The crackle batik method gives a pattern that looks cracked and random. This works for large pieces of textiles for clothing. Paint a mixture of paraffin and beeswax onto cotton fabric. Other natural fabrics such as linen can also be used for batik. Once the fabric is saturated with the wax, cold dye the fabric in a large bucket. If you want a strong crackling effect, roll and rub the fabric to cause more breakage in the wax. After dyeing, iron off the wax by placing the dried fabric between newspapers.
Nature themes can be painted as batik patterns. Choose a design of a bird, tree or other natural motif. Decide on the pattern placement and colors before you begin. Add wax with a paint brush or a traditional Indonesian "tjanting" batik tool. Cover the areas you want white. Your first dye bath should be yellow or another light color. Do not take the wax off the first area, and apply the wax to areas you want yellow. Then dye the next color. Continue this process until you have all the colors you want. Iron off the wax when complete.
Look at traditional geometric Indonesian batik patterns for your own project. Many traditional designs are geometric and are repeated throughout the entire textile. These tend to be used for clothing, and you can create your own by stamping the wax onto fabric. If you do not have a stamp, apply the pattern freehand. Create squares, crosses, circles, triangles or ellipses onto the fabric. After the first dye bath, you can apply more geometric shapes within the first shapes with the wax. Then place it in another color of dye. Repeat until complete.
Create artistic batik patterns by painting onto the fabric like a regular painting. Sketch a painting on paper first and decide on your colors. Paint the wax over areas of white first, and then place the fabric into the dye of the lightest color you wish to use. Cover those areas with wax after it dries, then dye the next color. Repeat this process until the entire art batik is finished. After you iron off the wax, you can hang the fabric like a painting.