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Crackled Batik Book Covers

Students will learn about batik and watercolor resist and create stylized book covers.

Lesson Plan

Supplies Needed

Gather all the supplies needed to bring your craft ideas to life! From paints and markers to glue and scissors, our crafts section has everything to spark creativity and make every project truly special.

  • Newsprint Paper

Steps

  • Step 1

    Introduce students to the art of batik - a wax-resist textile dyeing technique that originated in Java, Indonesia as early as the 7th century. The word "bathikan" means "drawing" or "writing" in Javanese. In 2009 Indonesian Batik was inscribed on UNESCO's List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, a designation that aims to increase awareness of its significance and legacy. Display some images of popular Indonesian batik motifs, such as Parang Rusak, Sogan, Megamendung, and others.

  • Step 2

    Have students choose a book they'd like to cover and then cut out a piece of paper that is at least two inches wider than the book on all sides. Ask them to create an abstract design with large shapes and bold colors on the paper, pressing firmly with crayons. Next have them crumple the paper and then smooth it out. Then have them apply a thin layer of watercolor over the design (black watercolor paint creates a dramatic contrast to bold colors but any color will be fine). The wax from the crayons will resist the paint, and the paint will seep into the cracks, thus producing the crackled batik effect.

  • Step 3

    When it's dry, have students place their open book on the plain side of the paper and fold the edges over the book corners, taping the edges together on the inside. Use scissors to trim as needed.

Standards

ARTS: Explore and invent art-making techniques and approaches.

SS: Culture: Create, learn, share, and adapt to culture.

Adaptations

Have students investigate some of the other cultural heritage intangibles on the UNESCO list, such as Garba of Gujarat - a devotional dance that is dedicated to feminine energy and performed during the Hindu festival of Navaratri - or Aklan piña of the Philippines, which is a textile made from pineapple leaf fibers and woven on a handloom.

Ask students to learn about other textile dyeing techniques, such as silk screen, block print, and heat transfer.