Do you love the farmhouse look of old Feed Sack Fabrics? Here is an easy way to make your own Vintage Feed Sack fabric using a drop Cloth.
If you are like me and love the vintage feel of old feed sack fabrics, here is an easy way to make your own fabric out of a drop cloth, a stencil and paint. You can use the fabric for so many projects. I’ve used mine for re-upholstering a deconstructed chair, tea towels and pillow covers. Here is a deconstructed chair post to help you avoid the mistakes I made.
Cut your Drop Cloth

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Begin by cutting some lengths of your drop cloth. If you want a lot of fabric to look like old feed sacks, you can use the whole drop cloth. I only need a small amount, so I cut approx. a yard of fabric. Keep in mind, if you like flea market flips like myself, you may want to use the your fabric for multiple projects. If you’d like to learn more about Thrift Store Shopping, here are My 10 Tips for Success!
Let’s age the fabric to look like a Vintage Feed Sack.

If you want your fabric to look like authentic old feed sacks, you will want to stain or dye the fabric. You can use several methods for aging the drop cloth fabric, including tea, coffee and bleach. Since this project was going to be a coffee bean bag, I used instant coffee to dye the fabric.

First, add a small amount of coffee grounds to water. You may want to stain your fabric in a sink, especially with a larger quantity. Be aware the coffee may stain your sink. Because I didn’t want to stain my white sink, I choose to use a pot for this small amount of fabric.
Drip your fabric into the coffee water and then rinse until you no longer see stained water coming from the rinse water. Then, dry your fabric.
Create your stencil REMINISCENT of an old Feed Sack.

Depending on what type of vintage feed sack you want to make, you will want to create a stencil. Since I was wanting a coffee bean sack, I googled old coffee companies and then created a stencil using some of the signage from that company. Since I have a Silhouette Machine, I cut my own stencil using card stock paper. If you don’t have access to a stencil cutting machine, you can use individual letters to create the signage for your feed sack. I have done this in the past with great success. You can purchase stencils letters such as these these.
Apply Your Stencil

Once your fabric is dry, it’s time to apply your stencil. Use painters tape or masking tape to hold the stencil in the desired spot. In this instance, I am only using black chalk paint. This would also be adorable with different colors. You will want to purchase fabric paint or if you are using acrylic craft paint, be sure to add a fabric medium so your paint will be soft and pliable. Annie Sloan Chalk paint is perfect for this project because it doesn’t require a fabric medium when applied to fabric.
Place Stencil Randomly on the Fabric

To make your feed sack have an authentic feel, place the stencil randomly along the fabric and use a light hand when stenciling some of the letters. I recommend using a stencil brush to apply the paint. You want it to have the appearance of faded old sack fabric.

Shop My Farmhouse Style
Once your fabric is dry, there are a multitude of things you can use it for. It would be perfect for pillow covers. I plan to use mine to cover some seat cushions.

In addition, I made the stationary box from an old silverware box here and you can see it in this photo.
Using drop cloth fabric is less expensive than most fabric and allows for a rustic feel. You can see a hand painted table runner here.


I hope you enjoyed this Tutorial on How to Make Feed Sack Fabric from a Drop Cloth. Please let me know if you are inspired to make your own. If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below.
Thanks so much for stopping by today! Your support and comments mean so much to me. I look forward to sharing my next project and adventure with you!

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Great tutorial! I love the look and feel of an old grain sack and yours turned out so cute! Such a great idea to use it on your chair!! Your chair looks amazing!! I am pinning this!
Karin
Karin,
Thank you so much for these sweet compliments. I appreciate your support. Have the best day.
Rachel
Oh my goodness! I adore this idea! Thanks for sharing at Vintage Charm–pinned!
Cecilia,
Thanks so much for your sweet comment. You are welcome. Rachel
What a smart idea! I love this Rachel!
Kim,
Thanks so much sweetie.
Wow, you did a beautiful job. The chair is stunning. Pinned
Anita,
Thank you so much for stopping by. I appreciate your encouragement.
Rachel
This chair turned out gorgeous. I adore vintage feed sacks! I am inspired to try my hand at making some fabric just like yours.
Have a beautiful day,
Kippi
Oh I hope you do. They are easy and fun.
Rachel
Love this project! Iโve just finished a drop cloth coverlet for our bed. Iโm making shams and would love to try this stencil project on them as well as recovering a vanity stool.
I just found your blog and love it! I took the Decor Personality Quiz and my two top scores were Traditional and Farmhouse Country. Yep! Thatโs me! Canโt wait to see whatโs in store when I receive your next email!
Delanie,
I’m so excited that you found me. I’ve been on vacation so my email has been delayed. I’ll get your next email asap.
Rachel
That is absolutely fabulous! Love how this chair turned out. It would easily become my fave chair. Pinned!
Cindy,
I really appreciate this. Thanks for always lifting me up.
Rachel