Yes, Virginia, You Can Paint on Fabric!

 I'm the kind of person that loves to paint and I'm willing to paint anything and everything. Nothing is safe from me! Give me some good ole' chalk paint and I will paint no matter what the shape, size, material. I recently discovered that you can easily paint upholstered material quite well.  

I was given a set of two chairs that I adored but I hated the fabric. It would have been very expensive to have it professionally reupholstered and too complicated to upholster it myself. So I decided to paint the fabric and, I must admit, it turned out beautiful.

That experience opened my eyes to the world of fabric painting. The possibilities are endless. I recently decided to paint a step stool that I had in my bedroom. I wanted to use it as a display riser in my living room but I no longer liked the fabric. So I got out my trusty chalk paint and paint brushes and went to work.

I have learned that painting on fabric takes up a lot of paint so there is no need to spend huge amounts of money on paint. I use the cheapo chalk paint from Walmart. You can get a fairly large bottle for just a few bucks. It can be found in the crafts department. Also, your paint brush can be of the cheapo variety too. Just go to Walmart or Michaels.

When painting fabric, I usually water down the paint or else the fabric will get very "crunchy".  A few coats are required because the fabric absorbs the paint like a hungry baby drinking a bottle. Sometimes the fabric pattern shows through ever so slightly and it creates a beautiful look.

Let each coat dry fully before putting on another coat. When you are finished painting, let the item dry completely.

After it is completely dry, I usually run a sanding block over the item to create a smoother finish. A final dry wipe will remove any paint dust.

 I love the way the stool turned out. What do you think?

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