How to Grunge Fabric
- 1). Rub a piece of coarse-grit sandpaper in circular motions on the elbows of a shirt and the knees of a pair of pants. After you've roughed up and thinned the fabric in these spots, rub around the edges of these areas with a piece of medium-grit sandpaper to make them look more natural.
- 2). Scrape the blade of a utility knife or straight razor on the seams at the ends of the pant legs to cause the threads to fray. Scrap the seams at the ends of the arms of the shirt, around the pockets and wherever else there are seams.
- 3). Add drops of brown, green and yellow acrylic paint to a plastic cup. Add small amounts of water while you stir it into what looks like a watery mud puddle. Slip pieces of thick cardboard between the sides of the fabric so you won't get paint on both sides.
- 4). Dip the tip of a washcloth into the paint water and dab it on the centers of the fronts of the pants from the knees down, on either sides of the seat of the pants and on the sleeves of the shirt. Rub the paint into the fabric with a dry washcloth to blend it in. Keep adding dabs of "mud" onto the spots and blend them until you have the desired grunge effect.
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