Make A Rusted Roof for Your Houses

One of the fun things I like to do with my paper crafting is make different textures and finish techniques for my paper crafts and little houses. And one of my favorite roofs is a rusted roof especially for the Halloween houses. Why do I like it so much? Because it looks very cool and somewhat spooky AND it's so easy to do. I've written about this technique in the past - just updating here with more examples.

Here are examples of little houses with Rusted Roofs:

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Materials:

• Aluminum Foil Tape - metallic DUCT tape
• Alcohol Inks - red, yellow, orange, brown, black, silver mixative
• Black Soot Distress Paint
• Cardboard for roof
• Texture Paste (optional)

Aluminum Foil Tape

Be sure to buy the correct aluminum tape. This aluminum tape is used to seal duct work for heating and air conditioning, but it is NOT the more commonly found stretchy DUCK tape. It is real true aluminum tape with adhesive on the back. I found mine at at a home improvement store. Get the kind that does not have writing on it, sometimes you find it with the brand name written on the tape itself. You don't want that.

Could you use regular aluminum foil? I haven't tried that. It might work, but I suspect it is too flexible and wrinkly.

Cut out the Cardboard for the Roof

Cut your cardboard in the shape and size you need for the roof of your little house. Test fit it on your house so you know that the overhangs are the correct size.

Tape to the Cardboard Roof

Tear off a section of tape large enough to cover the entire roof and fold over on the edges of your roof. Peel off the adhesive backing  and adhere.

When you are smoothing down the aluminum tape, be careful of the sharp edges. They will cut you. Then some of the rust on the surface will be colored from your own blood instead of from the alcohol inks.

Score the Cardboard to look like the ribbing on Rusted Tin Roofs

Use a dull pencil or a stylus and your ruler to score some parallel lines on your roof to look like the ribs you see on metal roofs. It's ok if they are perfectly straight.

Color with Alcohol Inks

Now for the fun and messy part - coloring your roof. Sometimes to make the roof look really old I smear texture paste on the surface of the tape, but not always. You choose how old you want the roof to be.

Add successive layers of alcohol inks. Just play around with the colors starting with the lighter colors. You can't mess it up - it's a rusted roof. I tend to make the edges darker because that is what I see on old abandoned barns and sheds around here.

Remember to color or paint the underside of the roof that will show on the overhangs. You don't want bright shiny aluminum on the underside when you've worked hard to age the top side so convincingly.

Add Black Soot Distress Paint for more Aging

After the alcohol ink dries, I distress the roof more with Black Soot Distress Paint. You can use  black paint or gesso if that is what you have on hand.

Glue to Your Little House or Craft Project

Glue your customized, spooky old roof to your little house. Now admire your handiwork.

I like this method so much because it doesn't require a lot of materials, it's really quick and so effective for giving an aged patina to your project. You can also make a rusted roof with specialized rust pastes which are very effective as well. But the alcohol inks are work nicely for making a rust look without purchasing a specialized paste.

What rusted projects have you done? If you make a paper house or a little cardboard house that needs some aging, try a rusted tin roof to add instant age and detail to your house or paper project.