Things to do · Arts and crafts
Learn batik
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Batik draws a design on cloth in melted wax, then dyes it; the waxed lines stay pale, and layers of wax and dye build up the colours. A one-day class gets you from a tjanting, the small spouted pen, to a finished piece.
GentleUnder £100 / $130An afternoonIndoorsWith othersUK and US
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What you learn
Batik is a resist method. Wax applied to the cloth stops the dye reaching the fabric beneath. Dharma Trading's introduction describes the order of work. Wax the parts to stay lightest, dye, then wax and dye again, finishing with the darkest colour. At the end the wax comes out, by boiling, by hot water or with an iron between absorbent paper.
Leicester Adult Education College's one-day course covers stretching silk on a batik frame, drawing nature-inspired designs in melted wax with a tjanting, adding colour with silk dyes and fixing the finished piece, along with the origins and patterns of batik. At Farnham Maltings, tutor Alison Butler starts with small samples on paper before a larger piece on fabric.
Longer courses add stamps. Sievers School of Fiber Arts uses fibre-reactive dyes and beeswax, applied with brushes, wooden print blocks and antique Indonesian copper stamps called tjaps.
Ways in compared
| Where | Format | Cost (as last listed) |
|---|---|---|
| Leicester Adult Education College | One Saturday, 10am to 4pm, on silk; equipment provided (March 2026 run) | £22.25; materials may cost extra |
| Handprinted, Bognor Regis, West Sussex | Two Friday mornings, 10am to 1pm; fabric and paper; materials provided, bring your own white cotton (summer 2026 run) | £50 |
| Farnham Maltings, Surrey | Workshop with Alison Butler, from 10am (July 2026 run); paper samples, then fabric; materials provided | Fee not shown on the event page |
| Sievers School of Fiber Arts, Washington Island, Wisconsin | Four days with Anne Landre, all levels, using tjaps (June 2026 run) | $540 tuition, plus $60 materials; optional housing $320 |
Leicester asks you to wear old clothes or an apron because the dyes can stain clothing permanently. Farnham Maltings asks for design ideas, an apron and a folder to carry work home.
How to start
- Book a one-day batik class at an adult-education college or craft centre, or a longer course at a fibre arts school.
- Check whether fabric is supplied or whether you bring your own; one course asks for white cotton.
- Wear old clothes or an apron, since dyes can stain permanently, and take a notebook for colour order.
Where to go
- Leicester Adult Education College: Batik (one day) UK
- Handprinted: Fab Friday batik workshop (Bognor Regis) UK
- Farnham Maltings: Beautiful batik on fabric (Surrey) UK
- Sievers School of Fiber Arts: Batik (Washington Island, Wisconsin) US
We opened these links on 11 November 2026 and found them to be what we say. Dates, places and prices are on the official page, where they stay up to date.
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Plan it with dates
Pick a day, or a month, and we will set out how to get ready, step by step, with a date and a reason for each. Courses and classes have start dates and can fill up, so the plan begins with finding and booking one. Kit comes after the first session, once you know what you need.
Questions people ask
What is a tjanting tool used for?
Drawing lines of melted wax on to fabric in batik. Leicester Adult Education College's course teaches its use on silk.
How do you get the wax out of batik?
Dharma Trading lists boiling the wax out, running hot water over the fabric, dry cleaning, or ironing between absorbent paper, which it says can leave stains.
What fabric is best for batik?
Natural fibres. Leicester's course works on silk, Handprinted suggests white cotton, and Sievers includes a yard of cotton in its materials fee.
Is batik suitable for beginners?
Yes. Handprinted's and Farnham Maltings' workshops are open to beginners as well as people with some batik experience.
Where this comes from: Leicester Adult Education College, Batik; Handprinted, Fab Friday – Batik; Farnham Maltings, Beautiful batik on fabric; Sievers School of Fiber Arts, Batik; Sievers School of Fiber Arts, About us; Dharma Trading Co., Batik – introduction; John C. Campbell Folk School, Studio Batik with Jessica Kaufman. Opened 11 November 2026.
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