How To Paint Cardboard To Look Like Rusted Metal

This is a simple trivial fashion to paint faux rust using only craft paints.

On most anything.

Like picayune stars, cut out of cereal boxes. That would make ideal ornaments for Christmas trees for a forepart porch.

Like my porch, for instance.

Yes, I realize we just had Halloween. Yes, I realize it'due south only the commencement week of November.

But here'southward the thing . . .

I have 27 different paint projects planned for Christmas. I try to post 3 times a week.

Emphasis on "effort".

If I post 3 projects a week I'll demand ix weeks to fit all of the planned projects in.

There are 7 weeks til Christmas.

That doesn't include decorating any copse or wreaths or boughs or garlands or . . .

I'thou starting my Christmas posts now.

sigh.

You can apply this faux rust technique for Fall. Or, hey, you can use it for any day of the year.

Earlier doing any imitation end it's actually helpful to look at actual finishes.

Our landlord obligingly left this cool rust . . . affair . . . in our side yard.

Wait at all of those wonderful layers of color on the . . . matter.

Sometimes rust has very little orange in it.

Other times range of hues and tones are astonishing.

There are lots of dissimilar products to replicate a rust finish, along with different techniques.

This is just a really simple way using regular ol' craft paints and a sea sponge. Truth exist told, yous could probably just use a newspaper towel instead of a sponge and go a good result.

Materials List

Rust-Oleum Rusty Metal Primer
Burnt Sienna by Ceramcoat
Terra Cotta past FolkArt
Spicy Mustard FolkArt
Wrought Iron FolkArt
Wicker White FolkArt
Sea Sponge
spray matte sealer (non pictured)

Also the cut-out star from the cereal box . . .

I also painted a austerity store sleigh,

And a neon greenish plastic dollar store bucket.

Besides painting faux rust on metal, you can paint paper-thin, woods, or plastic.

Y'all could probably even paint faux rust on glass, but it didn't make my Christmas Project Listing this twelvemonth.

Ok, I wound upwardly trying two slightly different versions – 1 with dark grayness and one without. Starting time upwardly is the method without greyness.

Step 1 – Spray your projection with Rusty Metal Primer.

This alone volition requite most annihilation a nice rusted look.

Step 2 – Apply Terra cotta paint with sea sponge.

Step 3 – Apply a few highlights of Spicy Mustard here and in that location.

Footstep four – Apply even fewer highlights of Wicker White.

These highlights of white and xanthous add dimension to the stop and so it doesn't have a "flat" advent.

A note most using a sea sponge:

Applying paint with a clammy sea sponge will leave distinct markings unless you push and smoosh the paint around a flake.

Otherwise it'll look like a kitty got her paws in the paint and ran over your project.

No kitty tracks, ok?

Footstep 5 – Utilise Burnt Sienna over the highlights to tone them down a chip.

Burnt Sienna is close in hue to the spray primer. Since it'south a craft paint some of the highlights will notwithstanding exist visible, just not as harsh.

Step half dozen – Seal with a matte sealer.

Matte sealers aren't only to protect the finish, they too increment the await of dimension, which is critical when painting a simulated stop. My projects always await quite flat, even with lots of paint layers, until I seal with a matte.

Plus, there is no sheen with a matte, or merely a very slight satin. So you're not taking anything abroad from a true rust advent.

For the plastic tub I started with Wrought Iron mixed with a picayune Wicker White. I dabbed the sponge in each and allow them mix on the tub, rather than mixing on the palette to get a medium-toned grey.

Don't forget to do the within of an open container too!

Next, add the Terracotta close to the grayness mixture.

I'll do a video on Fake Rust pretty soon just I wanted to testify you how I apply a sea sponge.

First, dampen the sponge and blot almost of the water in a paper towel. Then dip in a little pigment and apply to the surface.

Turn the body of water sponge to the clean side where at that place is no paint.

Use the 'clean' side of the sponge to smoosh the paint effectually and get rid of any kitty tracks.

Equally y'all use, smoosh effectually, reapply, smoosh some more than, you lot'll current of air up with dissimilar textures – just what you desire for virtually faux finishes.