There's no sure fire way of getting your item accepted by us, but here's a few tips.

Fitting

Although we do sometimes accept highly colourful, even glowing items, we'd advise against it. To fit in the game items should look dirty and worn. It's okay to straddle this line, but just be aware that it's there.

Tiers

If you make a burlap shirt that looks like it's made out of metal, we're probably not going to accept it. Purely because it could be mistaken in game for some kind of armour - so it can really affect gameplay. It's a good idea to try to keep the design within the tier of the item you're designing for.

Copyright

If you don't own the rights, don't be surprised if it doesn't get accepted. This includes your favorite game logos, photos of celebrities, items from other games etc etc. This is common sense, but it seems like we have to mention it.

Words and Phrases

Rust is global. By adding words and phrases to your skins you're reducing the likelihood that we'll accept your skin - because we can't localize it. This isn't a binary decision. For example, if you make a box that just has "ammo" written on it, we'll probably reject it. If it says "ammo" and the design reflects that in a way that you don't need to be able to understand the words - then it stands more of a chance.

Camouflage Patterns

Yes we sometimes accept camo patterns. That doesn't mean we need to accept 100 varieties per item. Don't be surprised if your skin, which looks like every other skin, isn't accepted.

Target items with fewer skins

Some items don't have many skins. It's worth considering making a skin for these items because we want all items to have a decent amount of skins available.

Your workshop page

Try to present your workshop page nicely. Add a description, add extra screenshots etc.