Making a DIY Glue Batik T-Shirt project is such an easy and fun idea for kids of all ages (grown-ups too!). This fun dyed summer t-shirt craft is perfect to make with both little kids and teenagers alike. If your kid is old enough to draw a straight line, then they can make this t-shirt craft!
DIY Batik Shirt Technique
Batik is a dyeing process used on cloth which uses wax to resist the dye in certain areas of the fabric. It originated in Indonesia and often uses dots and lines as the patterns for the wax resist.
Today we are using glue instead of wax for the batik technique which is an easy way to customize your designs for making your own batik t-shirts. Making DIY t shirts together is a fun activity for a group like a family traveling together, a special occasion or holiday and even a slumber party.
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What Glue Works Best for Batik Technique
The key to making a DIY Glue Batik T-Shirt is Elmer’s Blue Gel Glue. You MUST use this glue in this t-shirt project for it to turn out right. You will also probably need to set aside two days to make this batik shirt, because you’ll need the blue gel glue to dry completely before dying it in the color of your choice.
What Shirt Works for Glue Batik Technique
100% white cotton works best when selecting a t-shirt to use so the dye will set properly. It’s also a great idea to only let adults or mature older children do the dying process.
Supplies Needed for Glue Batik Shirt Craft
- 100% cotton white t-shirt – kids shirts can be found here & women’s shirts here & men’s shirts here
- 1 package RIT dye
- 1 gallon very hot water
- 1/4 cup salt
- Elmer’s blue gel glue (NO substitutions!)
- Spray bottle with plain water
- Foam board or something waterproof that you can slide your shirt over
Directions for DIY T Shirt Project
Step 1
First, slide your white shirt over something waterproof such as a tote lid. Alternatively, you can use foam board.
Step 2
Spray front of shirt with water so it is wet.
Step 3
Using Elmer’s blue gel glue draw a design of your liking. Some ideas a shapes, zig-zags, and quotes. Allow to dry completely–this may take as long as 24 hours.
Step 4
Remove shirt from foam board or waterproof barrier.
Step 5
Follow the instructions on your RIT dye package. Ours called for 1 gallon of very hot water mixed with 1/4 cup of salt and the dye package.
Step 6
We added our shirt to this mixture, stirred to completely soak shirt in dye, then allowed to sit for 30 minutes in the dye.
Step 7
Rinse with cold water.
Step 8
Continue rinsing until the water no longer is colored.
Step 9
Run in washing machine on cold cycle and then dry thoroughly in dryer. Enjoy your new custom DIY Glue Batik T-Shirt!
Craft Notes:
You can do this with a basic t-shirt whether it is short sleeve or long sleeves. Whether you use a classic crew cut shirt or any other casual shirt you can do this craft on all of them. The attractive features of the art will show up.
I would hand wash at least the first time to ensure there is no bleeding from your batik dye tee.
Our Experience Making Dyed T Shirt
My 8 and 11 year old kids had a blast making these homemade batik shirts. This was a really successful slumber party craft for our group. The first thing the girls did was to make their glue designs and then they took the shirts home to do step 9 the next day.
Easy DIY T Shirt Design
This simple DIY t shirt design uses a batik dye technique with glue instead of the traditional wax resist. Kids of all ages can help make their own shirt design with simple lines and dots.
Materials
- 100% cotton white t-shirt
- 1 package RIT dye
- 1 gallon very hot water
- 1/4 cup salt
- Elmer’s blue gel glue (NO substitutions!)
Tools
- Spray bottle with plain water
- Foam board or something waterproof that you can slide your shirt over
Instructions
- Place your t shirt over a waterproof item like foam board or foil wrapped cardboard.
- Spray where you want your own design to be on the shirt with water until wet.
- Using Elmer's blue gel glue draw your design.
- Allow to dry fully.
- Mix up your fabric dye and remove shirt from waterproof board.
- Add shirt to your fabric dye mixture and completely soak until desired color -- we let ours soak for 30 minutes in the dye.
- Rinse shirt completely with cold water until no color runs from the shirt.
- Run in washing machine on cold cycle and dry thoroughly in the dryer.
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What about some fun DIY slap bracelets?
How did your batik shirt turn out? What color of dye did you use?
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