4 of 8

Write now Article Tools

How to give fabric an antique look
Aging fabric to look antique is a sought after craft by many. Whether you need the fabric to place behind the sepia printed photo or to make garments resembling the pioneering age, you want it to look correct. There are a few different ways of doing this.

Whichever way you choose always cut a four to five centimeter square piece of same material to use as a test piece. Place this on a piece of paper and trace around the edge. Once you have treated and dried material put it back on paper to see how much it has shrunk. This will show how much fabric you will lose with this treatment.

RIT DYE AGING
Sprinkle the grains in a pot of hot water and mix thoroughly. Wet the piece of fabric you want to dye, and then dip it into the mixed dye and swirl around, stirring with a wooden spoon. Make sure the color is evenly distributed. When satisfied with the effect remove and rinse in cold water. Dry in the shade to avoid fading from the sun.

COFFEE AND TEA STAINING
Materials needed Stockpot or one large enough for material to move freely. A bucket, rubber gloves, tea or coffee granules, and a wooden spoon for stirring and tongs.

Instructions - boil water and coffee or tea granules on stove, stirring occasionally. Allow it to brew or color up. Make sure you have enough water for material to move freely. Wearing your gloves place fabric into pot and stir, swirling the material so it covers evenly. Color will be uneven if materials folded, or bunched up. Leave material longer if darker color is required. Use tongs to remove from hot water, taking care not to burn yourself. Rinse with cold water and hang to dry in shade.

People have used tea and coffee to stain fabrics for years. Different types of tea like, herbal, green and black tea will result in a variety of shades, so experiment with them to find the depth of color you require. If using tea bags (not as good a result) remove before placing fabric in water, as they will break and leave a grainy effect.

If using new fabrics, always wash before dying to remove sizing from fabric.

TREE AND LEAF TANNING
Try using different types of leaves from trees. Like the gum or eucalyptus tree. I experimented once by wetting the material and laying gum leaves on the fabric in the heat of the day. The imprint and color from the leaves left a colored pattern on the fabric.

Whatever you do, do not be afraid to experiment, and try different ways of doing things. Another idea when dying fabrics is to grab a selection of the material and tie a string around it. The area in the string will not color, leaving different patterns on material. Have fun trying these ideas to finish with the antique look.

Learn more about this author, Eileen Hughes.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

Add your voice

Know something about How to give fabric an antique look?
We want to hear your view. Write now!