How To Chalk Paint Upholstery
Transform outdated furniture by chalk painting the upholstery. See how I updated an antique sofa and chair set with some chalk paint to bring it to life again.
Servings 1
Cost 5
Equipment
- Spray bottle
- Chalk paint
- Brush
- Wax
Ingredients
- Piece of furniture that has good bones. Everything should be intact.
Instructions
- Vacuum the piece of furniture you are planning to paint. You can even take a lint roller to the stubborn spots (like dog hair).
- I trimmed any strings that were coming off the fabric, and I fastened on any loose spots with a stapler.
- Protect any woodwork you do not want to paint with painters tape. Mix the chalk paint with some water and test it on a spot you will not be able to see, like the back of a chair or sofa. Once the desired color and thickness has been achieved, start painting the upholstery.
- Spray the fabric down with a spray bottle in small sections. Saturate the fabric pretty thoroughly. Using a paint brush, paint on the chalk paint, rubbing it in well and getting in any crevices and around buttons. I pulled some of the fabric up where there were pleats to get underneath.
- Spray the freshly painted spot with a little more water, then brush. Continue spraying the fabric in sections and painting until the furniture is completely painted. Allow the fabric to dry completely, at least 12-24 hours (or longer) between coats.
- Apply as many coats as needed for color saturation and covering up any designs that may have been present. Once the final coat is dry, apply a clear wax.
Notes
- Make sure to get into any crevices of your couch or upholstery by pulling the fabric back and painting underneath.
- Allow the fabric to totally dry between coats. Usually around 24 hours.
- Do multiple, light coats of paint, rather than one thick coat.
- The key was to get the chair really, really wet. I would spray the chair with water, paint with the diluted chalk paint, and then, spray with more water on top of the freshly painted spot.
- Do this project outside if you can. I did two pieces outside and the loveseat inside, and the loveseat took 48 hours before it was fully dry and ready for another coat. The other pieces that were left outside to dry in the hot sun were ready so much faster.