BoomBoxSkokie Public Library

Crayon Batik

Batik is a method of dying fabric using wax. The wax repels the dye, leaving areas of the fabric free of certain colors. Crayons are made of wax and can be used as a way to apply batik to paper. We found this tutorial from Taylor Tinkerings helpful to test out crayon batik. See below for instructions adapted from the tutorial.

 

Supplies Needed

  • Fibrous, white paper like construction or watercolor paper

  • Crayons, including a black crayon

  • Diluted black acrylic paint

  • 1” foam paint brush

  • Paper towel

 

Instructions

  1. Create a design on the white paper. Use the black crayon to create outlines of your design.

  2. Color in each outlined shape with different colors of crayons. Press hard when you’re coloring for best results.

  3. Crumble your completed design into a ball. The crumbling creates cracks in the crayon.

  4. Add the diluted black acrylic paint to the paint brush. Apply an even, thin layer of paint to your design.

  5. Blot with a paper towel and allow to dry.

 

What’s Happening

The diluted paint will absorb into the white paper wherever crayon cracks are present. The crayon, made of wax, will resist the paint and cause the paint to pool or form a puddle on top of the crayon. That’s why we use a paper towel to remove the extra, non-absorbing paint.