Although rust tends to be an unpopular eye-catcher, it has become very popular in recent years. Rusted elements and decorations decorate the house and create a unique eye-catcher. Rusty surfaces are part of the current vintage look and industrial style. This trend also inspires many antique and vintage lovers who don't want to miss out on unique decorations with a certain something. However, the finished items with a patina look are quite expensive. There is a simple solution: you can make patina yourself.
This is how you can achieve the trendy rust look
There are already a few options, the desired oneRost-Lookto achieve it and save money in the process. Plus, homemade is always nicer, right? First and foremost, you should be clear about how the rust actually comes about. This is a chemical reaction that occurs with metals containing iron. This is how metals such as iron and steel come into contact with water and oxygen and oxidation occurs. The visible result of this natural process is the reddish-brown color. So, to get rust, you have to put ferrous metal in contact with water and oxygen.
The rusting process can often be observed in public spaces. The material not only acquires a beautiful color in a natural way, but also becomes porous and unstable over time. That's why rust is rarely a desired effect and is more of an eyesore. People have already thought about how to protect metals and make them last longer. Metals are being developed that are protected after special treatments and do not oxidize when in contact with water. If youa rust effectIf you want to achieve this in a natural way, we recommend using bare or galvanized steel.
Let it rust naturally
Elements made of ferrous metal rust on their own over time. But this can take some time. To speed up the process you can do simplefunds from the budgetuse: an object made of bare or galvanized steel (elements made of other materials must be removed before the process), strong (swimming) pool cleaner, hydrochloric or acetic acid or alternatively a 5-10% salt solution, some sandpaper.
Before you can paint the rust yourself, you should put on protective clothing and, above all, rubber gloves. The metal must first be left in a solution of bathroom cleaner and hydrochloric or acetic acid for a few hours, preferably overnight. This should contain around 90% water. To speed up the process even further, the water can be heated. After at least 12 hours, the metal elements are rinsed generously with water and roughened with sandpaper. Now the protective layer is gone and the rusting can begin. Leave the items out in nature and leave the rest to the weather.
Achieve the desired effect with varnish
Natural rusting certainly looks beautiful and real, but it takes quite a long time and requires a little more work. When it comes to decoration and home accessories, this is actually out of the question. For anyone who wants to make rust paint themselves, there is a quicker option. For this you need a special effect paint with a rust look. There are already many products available in craft and hobby shops and hardware stores that are designed to create a patina effect.
Step-by-step instructions
It's best to get a whole set, which usually consists of a primer, effect color and an activator. If desired, you can also apply a layer of clear varnish at the end. Basically, you always have to pay attention to the instructions of the respective manufacturer when using it. The products are not always the same in their application. However, one can assume the following application:
First, a special primer is applied where you want the rust effect. This can be the whole part or just individual areas. The typical sandy-porous surface appearance will later emerge. Each layer should be allowed to dry thoroughly for the result to be successful. Now the characteristic iron color comes into play. Depending on what kind of effect you want to achieve, it doesn't have to be applied everywhere.
This base color actually contains iron particles that are caused to oxidize using an activator. How strong the effect is can be controlled by how the activator is applied. Finally, when the surface is completely dry, a protective coating or clear varnish can be applied to protect against staining.
This simple principle can be used to design small decorative objects as well as entire walls and ceilings. The decorative appearance and real rust surface are the characteristics that make homemade rust paint more popular.
The best thing about making your own rust paint is that you can design every piece and every surface to have the look you want. However, if possible, the object should not be made of stainless steel. In principle, the effect can be achieved on all surfaces that can also be colored or painted. Glass and plastic are also not suitable for this.
Metal objects are also suitable for treating with rust paint. These will not rust through because once the rust layer has formed it is inactive again. An even rust effect is achieved, which is difficult to achieve naturally.
Another advantage of rust paint is that, unlike real rust, the decorated objects do not show any traces of rust. At the same time, they look true to the original and appear extremely authentic.
Make your own rust paint and decorate it in a rusty way
Rust paint can be used to refine any objects that do not usually rust, such as wood, glass, ceramics, stone, plaster or plastic. However, shiny surfaces must first be roughened a little with sandpaper so that the rust paint adheres well. Once the designed stainless steel objects have been coated with a protective varnish, they can also be used outdoors.
You can work very artistically with the rust color and create several small and large decorative objects. Here we present two excellent inspirations: rusted candle holders made from empty bottles and a real art picture in rust and patina. For glass bottles, you should first roughen the surface and then apply a matt, opaque paint to eliminate the glass transparency. Only then can you apply the primer and then the rust paint. When all layers dry out completely, use the activator.
With the “rust landscape” you can cover the canvas with a different base color and only design individual areas with rust color, thereby creating effective rusty accents.
