Glue Batik Fabric Dyeing Art

White cotton fabric — a pillowcase, bandana, or square of cotton muslin

White school glue in squeeze bottles

Fabric dye (any color, liquid or powder)

Shallow basin or bucket for the dye bath

Rubber gloves for handling dye

Plastic sheeting to protect work surfaces

Lay a piece of white cotton fabric flat on a plastic-covered surface. Smooth out all wrinkles.

Draw designs directly on the fabric using squeeze bottles of white glue. Try bold lines, spirals, geometric patterns, a name, or an abstract design. Make the glue lines thick — thin lines may not resist the dye.

Let the glue dry completely. This takes at least 4 hours, but overnight is safer. The glue must be fully dry and hard.

Mix fabric dye in a shallow basin according to package directions. Wear rubber gloves from this point on.

Submerge the glue-covered fabric in the dye bath. Let it soak for 10 to 20 minutes, depending on how deep you want the color.

Pull the fabric out, rinse under cold running water until the water runs mostly clear, and lay flat to dry.

Once dry, peel or crack off the hardened glue. Underneath, the fabric stayed white where the glue blocked the dye. Your resist design is revealed.

This is the same principle as traditional Indonesian batik, which uses hot wax as the resist. Glue is a safer, kid-friendly substitute.

Cotton fabric takes dye best. Synthetic fabrics may not absorb the dye evenly.

Thick glue lines resist better than thin ones. Be generous with the glue.

Try using gel glue — it is thicker and stays in place without running on the fabric.

The finished fabric can be used as a wall hanging, pillowcase, bandana, or tote bag panel. It is functional art that your child actually uses and wears.