Rust Your Craft Projects with Simple Recipe

Rusty buckets and old metal items are essential to creating a primitive or country crafts look, but true rusted antiques can be expensive, hard to find, or too messy for home display. Create a similar look using a few simple household items, without the expense or hazard of true rust.

What Items to Paint

Choosing your item to “rust” is an important part of the process. Keep in mind that any alteration to the item’s appearance is probably permanent. Large projects may be time-consuming and expensive to cover, so stick to smaller pieces like tin buckets, old coffee cans, or old utensils for the kitchen or garden.

“Rust” Ingredients

The ingredients needed are simple: a jar of dark brown paint, such as burnt umber, and a container of regular powdered cinnamon. The paint serves as the base coat for your item; mix with glue if desired to help it stick to the surface. Once you’ve painted your item completely or wherever desired, sprinkle it all over generously with cinnamon. Don’t coat the item evenly, since you’re trying to create the illusion of natural rust, which tends to focus on some areas more than others. Let dry, then lightly brush away any excess with a light paintbrush.

Tips for Preserving the “Rust”

Once the item has dried, the paint and cinnamon should stick to it; however, galvanized or shiny materials, such as modern cans, can be scratched or rubbed clean in places and may need retouching. Water will dissolve your cinnamon and mar your paint, so keep your “rusted” items indoors and away from sinks and running water to avoid ruining your hard work.

Adding a coat or a few spots of “rust” to antique your item can create the look of vintage metal without additional expense. Practice on a few small cans to get the feel of the process before talking bigger items and feel free to experiment with various grades of cinnamon, paint, other spices, even the amount of material applied. Have fun with the project and show off your creativity.