Rusting Fab Fabrics

Some friends and I are going to gather this week to do a fire and ice dye session. 
Michele will show Ice Dying and I'm going to share Rusting Fabrics. 
Soon I'll do a follow up post with more photos!

Recipe-

1 Natural Fiber Fabrics- plain or lighter colors work best and give the best rusty 

results and clearest patterns. But don’t be afraid to experiment with colored or patterned fabrics. Try scarves, t-shirts or bags too! Some synthetic fibers will dye well; you can experiment to find out which ones. Silk can pit and create holes- so you have to watch those carefully when passive setting. 

2 Plastic bags or wrap

3 A small bottle of white vinegar and a bucket or tub. I used a 1/3 of a bottle to 1 cup water to dye 2 shirts. 

Tip- Try apple and wine vinegar to see what happens with those!

4 Rusty items- Wire, nails, bolts, tools, sprockets, pans, cooking items, irons, tractor or car parts, chain, hinges… the list is endless! And once you begin rust dyeing, you’ll be scouting garage sales, thrift stores, antiques shops and auctions for uniquely-shaped or –patterned rusty items.  

Note- You can rust non-rusty iron items. Put it outside in a shallow pan with a bit of salt, water, and vinegar. 

Soak your fabric in vinegar mixture and position rusty objects on top, making a shallow sandwich with additional fabrics and rusty objects. Place our fabric/clothing/whatever in a plastic bag. The plastic bag will keep it moist and place in a hot place for best results. Depending on temperature, leave for the afternoon of a few days. Check every so often to see what's happening.

Good Luck!!

Optional- apron & Plastic kitchen gloves