DIY Batik Wall Decor

I have been battling white walls since we moved into our rental house a couple of years ago. I don’t want to paint because I would have to repaint when we move and it is less than a year now. That’s just too much work, but I need things to hang on the wall. With all of the bohemian type crafts and decor popular right now, this batik art will fit right in.

This is actually a pretty inexpensive project to do and even cheaper if you make your own frame. I went to a store called Jerry’s Art-a-rama in Tempe and bought frame sides to the size I wanted my artwork to be.  I think the whole frame cost me about 6.00 total. 

After I got my frame put together, I cut a piece of muslin a couple of inches wider than my frame. Later on I will be stretching it like a canvas.

The first time I did this I drew my pattern on freehand and had no problem with it but the pattern was much simpler than the one I picked for this.

I searched google and found the knot design I liked here and traced it onto my fabric.

The rest of my components to finish this are wax, dye, and an eye shadow applicator. I put plain beeswax into a small metal bowl and melted it with a double boiler method in a pan on the stove.

While the wax was melting, I ripped off a good size piece of freezer paper to put underneath the fabric. Then I just started painting my fabric with the wax using the eye shadow applicator. I was careful with the wax because it was hot, but I didn’t care much if some dripped in spots across my fabric.

I somewhat followed the instructions on the package of dye. It said to put it in a squirt bottle but I mixed it in a large container. Wearing gloves I put the fabric in and smushed it all around. Last time I dyed fabric, I had blue hands for a few days afterward. My husband thought I was crazy but I was impatient and didn’t have any gloves. 🙂

I wrung out the fabric and laid it on the freezer paper outside for the sun to dry it.  The Arizona sun only takes a few minutes to dry out anything. 

After it was dry, I stretched it on the frame by stapling it in the corners first, then the middle of the sides and so on until I had it completely taut.

So now I have a new piece of artwork to give some color to my too white walls.

 

 

 

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