How to Rust Dye Fabric
Protect yourself and your workplace., Find an assortment of rusty items., Choose a light-colored fabric., Spread the fabric onto a tray., Spray the fabric with a solution made from vinegar and water., Arrange metal items over your fabric in a...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Protect yourself and your workplace.
Cover your work surface with a plastic bag or cheap, plastic tablecloth.
Put on an old set of clothes you don't mind ruining.
Lastly, put on a pair of plastic gloves.
The type you'd use in the kitchen work best., The items don't have to be completely rusted through, but they should already be old.
Nails, bike chains, and gears work especially well for this.
You can find items in second-hand shops or garage sales. , White is deal, but you can use natural, unbleached cotton as well.
Both natural and synthetic types of fabrics dye well, but cotton or silk work the best.
Wool also takes dye well, but it tends to come out darker.
Consider a wool/cotton blend instead., If you can't find a tray big enough for the fabric, you can spread the fabric in a large, plastic sheet instead.
You can also wrinkle or ripple the fabric; this will help create even more texture later on. , Fill a large spray bottle with equal parts of water and white vinegar.
Shake the bottle to mix the two together, then spray the fabric with it.
Make sure that it is evenly soaked., Avoid clumping the items together, or the top pieces won't show on the finished piece.
You can use as many or as few items as you want..Here are some more arrangement ideas:
Stripes: wrap the fabric around a pole, then scrunch it down.
Starburst: fold the fabric over a small metal object, then tie it into a knot below the object.
Specific shapes: lay down a template over the fabric, then fill the template with iron fillings.
Grid: weave metal nails in and out through the fabric, like sewing.
Have some going horizontal, and others vertical. , Make sure that you coat the rusty items as well.
If you bundled the fabric around the items, make sure that you spray it all around, including the back., Tuck the edges under the first plastic sheet (or tray) to help lock in the moisture.
If you spread the metal pieces across the fabric, consider placing some heavy books on top.
This presses the objects into the fabric and ensures a clearer print.Bundled or wrapped pieces don't need to be weighed down. , How long you leave the fabric depends on how intense you want the rust to be.
The longer you leave the objects on the fabric, the darker the color will be.
For a subtle effect, leave the objects in the fabric for a few hours to one day.
For a darker color, leave the objects on the fabric for 4 to 5 days.Check on the fabric every so often.
If you leave the fabric rusting too long, it may develop holes. , Remove the plastic covering first, then put on your plastic gloves again.
Take the metal items off of the fabric and set them aside so that they can dry.
Recycle them or save them for future project. , Fill a large bucket or plastic tub with 1 gallon (3.8 liters) of warm water.
Stir in 1 tablespoon (17 grams) of salt.
The saline solution will help stop the rusting process.The salt also helps make the dye permanent.If you dyed a large amount of fabric, make more of the saline solution.
Use 1 tablespoon (17 grams) of salt for every gallon (3.8 liters) of water. , Place the fabric into the bucket, then press down on it.
Make sure that it is completely covered by the water.
Wait 30 minutes, then remove the fabric from the solution., How you wash it depends on what it is made out of.
If you used cotton or synthetic fabric, wash it as you normally would in the washing machine.
If you used wool or silk fabric, you will need to wash it by hand with dish soap or hand-washing laundry soap., Again, how you dry the fabric depends on what it's made from.
You can cotton or synthetic fabric in the dryer or on the clothesline.
Wool or silk fabric should be hung up to dry.
Once the fabric is dry, you can use it as you wish. -
Step 2: Find an assortment of rusty items.
-
Step 3: Choose a light-colored fabric.
-
Step 4: Spread the fabric onto a tray.
-
Step 5: Spray the fabric with a solution made from vinegar and water.
-
Step 6: Arrange metal items over your fabric in a pattern that you like.
-
Step 7: Spray the fabric once more with the vinegar-water.
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Step 8: Cover the fabric with a large plastic bag or sheet.
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Step 9: Leave the fabric some place warm until the rust develops.
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Step 10: Remove the metal objects.
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Step 11: Prepare a saline solution.
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Step 12: Soak the fabric in the saline solution for 30 minutes.
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Step 13: Wash the fabric.
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Step 14: Dry the fabric.
Detailed Guide
Cover your work surface with a plastic bag or cheap, plastic tablecloth.
Put on an old set of clothes you don't mind ruining.
Lastly, put on a pair of plastic gloves.
The type you'd use in the kitchen work best., The items don't have to be completely rusted through, but they should already be old.
Nails, bike chains, and gears work especially well for this.
You can find items in second-hand shops or garage sales. , White is deal, but you can use natural, unbleached cotton as well.
Both natural and synthetic types of fabrics dye well, but cotton or silk work the best.
Wool also takes dye well, but it tends to come out darker.
Consider a wool/cotton blend instead., If you can't find a tray big enough for the fabric, you can spread the fabric in a large, plastic sheet instead.
You can also wrinkle or ripple the fabric; this will help create even more texture later on. , Fill a large spray bottle with equal parts of water and white vinegar.
Shake the bottle to mix the two together, then spray the fabric with it.
Make sure that it is evenly soaked., Avoid clumping the items together, or the top pieces won't show on the finished piece.
You can use as many or as few items as you want..Here are some more arrangement ideas:
Stripes: wrap the fabric around a pole, then scrunch it down.
Starburst: fold the fabric over a small metal object, then tie it into a knot below the object.
Specific shapes: lay down a template over the fabric, then fill the template with iron fillings.
Grid: weave metal nails in and out through the fabric, like sewing.
Have some going horizontal, and others vertical. , Make sure that you coat the rusty items as well.
If you bundled the fabric around the items, make sure that you spray it all around, including the back., Tuck the edges under the first plastic sheet (or tray) to help lock in the moisture.
If you spread the metal pieces across the fabric, consider placing some heavy books on top.
This presses the objects into the fabric and ensures a clearer print.Bundled or wrapped pieces don't need to be weighed down. , How long you leave the fabric depends on how intense you want the rust to be.
The longer you leave the objects on the fabric, the darker the color will be.
For a subtle effect, leave the objects in the fabric for a few hours to one day.
For a darker color, leave the objects on the fabric for 4 to 5 days.Check on the fabric every so often.
If you leave the fabric rusting too long, it may develop holes. , Remove the plastic covering first, then put on your plastic gloves again.
Take the metal items off of the fabric and set them aside so that they can dry.
Recycle them or save them for future project. , Fill a large bucket or plastic tub with 1 gallon (3.8 liters) of warm water.
Stir in 1 tablespoon (17 grams) of salt.
The saline solution will help stop the rusting process.The salt also helps make the dye permanent.If you dyed a large amount of fabric, make more of the saline solution.
Use 1 tablespoon (17 grams) of salt for every gallon (3.8 liters) of water. , Place the fabric into the bucket, then press down on it.
Make sure that it is completely covered by the water.
Wait 30 minutes, then remove the fabric from the solution., How you wash it depends on what it is made out of.
If you used cotton or synthetic fabric, wash it as you normally would in the washing machine.
If you used wool or silk fabric, you will need to wash it by hand with dish soap or hand-washing laundry soap., Again, how you dry the fabric depends on what it's made from.
You can cotton or synthetic fabric in the dryer or on the clothesline.
Wool or silk fabric should be hung up to dry.
Once the fabric is dry, you can use it as you wish.
About the Author
Gregory Cole
Creates helpful guides on DIY projects to inspire and educate readers.
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