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Do you have a project that would look more authentic if your fabric is antique? Have you looked around and found that true antique fabric is either: a) impossible to find. b) too expensive, or c) too fragile to withstand even ordinary use. Take a lesson from historians, museums and registered landmarks. Curators and textile specialists often work together to duplicate fabrics from our past. Over the years all these professionals have created methods, processes and formulas that age and distress fabric to derive just the right antique look. The truth of the matter is you can do almost the same thing with a simple tea bag!

That's right a tea bag, pot, big spoon and container (that can hold your fabric while it soaks in the tea) is really all you need. Use one tea bag per quart of water. Heat the water to boiling point; remove from heat and place the tea bag(s) in the water to steep. Place the fabric in your container. Stir the tea, and *pour it in the container over the fabric. Allow the fabric to soak in the tea, and stir occasionally. Inspect the fabric; once it is dark enough, remove it from the tea mixture and allow it to dry. Wash and rinse the fabric and allow it to dry again. Repeat the process if needed.

*For delicate fabrics and/or to prevent shrinkage, allow the tea to cool down before pouring it over the fabric.

In addition to tea, walnuts, bleach, Kool-Aid and common fabric dye (liquid or powder, available at grocery and department stores) can help you achieve an antique look for your fabric. Experiment with a small swatch of the fabric to make sure your selected dye or chemical achieves the desired result.

Walnuts will add a light brown stain to fabric. If you have a small piece of fabric, try boiling the fabric and whole (in the shell) walnuts together in a pot of water. Not only will the walnuts stain the fabric, but will cause surface wear as well.
Bleach is a harsh chemical and will cause the fabric fibers to break down, which also helps to soften and age fabric. Bleach will give silk a yellowish tinge, but leaves wool and cotton white. Bleach can also be used as a pre-wash for dense fabric, and helps prepare some fabrics to accept stain. If a stain turns out too dark, a little bleach can help to lighten the color.

A smidgen of Kool-Aid, powder and/or liquid dyes all can help to age your fabric. Use yellows, tans, and browns according to the desired end result. Always test a little of the Kool-Aid by adding water to it first. Dry Kool-Aid often changes to a different color after water is added to it. Don't be afraid to experiment!

Keep in mind that natural fibers such as cotton, wool and silk more readily accept dye than synthetic fibers, so it takes much less dye for them. Additionally, if you want your fabric to look truly authentic, you will probably want to avoid fabric made from polyester and rayon. Synthetic fibers such as these have not been in existence long enough to have been used for an antique fabric.

Now get started and enjoy your faux antique fabric!

Learn more about this author, Cindy Hartzell.
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