In the preservation of Cultural Heritage items, the use of polymeric materials for the consolidation and protection of artifacts with historical and artistic value is widely accepted, except for cellulose-based materials, since here there are no suitable products and appropriate application techniques. Grafting polymerization of acrylic monomers onto cellulose chains represents an innovative method of restoration for both artificially and naturally aged textiles. In this article, some results concerning the grafting polymerization of ethyl acrylate/ethyl methacrylate 75/25 and ethyl acrylate/methyl methacrylate/trifluoroethyl methacrylate 73/24.5/2.5 polymers onto linen and cotton are reported. The effectiveness of grafting polymerization as a method for textiles conservation is discussed. The consolidating and protective effects were investigated by evaluating the mechanical properties and the wetting behavior of the grafted samples, and comparing them with the original and aged substrates. (C) 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 103: 90-99, 2007