Can I bring faded Patriotic Bunting back to life?

To restore it you can use acrylic paints -thinned with fabric extender medium

And to avoid future fading- protect them with UV fabric protector spray to protect it from the Sun. It will also create a protective layer against debris and dirt which will make cleaning it a lot easier overall.

And, when in storage, keep the flag or banner somewhere blocked from both natural and artificial light.

Good luck!!

I had 2 of these buntings. They lasted forever and a day!! I never took mine down, being a patriot. When they finally started fadin' I left them hang, but when they started wear and tear, I took them down. I don't know if you could restore them. Mine were nylon and polyester. I stick with my flagpole in the front yard, since we had our whole house done in vinyl. I just never re bought the banners. You can preserve any flag by folding it and displaying it in a glass casing. That, I would say is the only way to hang on to it and remember what it stands for.

Hillela's idea is great.....it was my first thought too. I wonder if spraying the UV protectant when they are new would be a good idea too if you don't have time to paint the fabric.

If painting doesn't work, what about framing it in a shabby chic window frame? Get and old window and attach the flag from the back making the front the frame. You could paint the dates or any history that goes with it right on the frame.

Try tea staining the whole bunting to give it a vintage look.

If none of these ideas work, donate it to a Boy Scout group or the VFW. These groups know how to take care of worn, torn and tattered flags respectfully.

A long project. Use fabric paint and be prepared to paint a tiny sections to dry before you continue. The results will be amazing.

•I believe the oldest brand of hand craft paints still exist; Holly hobby text"; there may be a new name or revised name now however they have all correct ingredients in them so fading doesn't occur,& a level of softness is still there for the feel:))

You can't bring the vibrant color back to life but you can give it a vintage look by giving it a bath in diluted coffee.

If it was mine I would soak it in BIZ BLEACH, a non chlorine bleach. It will definitely make the white look better and perhaps even brighten the red and blue. Soak it over night and then just wash as usual and make sure to rinse well.

I helped a friend with some absolutely horrible looking old chenille bedspreads that were soiled by time and misuse - I soaked them in the Biz Bleach and washed and he was amazed. He used them to make down pillows. I cannot use Chlorine Bleach so Biz is all I ever use. Can't hurt to try it as it won't lighten the colors at all.

I would also maybe think about a batiking method. I may not be spelling that right! And it may be depend on the material, not sure sure. And you would have to be really careful about colors bleeding.

Hi Terry, hope this helps you out

Your best option for "precision" may be a craft known as batik. It involves applying melted wax onto the fabric in areas you wish to remain clear of the color currently being created. This effectively creates a stencil for the portion to be colored. Either paint or dye would then seep into the fabric.

The wax is then removed/washed out and new wax applied over the recently colored areas as well as any others to reject the latest color. As with many things organic and not particularly technological, you will get some less-than-perfect lines, but very likely much cleaner than with paint and tape.

I'd known of the process since my early years (so last century) but other than admiring others' work, never explored it. Your query and my resultant searches have me astonished at the development of the craft. Rather than drop a handful of links here in the forum, I suggest that you use your favorite or perhaps your second favorite search engine for "batik methods" and/or "batik supplies."

You could spray paint it but that will stiffen the material and it would not drape the same. First wash or soak this in Oxy Clean and then see what you have to work with.