Love the look of tea-stained fabric? Make your own with these simple instructions.

Difficulty: Average
Time Required: Varies

Here's How:

1. Prewash your fabric. Or, test the tea staining process with one new and one prewashed square. Soak in tea and time the results.
2. Add hot water to a very large soup pot. If doing a large quantity of fabric then use the hot water setting on the washing machine.
3. Add 3-5 teabags to the pot or 5-10 in the washer. Steep a few minutes.
4. Add fabric to the tea. Immerse fully and stir to get all areas of the fabric soaked.
5. Check the fabric color every 10 minutes or so.
6. For a faint tea stained look, soak the fabric for as little as 20 minutes.
7. For a deep tea stained look, soak the fabric for as long as 4 hours or overnight.
8. Drain tea out of kettle or washer, then refill to rinse fabric. Rinse well several times.
9. (Clean washer by setting it to go through an entire cycle with only a little soap and bleach.)
10. Hang tea-stained fabric on a line to dry or put it into a clothes dryer on low setting.
11. Iron and use fabric for curtains, pillows, or other projects.

Tips:

1. Experiment on sample pieces of fabric.
2. Watch the process carefully so fabrics don't get too dark.
3. Rinse fabric well before hanging to dry.
4. Various tea blends may offer a variety of subtle colors.

More How To's from your Guide To Interior Decorating