to Make Faux Batik Material

materials needed:
48-inch strip of soft, knit fabric; I used jersey knit since it does not fray… which means less sewing for me :)
SEI tumble tie dye fabric paint in turquoise
painter's tape or easy to remove stickers
craft paper or newspaper (to protect work surface)

instructions:



Lay the fabric on your paper. If you need to, tape down the edges. Create your design using painter's tape. You can also use stickers-- letters, numbers, hearts, circles-- all would look really neat. Just remember that this is not a "perfect" look with sharp lines. The ink will seep under the tape/stickers in some places and not in others, so the simpler the shape the better.



Spray your "designed" fabric with SEI's tumble dye fabric spray paint. Spray one light layer, then follow with another until you're happy with the color. Don't worry about the overspray or drips. The best thing about batik is that it looks imperfectly perfect. In the original batik process, the dye puddles in places and seeps beneath the wax resist. So this is not meant to be a "perfect" look. The beauty is in the imperfections and the one-of-a-kind design.



Let the fabric dry to touch. Remove the tape/stickers.

Lightly spray another layer of paint on the fabric. This softens the overall look without overpowering the original design. I purposely wanted some drips and overspray, so I held the bottle with the nozzle pointing straight down.



Let the fabric dry completely then throw it into the dryer on high heat for 20 minutes.



If you're making a circle scarf, sew the two ends of the fabric together. And that's it! Your own custom designed, batik-inspired scarf.

Coming up next is a project using pretty papers. Have a wonderful day!

Melanie

Follow the directions below to enter our giveaway! Come back tomorrow for an extra entry. a Rafflecopter giveaway


20 comments:

Miriam Prantner said...

This is a really cool tutorial! Love the end result!

Стокли said...

Looks like a lot of work to make the pattern)

Unknown said...

The scarf looks really nice.

Carol said...

Cool idea, thanks for sharing!

Carol B
ciaoitalia2007(at)gmail(dot)com

Sue D said...

This is so cool--thanks for sharing!

BethW said...

Love the soft look of this technique.I may have to gie this a try.

Emily Keaton said...

Oh my goodness, what a stellar idea! Thanks for sharing it--your scarf looks gorgeous :)

cghundley said...

Wow, this looks really
doable and easy! Thanks
for sharing the idea.
Carla from Utah

Cherie said...

Super cute!! I love this idea! I just moved, but I am going to have to dig out my tumble dye to try this!!

Kelli Smith said...

I think this is a wonderful project, I'll admit I always thought working with fabric would be difficult, but after reason your scarf tutorial I just might have to give it a try.

snazzyjj said...

Love this technique!!!

Ruth G said...

Wow! Great idea! Thanks so much for sharing!

Scrapycandy said...

Fascinating! I want a plaid heart on the back of my tshirt... this would be fun!

Lilian said...

I loved this tutorial!!!
Have to give it a try now!
Thanks for sharing.

Emily Thompson said...

beautiful!!!

Beth said...

Great Idea! I have a bottle of tumble dry just waiting for a great idea!

L Merritt said...

Sounds like fun!!

Denise Bryant said...

Beautiful... I love the color!

Kim H said...

wonderful idea, will have to try this. thanks for the inspiration.
PaperCraftingAddict Scrapper

Anonymous said...

This is a great idea! It would be easy to use different textured items, such as laces, recycled netting from fruit and vegetable bags,... There are also some faux batik type glue products that might be fun to try, as well. Different adhesive foam shapes could also work.

 

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