Wax resist, batik, crackling

Wax resist dying, also known as batik, is a fun game that will enchant you with the opportunities it offers and the not always foreseeable results it provides. It can be used to create paintings or to produce highly unique accessories for your wardrobe and home. The principle behind batik lies in covering parts of the fabric with wax. Wax is resistant to dye and once removed, the areas that were covered with wax remain white or the original base colour of the fabric. Here lavender sachets, which impart a pleasant perfume to clothing while protecting them against moths in the wardrobe closet, are decorated using the batik crackling technique.

1 What will you need? Ponge 5 silk, dye for silk, flat and round brushes, beeswax, paraffin, a metal bowl and pan, packing paper and newspaper, paper napkins, iron, needle and thread.

2 Prepare wax suitable for batiking by combining equal parts of beeswax and paraffin (you can use white candles, such as tea candles).

3 Warm in a water bath to a temperature high enough so that when the wax is on the silk painting brush, it is translucent and can penetrate the fabric. The gift bags can be made by first batiking the silk and then sewing the bags. The pattern will be different on each side of the bag. We used the option of first sewing the bags, ironing them well and then batiking them. The bag will then have the same pattern on both sides – the silk is so fine that the wax easily penetrates through both layers.

4 First draw the pattern on paper and place underneath the bag. Pad the work area with cardboard or paper. Paint the design onto the silk using a brush dipped in wax. Occasionally lift the silk during the process to make sure it does not adhere to the padding. When the pattern is finished, turn the bag over and, if necessary, use a brush to correct and fill in the contours.

5 Brush dye for use on silk over the entire bag and let dry well.

6 If necessary, the dye can be diluted or mixed with one another to create colour gradations.

7 Once the dye is completely dry, use a wide flat brush to brush wax over the entire surface.

8 Allow the wax to harden – the sachets can be placed into the freezer for a few minutes - then carefully break the wax on the fabric. Take care that it does not crumble off; if it does, wax has to be reapplied to that area. You yourself decide how many cracks you want to have – the more there are, the darker and less ‘decipherable’ the picture on the batik sachet will be.

9 Straighten the silk and brush the black dye, mixed with a little washing-up liquid or other detergent that cuts through grease, into the crevices left by the broken wax. Again use the flat brush and move the brush in all directions, all the way out to the edges of the bag. Blot up any excess dye with paper napkins.

10 Place the dry silk between sheets of white packing paper and put 2-3 layers of newspaper on either side of the fabric. Place an old cloth on the ironing board and the newspaper-wrapped bag on top of this. Using an iron set to medium heat, iron the bag to remove the wax. As soon as the paper becomes oily from the wax, exchange it for clean paper. Repeat until the wax has been completely removed.