How to Paint Upholstery (& Keep It Soft!)

Did you know you can paint exquisite works of art (or even just simply paint) on upholstery fabric?

It's true!

And I'm not talking simply applying paint to a piece of fabric, which can cause the fabric to feel thick, grainy, or even leather-like. I'm talking about painting the upholstery and still keeping it SOFT and fabric-like.

This Instructable will teach you exactly that. And once you learn this simple technique, the sky is literally the limit!

Supplies

-Upholstered Furniture (I am painting a set of chairs)

-Chalk or Mineral paint in a variety of colors

-Dixie Belle BOSS (I prefer it in the color White)

-3000 grit sandpaper (or sanding block)

-Spray bottle with a Super Fine hole

-Variety of Round chalk brushes

-Variety of paintbrushes

-Fabric Sealer (I recommend Easy Peasy Spray Wax by Dixie Belle)

-Pencil and big eraser

-Vacuum

-Cleaning wipes

-OPTIONAL: Hairdryer

-OPTIONAL: Furniture Transfers or Embellishments

-OPTIONAL: Black permanent paint pen

Step 1: Prep the Furniture

Use a vacuum to thoroughly clean on and under the upholstery fabric and cushions.

Use a cleaning wipe to clean the framing of the furniture.

Paint any soiled areas of the fabric with Dixie Belle BOSS. This may take a couple coats. And you don't need to apply it EVERYWHERE (unless everywhere is soiled), it only needs to be applied to places that need it. Dixie Belle BOSS prevents bleed through, bad smells, and more! It's a great thing to have on hand!

TIP: Choose a furniture piece that has fabric that can handle some "abuse." Don't choose one with velvet or a thinner material. Also, try to stay away from heavily textured fabric, unless you have done this technique a bunch and feel comfortable with the extra work required for dealing with this type of fabric. It's best to pick a smooth fabric that is durable upholstery fabric. So if you're considering buying a furniture piece specifically TO paint, then this tip will come in handy! If you don't have a choice and are painting whatever you have already, just know that some fabrics make painting them a lot more challenging -- although not impossible.

Step 2: Paint the Base Coat

TIP: DO NOT PAINT THE FRAME OF YOUR FURNITURE FIRST. You will regret it (trust me!). Paint your frame LAST.

Using your lightest color on hand, paint the entire piece's fabric (front, back, everywhere) with it. This is an important first step to give yourself a "blank canvas," and to make your painted colors more vibrant! Since they're over a light-colored or white background, they will show up better.

TECHNIQUE TO PAINT UPHOLSTERY FABRIC:

1. Get a thick layer of that light-colored paint on the ROUND chalk brush of your choosing.

2. With spray bottle in hand (you may be able to find one with a fine tip in the makeup section of Walmart), start a couple of CIRCULAR brush strokes. Then spray the area you started painting VERY LIGHTLY with water (maybe 1-2 spritzes).

3. Next, continue working the paint in a CIRCULAR motion as far away in all directions as you can from the origin. Really move that paint out as far as it can go.

4. Repeat this process over and over until all the fabric is painted.

WARNING:

Do NOT drench the fabric with water as you've seen done in some tutorials!

This causes the paint to seep down into the cushions, and it makes the cushion texture and plushness of the cushion soppy and globbed full of paint (which is even more disgusting when the paint dries). It can also cause a breakdown of the cushion material inside, as well as cause it to develop mold from the soaked cushion material being "locked in" to the cushion with nowhere for it to go as it tries to dry out. You really only need the water to help the paint spread and seep into the SURFACE of the fabric, NOT into the cushions.

Step 3: Sand It!

This is the TRICK (besides using minimal water) to getting that nice and soft upholstery finish!

SAND THE FABRIC AFTER EACH PAINT LAYER.

It keeps the painted fabric feeling like FABRIC. :)

If you don't have a sanding block, use 3000 grit sandpaper for this! Especially if you are painting highly detailed work on your piece (like I am), you don't want all those hours of work sanded off with too heavy of sandpaper. And yes, 220 is TOO HEAVY!!! Especially if you're using chalk paint, as it is SUPER EASY to sand off with just barely touching it! So trust me on the 3000 grit sandpaper!

Lightly, I repeat, LIGHTLY sand between EACH paint layer.

Wait for it to dry fully, and then lightly sand it until it is smooth to the touch.

Be sure to wipe away the dust left over from the sanding BEFORE continuing a new layer.

Step 4: Sketch Your Design & Paint Background Color

1. Use a pencil and large eraser to sketch your basic design. Don't worry about all the details and whatnot at this point, as they will get covered up, and are easy enough to add in later when appropriate (either with sketching them again, or adding them in with the paint directly).

2. Continuing the same technique with your spray bottle, chalk brushes, and paint color(s) of your choice for the background color, paint the background with circular motions as before. To blend paint colors together (as you see in my example, there's two colors blended together), simply add the second color near the "seam" of where it meets the first color WHILE THE FIRST COLOR IS STILL WET (or add a little spray of water to re-wet it), and then blend it together with your brush and the same technique as before.

3. Once dry, sand and wipe away the dust as before.

Step 5: Painting the Details

NOTE: If you are including transfers or embellishments on your fabric as part of your design, be sure to do the next step BEFORE sanding your final, completed artwork.

I broke this step up into two processes....

1. Painting the Details in the background (behind the main image on the fronts -- so for me, this included the mountains, grass, bridge, gazebo, koi, river, etc)

2. Painting the Details in the foreground (the peacocks)

But for each part, the process is the same....

You are no longer bound by circular motions, big chalk brushes, water sprayers, or globbed on paint. Now, you can paint, for the most part, the way you normally would paint fine details.

TIP: Use a hairdryer to dry the paint quicker so you can keep working faster.

After part 1 of this step is complete, lightly sand with 3000 grit sandpaper and wipe away the dust.

After part 2 is complete, do the same thing: lightly sand and wipe away the dust.

*NOTE: If you want to make fine details and crisp lines in black, you may find it easier to use a black fine tip paint pen to do this.

If you need to paint the back, repeat this entire Instructable's procedure on the back fabric of your chair as well (or paint the back of your chair at the same time you're painting the front).

Step 6: OPTIONAL: Applying Transfers And/or Embellishments

If you have a furniture transfer or embellishment you'd like to add to the fabric of your chair, do so now.

TIP: Do NOT apply a transfer to the seat of your piece. Transfers will NOT hold up to this type of use.

To apply a transfer or embellishment to fabric:

1. Apply it on the fabric (see your specific transfer's directions). The general idea of applying a transfer is to basically take your transfer out of the packaging, and remove a smaller part of the backing at a time (don't remove all the backing at once!)

2. Lightly burnish (rub) the applied transfer onto the fabric, as you slowly roll the backing away.

3. Once all of the transfer is applied to the fabric (and all the backing is removed), proceed to finish ALL of your remaining detail work, and THEN sand the entire design and proceed with the next step.

Step 7: Seal the Fabric

Seal the fabric (and your design!) with a fabric/upholstery sealer.

A favorite of mine is Dixie Belle Easy Peasy Spray Wax.

Here's how to use it:

1. Shake the bottle.

2. Use a light mist on the furniture

3. Take a lint free cloth and wipe

4. Repeat at least 2 more times.

And it is recommended to repeat this process of coverage (like with any wax) every 6 to 9 months.

Step 8: Paint & Seal the Frame

Did getting in all those nooks and crannies get paint all over your frame?

THAT is just one reason we paint the frame LAST. :)

Pick the color of your choice to paint your frame. Add in any details you'd like at this point (such as you see me add in gold details too).

Then seal the entire frame with polycrylic. You CAN seal both the fabric AND the frame with the Dixie Belle Wax, but for me personally, I like the long-lasting durability and non-yellowing aspect of the polycrylic.

Hey, guess what!? YOU'RE DONE!!!