Free shipping on orders of $49+ USD or $59+ CAD

Fabric Painting: How to Paint Upholstery

August 01, 2023
Author Country Chic Paint
Do you have an old chair laying around with outdated upholstery? Don't get rid of it yet; give it a fabulous new look with paint! Read on in this tutorial to learn our tips and tricks for how to get started with fabric painting.

Watch this video to see our company co-founder, Rosanne refinishing a chair in the color Sunday Tea!

Step 1) Shake, stir, and pour your paint

16oz jar of Country Chic Chalk Style All-In-One Paint in the color LSunday Tea. Warm grey-beige.

As always with painting, start by shaking your jar thoroughly, then opening it up and giving it a good stir. To avoid potentially contaminating your entire jar of paint, pour some off into a cup for use on your project.

Step 2) Tape the edges

How To Paint A Fabric Chair

If you’re painting just one area of your chair or there are accents that you wish to leave as is, use some painter’s tape to protect them.

Step 3) Spray with water

Upholstered Furniture Painting Tutorial #upholstery #DIY #furniturepainting #fabricpainting #tutorial #videotutorial #howto - www.countrychicpaint.com/blog

Before applying your paint, spray down the entire fabric surface with water. It doesn’t need to be soaking wet, just damp. This will help the paint spread more smoothly and help to avoid that crunchy feeling once it dries.

Step 4) Apply your first coat of paint

Upholstered Furniture Painting Tutorial #upholstery #DIY #furniturepainting #fabricpainting #tutorial #videotutorial #howto - www.countrychicpaint.com/blog

Before the water dries, begin applying your first coat of paint. Keep in mind that the tighter the fabric weave, the less the paint will soak into the fabric. If you find that the paint is drying too stiffly for your liking, there are fabric mediums on the market which you can mix in with the paint to help soften the feel.

We would advise against trying to paint a very loose weave fabric as it will require a lot of paint to get opaque coverage.

Step 5) Add more coats if needed

Upholstered Furniture Painting Tutorial #upholstery #DIY #furniturepainting #fabricpainting #tutorial #videotutorial #howto - www.countrychicpaint.com/blog
How To Paint A Fabric Chair

As you can see in the picture above, the paint will soak into the fabric while it dries. To achieve a more opaque look, give the first coat about 1 hour to dry, then apply a second coat.

Step 6) Seal with Clear Wax

This step is optional. If you want to add a little more protection or help soften the finish, apply a thin coat of Clear Wax and buff it dry.


Did you enjoy our video tutorial? Want to know how to finish your fabric painting? Make sure to Subscribe to our channel to get access to all our videos and stay tuned to learn all about waxing fabric!

We would love to hear what projects you’re working on, so make sure to leave a comment or post a picture of your project to our Facebook page or Instagram (@countrychicpaint)!

Follow Along For Unique Ideas, New Products & Creative Fun!