diy {easy batik for kids}

I’m pretty sure the first time I tried my hand at batik I was in middle school. Mrs. Brown taught art at my middle school and her husband taught my 9th & 10th grade art classes. I am so grateful for the passion they each taught with and poured out into their students. I’ve heard art classes are being cut at many schools. It is hard for me to imagine any of my school years without art class. In high school and college, the art room was my refuge. I had my own little studio spot on my high school campus, where I ate many meals alone simply because I could. It was my favorite place to retreat from the hustle and bustle of high school. I am so thankful for those years, for my fellow art students and for the opportunity to create on campus.

I digress.

Last year I bought the book Art Lab for Kids. I’ve posted about it previously. It has become my go-to for quick ideas that teach more than what many consider the basics of art. Last week I taught the kids about batik. Normally, you do batik with hot wax and dye. Neither of those work very well with my daughters. The boys could have handled it, but the girls…not so much. Anyway, I took the basic instructions for creating a similar project using glue and paint from the Art Lab book.

We used canvas and paint we had on hand. The book has better instructions and tips. Ours was basic – draw with glue, let it dry, paint over it all, then wash the glue off (or just wash the paint off the glue if you are tired of washing glue!)

We just used standard Americana craft paint.

I had the best intentions of joining the kids for this project, but someone kept needing help with water or paint. I might need to find a way to sneak away and do this one on my own! Actually, it really makes me want to do real Batik again. I don’t miss high school, but I do miss that dedicated daily time each day for art. I’m going to need to figure out a way to dedicate a certain time slot each week to art again – I think that sounds like a great idea.