How to Rust Dye Fabric

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: February 12, 2020

Hand-dyed fabric is unique and beautiful, and no two pieces are alike. Many people use plants or vegetables, such as black walnuts or red cabbage, to dye their fabrics, but did you know that you can use rust as well? Rust dyeing is a great way to not only get a brownish-red color, but interesting textures and patterns as well. You have to do it carefully, however, or the rust may eat through the fabric!

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Preparing Your Fabric

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.^{[1]
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2
Find an assortment of rusty items. 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.

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3
Choose a light-colored fabric. 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.^{[2]
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4
Spread the fabric onto a tray. 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.
5
Spray the fabric with a solution made from vinegar and water. 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.^{[3]
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Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Dyeing the Fabric

1
Arrange metal items over your fabric in a pattern that you like. 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..^{[4]
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Research source} Here are some more arrangement ideas:^{[5]
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- 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.
2
Spray the fabric once more with the vinegar-water. 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.^{[6]
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3
Cover the fabric with a large plastic bag or sheet. 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.^{[7]
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Research source} Bundled or wrapped pieces don't need to be weighed down.
4
Leave the fabric some place warm until the rust develops. 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.^{[8]
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- Check on the fabric every so often. If you leave the fabric rusting too long, it may develop holes.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Finishing the Dyeing

1
Remove the metal objects. 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.
2
Prepare a saline solution. 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.^{[9]
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Research source} The salt also helps make the dye permanent.^{[10]
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- 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.
3
Soak the fabric in the saline solution for 30 minutes. 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.^{[11]
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4
Wash the fabric. 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.^{[12]
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5
Dry the fabric. 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.