Painting Sofa Fabrics

Solid-Color Couch

• 1

  Place drop cloths on the floor surrounding the work area. Move the sofa onto the drop cloths in an area where you can easily walk around all sides of it. Wipe down the fabric with a lint-free rag. Vacuum the surface of the couch to remove any ground-in dirt and debris.

• 2

  Mix equal parts of latex paint and fabric painting medium in a clean paint cup. Add 1 cup paint and 1 cup of fabric medium. Stir with a paint stir stick to combine the paint or medium together. Add ½ cup of water to the paint-and-medium mixture. Stir with a clean paint stick. The mixture should be thin and nearly transparent.

• 3

  Fill the spray bottle with water. Spray down about one-quarter of the back of the sofa with the spray bottle. The fabric should be damp to the touch without being sopping wet. Brush paint on the back of the sofa. Work in long, even strokes with the grain of the fabric. Continue to spray down the fabric and apply paint.

• 4

  Allow the first thin coat to dry completely. Apply a second thin coat with the watered-down latex paint and allow it to dry completely. Scrub down the surface of the dry chair with a nail scrub brush. Scrub gently to help fluff the upholstery fibers, allowing you to completely coat the surface with paint.

• 5

  Add 1 cup of fabric paint medium to 1 cup of acrylic craft paint in the same color as the base coat. Stir with a clean paint stir stick.

• 6

  Paint the dry sofa with the mixture of acrylic paint and fabric medium. Use the same painting technique as for the previous coat. Paint in long, even strokes with the grain of the fabric. Keep in mind, this coat will be thicker and create a richer, brighter hue on the couch’s surface. Allow the paint to dry completely and touch up if necessary.

Adding a Pattern

• 7

  Add 1 cup of fabric paint medium to 1 cup of acrylic craft paint in the color chosen for creating pattern on the sofa. Stir the paint with a clean stir stick.

• 8

  Scrub down the dry, painted upholstery with the scrub brush to fluff the fibers. Center the stencil on the back of the couch. Cut pieces of painter’s tape and tape the stencils in place.

• 9

  Dip a foam brush into the mixture of acrylic paint and fabric medium. Gently dab the pattern color into the stencil to create a pattern on the sofa. Allow the paint to dry for 15 to 20 minutes.

• 10

  Gently remove the stencil from the sofa surface. Move the stencil to the right to repeat the pattern. Tape in place and repeat the painting process. Continue applying the pattern around the sofa. Allow the paint to dry completely and add a second coat if necessary.