Painted Fabric Chair
Fabric on furniture can easily be updated with a new color. Check out this painted fabric chair makeover, where we used chalk paint to give an old piece new life! This is one of our favorite painting furniture ideas – budget friendly and a fun project to tackle.
If you haven’t painted fabric before, maybe this is the time to try! It’s easy, and you don’t have to be an expert to get beautiful results. So, keep reading to learn how and recreate it with your own piece!
Chalk paint is an inexpensive and simple way to give your furniture a new life. In this guide, we’re sharing how we painted a fabric chair and the tips and tricks we learned along the way. You can learn more about what is chalk paint? in this post.
We bought this chair at the thrift store for only $12 so I could try my hand at painting fabric. Here are more best places to get good furniture for cheap if you’re looking to score a piece or two. Will it turn out?? Is it worth it?? Let’s find out!
This piece also came with some damage. But I really wanted to leave this wood stained, so I tried my hand at fixing it and staining it to match the rest of the wood. You can see the whole wood stain repair process here.
Supplies Used for Painted Fabric Chair Makeover
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- Country Chic Paint in Fireworks
- Country Chic Paint in Jitterbug
- Country Chic Paint in Liquorice
- 220 Grit Sandpaper
- Bissell Upholstery Cleaner
- Zibra Round Brush
- Zibra 3″ Trim Brush
- Real Milk Paint Soft Wax
- Wax Brush
- Shop Vac
Grab our list of 10 must have supplies for painting furniture, too!
How to Paint Fabric Furniture
Alright, I was really nervous about this project, so I first tested some paints on the bottom of the cushion. I brushed on some very watered down Fusion Mineral Paint on one side and some very watered down Country Chic Chalk Paint on the other side.
Then, I let them dry until the next day. The next, day I did a test – I sanded each of them to loosen the fibers, and then I waxed it. Sanding made the fabric way less stiff, but the Fusion Mineral on the left still felt stiffer than Country Chic on the right.
It seemed like the Country Chic side almost felt like the original upholstery. So, I decided to use it for the rest of the project.
How to Prepare Fabric for Paint
Then I cleaned the fabric. I used this Bissell upholstery cleaner to clean it.
This step isn’t necessary if you have a clean chair to begin with. Since mine was thrifted, I wanted to clean it… you never know what people do and what was on it. But it also served to get the fabric wet.
When I have read other tutorials, they usually get it wet first.. so that’s what I did. I think wetting helps you use less coating and allows it to go on thinner. But if you have thinned a lot, I don’t think you need to get it wet.
Painting Fabric With Chalk Paint
I mixed up more coating for the rest of the upholstery. I mixed some green Fireworks with the teal Jitterbug, then some leftover mixture from this tutorial on how to chalk paint furniture… oh, and some black Liquorice too. Check out my honest and detailed Country Chic Paint review here.
I have no idea how much of each I mixed in… I just mixed until I liked the color. I added a bunch of water – maybe 50% water? And then I brushed it onto the cushion.
I started with my favorite Zibra round brush, but I ended up using the 3” trim brush. It was so much easier to get into the cracks with the straight angled brush.
Check out this post to learn more about the best paintbrushes for painting furniture. Also, don’t forget to clean them after use – here’s how to clean paint brushes.
Working on the fabric was easy until I had to get into the welting and the cracks. That was a pain in the rear.
I didn’t tape off the wood. I just wiped the paint off with a wet rag within a few seconds of it getting on the wood. Then I let the cushion dry until the next day, and here’s what it looked like.
You can still see the different colors of fabric because the color was really watered down… Also, I didn’t mix up enough coating, so I had to make more… And since I didn’t have the exact measurements from the first batch, I just mixed something similar.
And then, I applied another coat on all of the upholstery, for a total of 2 coats. And then I let it all dry again until the next day.
How long does Chalk Paint take to dry on fabric?
It takes anywhere from 12-24 hours to dry in average weather conditions. If you leave it out in the sun, it will dry within a few hours. But if it’s humid and wet and cold, it will take at least 24 hours.
Mine was dry within 24 hours. It dried in a climate controlled basement that was about 70 degrees.
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Is painted fabric stiff?
I’ll be honest. I don’t think it’s as flexible and soft as it was before I updated it. But it isn’t stiff as a board either. This particular kind was heavier to begin with as well.
It’s stiff because the paint changes the way the fibers lie. The coating fills in the spaces between the fibers, and when it dries, it hardens and shrinks. This makes the fabric less flexible and more difficult to move.
If you are wanting the most comfortable seat, painting the fabric probably isn’t the best option for you. But, if you’re looking for an affordable update, I think it’s a great option.
How to Soften Chalk Painted Fabric
To make it soft again, I sanded it with 220 grit sandpaper.
I think I might have sanded more than I needed to, though. Then I vacuumed all of the dust up. It all felt soft at this point, almost as soft as the original upholstery was.
How to Seal Chalk Paint on Fabric
But I couldn’t just leave it all sanded like this. Chalk paint is porous. So, anything that gets on it will soak in fast and stain it. So I applied some soft wax all over.
This Real Milk Paint soft wax is my favorite wax, and it was easy to apply with a brush that I use only for waxing. It made the color even deeper, but where I had sanded too much, you could see the white from the fabric.
I thought they were just sanding marks that would go away once I sealed it since paint looks white sometimes when you sand it.
Overall, I’m happy with how it turned out! I love the worn look of the blue fabric, and I am obsessed with how good the wood repair turned out!
I don’t love the lines on the side of the chair that were created after sanding… They are right where the edge of a piece of wood is. I wish I would have colored those lines and then lightly sanded that area again.
Working on the cracks and crevices of the upholstery was the hardest part. But I would do it again if it meant saving a few hundred bucks on a chair.
What do you think of the new look? Let me know in the comments! For more similar makeovers, check out these painted chair ideas and chalk painted chair ideas.
More Before and After Makeovers
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Click any of these “before” photos below to view the “after” of that makeover.
Best Paint for Fabric Chairs
From my little test, chalk paint was the best option. It was less stiff than the mineral coating. Here are the top chalk paint brands you can use.
I have also tested acrylic General Finishes Milk Paint on fabric, and it worked as well. But I didn’t have the color I wanted for this project, so I tested the Mineral and chalk paints. I have seen others use latex coating with a fabric softener. But I haven’t felt that in person.
Does the Wax Rub Off When You Sit in the Chair?
I rubbed a white cloth on the seat the day after I waxed it, and yes, after scrubbing, the rag had some blue on it. But, the wax didn’t have time to dry, let alone cure.
I have worn dark clothes while sitting on it, and I haven’t seen any oils left on my clothes after just sitting. I personally would wait at least 30 days before sitting with white clothes on. And I would test it with a white rag that I don’t care about getting a little dirty.
Chalk Painting Fabric
Chalk paint can be a great way to add color and pattern to fabric. Here's how to chalk paint fabric.
Materials
Instructions
- Prepare for paint by vacuuming and cleaning the fabric or getting it wet.
- Brush the chalk paint on the fabric, getting into the crevices and cracks.
- Sand the chalk paint to make the fabric flexible.
- Vacuum the fabric.
- Brush wax onto the chalk paint to seal it.
- Let the paint and wax dry for 30 days so it can cure.
Recommended Products
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More Chalk Paint Ideas
- How To Paint Fabric With Chalk Paint
- Best Paint for Furniture
- Painted Dining Chairs Ideas
- Chalk Painting Furniture
- Chalk Painted End Tables
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Question: I have painted one chair but it was not that old. I have another I plan to do but again, it is not very old either. So, I don’t have to do serious deep cleaning on it plus it was my chair from the start. So on that note, I’m wondering. how clean do you think the Bissell Upholstery Cleaner got on an old chair like that? I would like to redo older awesome chairs but I avoid them because of what might BE IN THEM. Ug! What are your thoughts, Natalie?
Hey Bonnie!
I feel like the bissell cleaner can clean well… I use it on my carpets all the time with success.
But, dirt would need to be vacuumed up.
I don’t know that it will get old stains out, but does that matter if you are painting over them?
I’m a germaphobe and I feel so much better about sitting in an old used chair if it has been cleaned with the cleaner first.
I hope that helps!
I have used regular spray paint before on things like a couple old ottomans. To be sure it is stiff, but it will eventually soften up. I like what you did with the chair. 👍
Great tutorial on painting upholstery!
I have a question. Can I spray the painted and waxed chair with Scotchguard? (I use that on most of my upholstered furniture to prevent stains from my kids, pets, and messy husband LOL) will it help seal the paint maybe, or would it cause blotching or something?
I personally haven’t tried scotchguard. You could definitely test it out on a inconspicuous spot though!
Amazing, I was not aware of the fact that you can actually “paint” the fabric. Never too old to learn something new.
Thank you for sharing your links with us at #276 SSPS Linky. See you again next week.
What? You painted the fabric? Crazy! I’d never have thought of that, and I’m glad you shared how you sanded it to soften it up! It looks great!
Thanks for sharing this at the Sunday sunshine Blog Hop 76! SSBH 77 is now open!
Laurie
What’s it like to sit on fabric painted furniture? Stiff on first try, I’d imagine, but 10 “sits” later, is it cracking/peeling/marking the sitter’s pants? I have a thrift store comfortable chair that I use a lot. A better question: how’s the durability? Thank you!
To be honest, I’m not sure how long it lasts. But since the paint was thinned so much, it’s very similar to a dye, so it should last a very long time.
It is more stiff than without the paint so your chair might not be as comfortable as it was without the paint.