How to Make a Canvas Look Antique

Tea is often used as a natural fabric dye to make canvas look antique.

Canvas is a closely woven cloth that is typically made of linen or cotton fabric. It is a versatile medium used for many different products, such as clothing, boat sails and bags, and as a surface for painting. The color of raw canvas tends to be white or a very light cream color. However, for decorative reasons, you may wish to alter this color and give your canvas an antique look. This is a quick and easy task that uses store-bought tea as a fabric dye.

Things You'll Need

• Sink
• Drain plug
• 50 black tea teabags
• Water
• Canvas fabric
• Mixing spoon
• Washing machine
• Clothes dryer

Instructions

1. Plug your sink's drain with the drain plug.

2. Place 50 black tea teabags into your sink.

3. Fill your sink three-quarters full with hot water

4. Stir the water in your sink for three to four minutes to allow the tea to steep and fully disperse into the water.

5. Place your canvas fabric into the water and use your mixing spoon to fully submerse it.

6. Soak the fabric in the tea mixture for approximately 30 minutes.

7. Remove the fabric from the sink and wash it in your washing machine on the light cycle without detergent. This will remove the excess tea color from the fabric and prevent it from bleeding during future washes.

8. Dry the canvas in your clothes dryer until completely dry.

Tips & Warnings

• You may use more teabags to achieve a darker antique color or less teabags for a lighter color.

References

• Tutorial: Tea Dying Fabric; August 2007