5 Easy Steps to Paint Your Old Fabric Chair or Sofa into New!

5 Easy Steps to Paint Your Old Fabric Chair or Sofa into New!
July 9, 2020

1) DETERMINE IF YOUR PIECE IS SUITABLE FOR PAINTING

Smooth cotton or poly blends are the most suitable type of fabrics when it comes to painting upholstery. Try first on a piece of fabric similar or the same as your piece like a matching pillow. This way you get familiar with the process and the feel of the finished fabric. Fabrics with a lot of texture such as velvet or thick woven fabrics are much more challenging to paint over.

2) PREPARE YOUR PIECE FOR THE FIRST COAT OF PAINT

Vacuum the dust from your furniture piece. Wipe off any dust left on the surface of the fabric.

Spot clean stains so they don’t dissolve in the paint and discolor the area. Then tape the legs and any other part that you want to protect from the paint.

Spray water on your fabric chair or sofa until the fabric is damp. This will help the first coat of paint to soak into the fabric. You can use a spray bottle.

3) APPLY THE FIRST COAT OF PAINT

While the fabric is still damp, apply the first coat of paint. To keep the fabric soft use diluted paint and paint multiple coats. Dilute your paint with 3 cups of paint to 2 cups of water.

Use a brush or a paint sprayer to apply the first coat of paint while the fabric is still damp.

After applying the first coat of paint take a piece of sponge and rub the painted surface to help the paint soak into the fabrics. There will be areas where you cannot completely cover with paint. Just paint these areas with a paint brush.

4) SAND THE FIRST COAT OF PAINT

Let the first coat dry. Take a piece of fine sand paper and sand the painted areas. Sanding between each coat with fine sand paper is another key to keeping the fabric soft to the touch. After doing this the fabric will feel like synthetic leather instead of dry paint.

5) REPEAT WITH THE PAINTING AND SANDING PROCESS

Apply the second coat of paint. Let it dry. Sand the painted areas. Repeat this process with more layers of paint until you are satisfied with the result. It can take a couple of days as you have to wait for the paint to dry between layers.