Creative Touch Turns Batik Fabric Scraps Into Souvenirs

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 14 (Bernama) -- In the eyes of many, fabric scraps are merely leftover pieces of textiles with little value. In reality, these remnants can be given a new lease of life as souvenirs or home décor items, as proven by The Batik Edit founder Fasiha Mohd Noh.

The 35-year-old sees cloth scraps not as waste but as a resource with strong potential to be redesigned into high-value products that emphasise sustainability.

Since August last year, she has been using leftover batik fabric to produce small items such as coasters and scrunchies. These products are not only practical for everyday use but can also be purchased as souvenirs.

Sharing her journey with Bernama, Fasiha said the idea emerged organically, driven by her reluctance to discard the growing pile of offcuts from the batik garments sewn by her mother and sister.

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“At the beginning, there was no plan to produce upcycled items. But as the leftover fabric kept accumulating, that’s when the idea came to turn it into small, usable products.

“One of the easiest items to make is a coaster. The leftover fabric from a single garment can produce between five and 10 coasters, preventing the material from becoming waste,” she said when met at the Upcycle Batik Wear Festival here recently.

Explaining that it takes only about 30 minutes to produce 10 coasters, while a single scrunchie takes around 30 minutes, Fasiha, who is from Shah Alam, Selangor, said the leftover material she uses is from batik sourced entirely from Terengganu.

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The mother of two said each product made from the fabric carries added value as batik motifs are not only visually appealing but also reflect the nation’s artistic heritage and cultural identity. Her products are priced between RM4 and RM20 each.

Farisa estimates that more than 100 pieces of leftover fabric have been saved from disposal since she started the business, with the upcycled products receiving encouraging demand as souvenirs.

Meanwhile, La Mode Fashion Academy founder Jessica Lee, 63, said beyond adding new value to materials often regarded as waste, upcycling batik and other types of used fabrics also play an important role in educating the public, especially the younger generation, about sustainability and appreciation of local crafts.

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She said the students at her academy are not only taught sewing skills but also trained to see leftover fabric as a valuable resource that can be transformed into a variety of craft products such as wallets, handbags and small accessories.

“We strive to eliminate waste as much as possible. Even the smallest scraps can still be turned into something useful and of high value,” she said, adding that sewing and handicraft making skills can be learned by people of all ages, whether as a hobby, a form of therapy or a source of supplementary income.

-- BERNAMA