Easy Faux Rust Technique For Home Decor

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Learn how to create realistic looking rust with this easy faux rust technique for your home decor. The simple ingredient is cinnamon. Create beautiful wall art with this fun technique.

I’m always on the lookout for new and interesting craft techniques, and recently I ran across this simple way to create the look of rust. This easy faux rust technique takes just minutes and adds a great touch to your home decor. This is Suzy from Suzy’s Sitcom, and I’d love to share this idea with you!

Easy faux rust technique for home decor - on a metal letter M.

So, a little background on the project. For the past five years, my husband and I have lived in our RV while traveling the country. My father in law came to the point where he could no longer live alone, so we put the RV in storage and we moved him from Georgia to New York state to live with us on a farm.

A new york farm in the winter

The move was not without a bit of a challenge. None of us are used to cold winter weather and we were hit almost immediately by a large winter storm.

Suzy holding a chicken on her arm.

We are slowly adjusting to the environment and the animals that we are taking care of. There will be lots of challenges with this new way of life for us, but we are happy to take them on.

In the meantime, we have a huge farmhouse with lots of blank walls to fill. After living in a RV for five years, I have absolutely nothing for walls. With a farmhouse theme in mind, I am taking on the task of creating for our new home. My project this week is an easy faux rust technique for home decor and a great way to start.

faux rust technique for home decor

This easy faux technique takes just a few minutes and uses surprisingly few supplies. The simple ingredient is cinnamon! Create beautiful wall art with this fun technique.

The supplies you need to do faux rust on home decor letters.

What you need: 

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*Choose whatever letters that you would prefer! You could do a family name, monogram, the word HOME, LOVE, FAMILY, or anything else that suits your home. For my project, I chose the word FARM because well, it is a farm after all!

faux rust technique

Cinnamon, cardboard letters, and silver metallic paint.

1. paint a metallic base coat

Be sure to cover your work surface. This can be a messy project! Apply a base coat of metallic paint to all of the letters. Paint the front and all of the sides.

Cinnamon sprinkled on metal-painted letters.

2. Add the cinnamon to create a faux rust look

Once the paint has dried, you are ready for this step. With a brush, add more metallic paint to edges of the letters and areas where you would like the look of rust. Do a small area at a time. Add paint and then sprinkle cinnamon on top.

The letters F, A, and M, with silver paint and cinnamon sprinkled on them.

3. work in small sections

Add more paint and more cinnamon as you work on each letter. The paint will dry quickly, so do a small section at a time.

A large letter A painted silver with cinnamon sprinkled on it to look like rust.

Work until you are satisfied with the look. You can go with touches of rust like I did, or make it very rusty, whichever is your preference.

A close-up of how the cinnamon looks just like rust.

Once the paint has dried, use a large dry brush to brush off the extra cinnamon.

The letters F, A, R, and M, hanging on a wall.

To mount the final project on my wall, I found that double-stick mounting tape was my best bet. It allowed me to adjust my letters the way I wanted them.

It was the perfect addition to my new farmhouse!

Easy faux rust technique

The cinnamon used for this project smelled great while working on it, but I have to tell you that the smell goes away quickly. Which is okay because we are going for rust, not cinnamon. Right?

Create something amazing. I’d love to see what you come up with!

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Love fun faux techniques? 

If you enjoyed this easy faux rust technique for your home decor, then you may enjoy some of my other faux decorating techniques on Suzy’s Sitcom!

How to make Faux Tin Tiles with Cookie Sheets!

Make a Faux Iron Gate with Paper!

How to make Faux Stained Glass!

You may also enjoy these 4 faux crafts on Ideas for the Home by Kenarry® –

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3 Comments

  1. I love the farmhouse and rustic looks. This project is right up my alley! If you run across any more faux “recipes” along these lines, please let us know. I would especially like to know how to make homemade antiquing gel.
    Best of luck on this new phase in your lives. I can relate about the weather, but if you can’t live in an RV, what better place than a farm? What a blast you will have decorating all those bare walls!

  2. I love this look but have a few questions:
    How do you dust them since they’re covered with cinnamon?
    When you dust them does the cinnamon come off?
    Thank you.

    1. Hi Mea,
      You’re asking great questions. Wait until the paint is fully dried, then you’ll dust off the extra cinnamon with a dry brush. Yes, some of the cinnamon will come off when you dust, but most will be “stuck” to your letters or whatever you’re rusting. We’d love to see photos of how your project turns out!

      Best wishes,
      Carrie
      Ideas for the Home by Kenarry

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