Save the bloody knuckles and hours of pulling staples by painting your fabric! It is a very simple process and it doesn't turn out stiff and crunchy. Lets get to it and I will show you how.
Make sure your fabric is in decent condition. It can be stained but can't have an tears or loose fibers.
What you'll need:
Spray bottle with water
Chalky Paint
Fabric Medium (optional)
Paint Brush
Finishing Wax
Pick a color, any color. I picked
Red Lips.
You have 2 options for fabric painting. If you are not worried about the texture of the fabric after it is painted (lamp shade, wall canvas, etc) then mix your chalky paint with water. 2 parts paint and 1 part water. If you are using it on fabric that you will be sitting on then I recommend using a fabric medium. I don't have a particular favorite. I just use whatever Joann's has in stock. Mix using a 2 parts medium to 1 part paint ratio.
Before you begin painting spray your fabric down with water. You want it to be damp, not soaked. This will help the paint spread evenly and not have transition marks.
Start by going against the grain of the fabric and then go back over it with the grain. Painting in both directions will ensure better coverage in-between the fabric weave.
Let the fabric dry completely. This may take a while but sitting it in the sun quickens up the process. Once it is dry use a very fine grit sandpaper and lightly sand over all of the painted areas. Go with the grain of the fabric so you do not raise any of the fibers. Sanding the fabric will take away the roughness. It won't take it all away but keep reading and we will show you how to soften it up.
We were able to get full coverage on our second coat. It doesn't always happen that way but we got lucky. After every coat you put on you want to sand between each layer.
We wanted to add a special touch to the chair. Using an angel wings stencil and our illuminating powder mixture we painted the wings on. This picture shows the first coat. We only needed 2 coats and then sanded again.
When sanding you will see some lighter areas but do not worry. They will blend once we apply wax. Everything will start to blend.
See!
Finishing wax has been applied and you can no longer see the lighter marks from sanding.
WAXING! That is our final step. It creates a beautiful luster and takes away the rough feel. After the wax has been applied it has the same texture as outdoor fabric. If you apply a few more coats it will start to feel like the smoothness of leather.
Can you see the difference? The wax has been applied along the front edge. So smoooooth!!
Painting fabric is such a luxury compared to reupholstering. Much cheaper and a lot more fun!
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Labels: can i paint upholstery fabric, chalk paint on upholstery, fabric upholstery paint, how to paint upholstery, how to paint upholstery with chalk paint, madame butterfly, painting upholstery fabric