About 4 years ago I bought these chairs from a sweet gal and used them in my classroom’s relax corner. After I stopped teaching and took my classroom furniture home, they literally collected dust in our garage.
The outdated, blue, flower appearance and dark stained legs were not something that went with, well basically anything, in my home. So… instead of learning the long process of how to reupholster a fabric chair, I decided to paint!
Steps:
- Core Materials Used
- Vacuum
- Spot Clean
- Make My Fabric Paint Mixture
- Apply Paint Mixture
- If Second Coat Is Needed
- The Reveal
Core Materials Used
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- Fabric Softener: Seventh Generation
- Valspar Paint: Cracked Pepper (Eggshell)
- Paint Brush: Zibra Angled Brush
- Tap Water
- Dish Soap: Dawn Dish Soap
- Spray Bottle: Water Mist Sprayer
Vacuum
You need to vacuum every square inch of your piece. This will ensure all the dust and debris will be gone and give you a fresh area to work with.
Spot Clean
You can wash the entire piece, but I chose to spot clean with a rag and water + Dawn dish soap. Then, allow it to completely dry.
Make My Fabric Paint Mixture
Create mixture with your choice of Valspar paint. I chose the color Cracked Pepper to go along with our living room design.
✨Here is my DIY Painted Fabric mixture:
1 cup of @seventhgeneration fabric softener
2 cups of @valsparpaint
1/4 cup of water
Apply Paint Mixture
Apply paint mixture with an angle brush, completing each section going the SAME brush stroke direction.
Allow to fully dry.
Note:
1) You need to complete the section going the same direction. This is because the fabric will be basically brushed in the same direction and not leave your finished product with visible paint brush strokes.
2) Try your best to do complete coverage in 1-2 paint coats and do NOT sand. You do NOT want to build past 2 layers on top of fabric or the fabric might become too saturated & become stiff/crack.
If Second Coat Is Needed
To apply second coat, mist with water first, then apply. Just to be safe, I waited a full 24 hours before sitting on the newly painted chairs.
The Reveal
And there you have it! A new, updated look at a fraction of the time and cost of reupholstering!
A Touch of Grace 
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