How to paint upholstery

Do you have an old chair or couch lying around with outdated upholstery? Don’t throw it away! Paint it instead. Here’s a short guide on how to give your furniture a new life.

Choose the right paint
Although you can purchase fabric paint specifically designed for painting furniture, latex, and acrylic paint also work. However, you must use a fabric or textile medium. Use a ratio of one part paint, one part fabric medium, and two parts water.

Prepare the fabric
Vacuum all the nooks and crannies in the furniture to eliminate dust and debris. Spot clean stains with water and a little dish detergent and let dry. Then, tape around the chair or sofa legs, including decorative accents you don’t want to cover in paint.

Next, use a spray bottle to wet the fabric. It doesn’t need to be soaking wet, just damp. That’ll help the first coat of paint soak into the fabric.

Apply the paint
Use a wide paintbrush or sprayer to apply the first coat of paint while the fabric is still damp. Use a smaller paintbrush to reach areas where the fabric folds. Let dry completely. Once dry, sand the fabric with extra fine sandpaper to keep it soft to the touch.

Repeat this process as many times as necessary. The number of coats required depends on your paint color and fabric. Smooth cotton or poly blends are the easiest to paint, while textured and woven fabrics are more challenging.

Visit a home improvement store and speak with a paint specialist for tips on how to get the best results.