Decor

07.17.2015

Painting Fabric with Chalk Paint

I’m always painting things, but one of the more unique things I’ve painted is fabric. Today I’m sharing all the details of painting fabric with chalk paint.

It is Friday and time for another DIY video tutorial! Today I’m going to show you how to paint fabric using chalk paint.

My goal was to modernize and simplify. I spray-painted the base with gold paint and used Annie Sloan Pure White on the fabric.

And here is the after. Much more updated and simple – don’t you think?

You can see the full video tutorial HERE:

Want to see more of our DIY video tutorials? We have a bunch of them!

Episode 1: Welcome

Episode 2: Mixing Chalk Paint

Episode 3: Prep Work for Chalk Paint

Episode 4: Tips for Using Chalk Paint

Episode 5: How to Apply Wax to Chalk Paint

Episode 6: How to Dry Brush

Episode 7: Distress Paint with Vaseline

Episode 8: Weathered Look with Paint

Episode 9: Safety Tips

Episode 10: Wax Paper Transfer Tutorial

Episode 11: Tablet Cover Tutorial

Episode 12: Chalk Transfer Tutorial

Episode 13: Starched Fabric Wall Treatment

Episode 14: French-Inspired Enamel Tags

Episode 15: Photo Plaques

Episode 16: Updating an Ikea Dresser

We would love to hear your suggestions for future video tutorials.

What are you interested in learning more about? Leave me a comment and let me know!

Go create something!

Are you new to my blog? Go HERE to see my home tour and HERE to shop for items I use in our home.

Find me on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest

Leave A Comment

Paint

05.22.2014

Painted Upholstered Chair

See how this painted upholstered chair turned out!

I recently painted an upholstered chair I found at a consignment shop. Before the redo, the chair looked like it belonged on the set of the Huxtables – circa 1988. Now, thanks to Americana Decor Chalky Finish Paint, it has a cool vintage {French?} vibe! For this particular project, I used:

Americana Decor Chalky Paint – Everlasting
Americana Decor Chalk Paint – Vintage
Americana Decor Creme Wax – clear
Americana Decor Cream Wax – Deep Brown
Chip Brush
Americana Decor Round Waxing Brush
Sandpaper
Lint-free cloth

(These products can all be found at Home Depot.)

Here’s a close-up of the fabric before I painted it:

The fabric was in good shape, but it was dingy and outdated. So, I tackled the fabric first – with paint!

I watered down the paint: 1 part water to 1 part paint. Then, I stirred the paint and water and started painting the fabric. I let the first coat dry and applied the second coat. Once the second coat dried (and I painted the rest of the chair), I applied 2 coats of clear wax to the fabric.

Next, I started painting the actual chair. It’s basically the same process as painting the fabric, but you don’t water down the paint.

I painted 2-3 coats of paint on the entire chair – letting each coat dry before applying the next coat.
Then, I waxed the entire chair with clear wax. (I also added some dark wax to the chair, but I’ll get to that later.)
Next, you buff the wax after it has dried with a light, lint-free cloth.
Finally, you can sand if you prefer the more vintage look.

I used dark wax because I wanted a really vintage look. If you use dark wax, you must apply clear wax first. It provides a base for the dark wax, and it’s much easier to wipe away the dark wax with a clear coat underneath. As you can see in the picture above:

Clear wax
Dark wax
After buffing away some of the dark wax

I used a cheap chip brush for painting, and Americana’s wax brush for waxing. Seriously, this brush (as seen in the pic above) is awesome!

And, there you have it! I am loving my “new” chair and found the Americana Chalky Finish Paints to be easy to use. I also have to mention that they are low odor – I painted (and waxed!) inside my home.

Are you new to my blog? Go HERE to see my home tour and HERE to shop for items I use in our home. Find me on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest

Leave A Comment

Paint

05.06.2014

Chalk Paint on Fabric

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.

{If you’re new here, you may want to follow me on Facebook, Twitter & Pinterest.}

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.

tutorial for using chalk paint on fabric

Are you new to my blog? Go HERE to see my home tour and HERE to shop for items I use in our home.

Find me on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest

Leave A Comment

Paint

04.01.2014

Paint a Fabric Chair with Chalk Paint

Today I’m sharing how to paint a fabric chair with chalk paint.

I’m not afraid to paint things. My motto is: it’s just paint – you can always repaint! However, I was a little skeptical of the recent popularity of painting upholstered furniture. But, I can now add it to my list because I painted a fabric chair!

The chair I painted was 10 years old, and I actually had it in my Goodwill pile. It looks much better in the photo, but it has seen some wear and tear.

Lena had drawn on it, there was a hole in the upholstery, and the seat was pretty grimy – despite my numerous attempts to clean the seat. Honestly, this picture does the chair way too much justice. Anyway, I had seen lots of Pinterest pins on people painting upholstered furniture, and I decided this was the perfect opportunity to test it out. So, I pulled out my Annie Sloan Chalk paint (Duck Egg, Old Ochre, and clear wax) and got to work!

I painted the fabric in Annie Sloan Duck Egg and the wooden legs and arms in Annie Sloan Old Ochre. For my first coat of paint on the fabric (I did two coats), I dipped the brush in water before I dipped it in the paint. It helps the fabric absorb the paint better. The first coat took a while, but it wasn’t hard. Just a little time-consuming.

It was a little boring at this point, so I decided to give it some stripes – inspired by the beach towel I was painting on…

Or inspired by Lena’s little striped socks sticking out in the top right of the photo? 😉 Anyway, I taped off the stripes. I didn’t measure, but I attempted to visually make them straight and even.

I used frog tape, and it worked great! I really think frog tape is worth the extra money.

Next, I sanded down everything. I usually sand after I remove the wax, but I find that I go through so much sandpaper this way. The wax really gunks up the sandpaper fast. So, sanding before the wax worked well, but I did have to blow off all the dust before I added the wax.

I used a bigger wax brush for this project. It helps the waxing process go so much quicker! (By the way, I need some lotion on those hands!)

Then, I used a lint-free cloth (t-shirt) to buff the wax. I was seriously impressed at how easy it was to paint fabric. And, the fabric still can move. The paint doesn’t crack – at least not yet! I wouldn’t do this on a “tv watchin'” chair, but it will make the best office chair!

Would you paint a fabric chair with chalk paint?

Are you new to my blog? Go HERE to see my home tour and HERE to shop for items I use in our home.

Find me on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest

Leave A Comment