Although I would not always recommend using chalk paint on fabric, it does work! I’m sharing a tutorial for using chalk paint on fabric.
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I’m still painting things…
Tutorial for Using Chalk Paint on Fabric
I found this amazing headboard at a flea market last summer. It was love at first sight. Seriously, my heart skipped a beat.
I love old furniture, but I do get a little creeped out by used fabric pieces. The velvet upholstery was in perfect condition (despite the green color which did not match my decor), but I didn’t know where this headboard had been and it smelled pretty bad. And, I was asking MY GUESTS to lay their heads next to a used (stinky) fabric headboard. So, before I tried reupholstering it, I decided to try paint!
I painted the frame of the headboard in Annie Sloan Paris Gray chalk paint. To see more about how to use chalk paint, click HERE.
I also painted the upholstery with Annie Sloan Paint, but I used Pure White and clear Annie Sloan soft wax.
The first step is to water down the paint for the fabric. I did a 1:1 ratio – 1 part paint to 1 part water. (I did clean the upholstery before I painted it by washing it down with Mr. Clean. I’m not sure how much that did, but at least I tried.)
After you have your watered down paint ready, start painting!
I have painted an upholstered fabric chair (to see more about that project, click HERE), but this velvet was new to me. It really SOAKS up the paint. I painted layer after layer after layer…
I was lazy on the last layer and used straight, chalk paint. Do not get lazy like me. Keep watering the paint down to avoid the paint from cracking.
By the time I was done, I painted between 4-5 coats of paint. I used almost my entire quart of paint to complete this project.
Once I had (finally) completed the painting portion, I let it dry. Drying takes a while since you soak the upholstery in the process. I had to wait a full 24 hours before I began the next step.
I lightly sanded the paint before I waxed.
After I sanded, there was chalk paint dust everywhere. I used a hand vac to sweep it up before I began waxing.
I added two layers of wax, and then I took my lint free cloth (an old tshirt) and rubbed in/buffed the wax.
I let the wax set a couple days, and then I set the headboard up in my guest room.
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