How to Spray Paint Fabric
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Oh yes, you read that title correctly….the answer to can you spray paint fabric is a resounding YES! Over the past few months I had been desperately trying to figure out how to handle this situation with my patio furniture:
While I love my World Market patio set I must have been thinking crazy when I ordered white cushions last year because they quickly went all to heck with the dirt and grime of three boys and a dog! Replacement cushions were $$$ and my aversion to sewing left me reluctant to make my own covers. Y’all….I even cut them open on the back so that I could take the fabric off and wash them. It helped. A little. For a few days.
You might also be interested in how to paint plastic or how to paint a plastic playhouse.
Simply Spray Fabric Paint Review
Anyways, during a late night google search I happened to come across the answer I had been searching for: Spray It New’s Simply Spray Fabric Paint. Seriously. It is an actual spray paint for fabric. Like, really made for fabric. Not some mixture to concoct with fabric medium, this stuff is actually absorbed into the fabric and leaves a dyed surface-no crunchies whatsoever. I was all over this. I had to try it. And so I did! (I bought my Simply Spray Fabric Spray Paint at Walmart but you can also find it on Amazon as well!)
How to Use Upholstery Spray Paint
I decided the Navy Blue Upholstery Paint would be the best option for the cushion. Maximum camouflage for future stains and it will look just dreamy next to that pool we’re putting in this month. You should have seen me rip open that box when it arrived! I immediately went and laid out my cushion and got to spraying. Here it is after the first coat.
I had to admit, I was feeling a little nervous at this point. This is a large cushion and it was looking a bit streaky. I was worried it was going to turn out looking like old 80’s denim but after {many, many} coats here is the end result!!
I am so tickled with how it turned out! What do you think??
Review of Outdoor Fabric Spray Paint
Okay, back to the fabric spray paint…here is my no-holds-barred low down on using the Spray It New paint:
1. Overall it is fantastic.
2. It took me a LOT of fabric spray paint to get the deep non-streaky look I wanted. I anticipated needing two cans for the one large cushion and it took four. I could have used a fifth and will probably end up ordering an extra can just to get the few little spots out that I can still tell aren’t even. It’s still cheaper than a new cushion!
3. I found the best way to use it was to spray continuously. Whenever I stopped and then when I started back up I got some splatters which I then had to rub into the fabric to fix (which required stopping and starting again-eventually I learned to stop and start away from the cushion!)
4. The little trigger hurt my finger like crazy. Small price to pay though.
Got paint on your hands after your project? Learn how to remove spray paint from skin!
When you do this again there are handles to put on a spray can that make is easier to use
Do you think this would work if the cushions were a pattern not a solid color? Thanks!
You can buy an attachment for a spray can at HD or Lowes. Just clip it on the top of the can and you can spray easily. The one I have works with all cans that have the standard spray button but does not work with cans that have the low, flat button. I haven ‘t looked yet to see if there’s an attachment that works on them.
Sounded exciting until I clicked on the link to see about purchasing the paint. The cost of a pack of 6 cans (this post used 5 but needed 6 on one cushion) was advertised at a sale price of $57, with an additional $7 shipping. I’ve seen new cushions in home improvement stores for far less.
Hi, When you say four coats, does that include the bottom of the cushion or did you just spray the top and sides? I am trying to estimate how much I would need to spray a jacket. Thanks!
I sprayed the entire cushion so that I could flip it if necessary.
Did the paint from the cushion wash off on your skin or clothes?
No Chelsea, the paint never washed off on anything after it initially dried-we had it for 3 years and never had an issue!
I live in a country that doesn’t have the luxury of Michaels or JoAnn’s, and definitely no Walmart. I have Ace Hardware and they don’t even carry most items you could find in the states. Do you think this could work with other paints as well?? Maybe another type that would not wash out and not be stiff to sit on??Anyone have any ideas??
Never heard of spray paint for fabric before. Is it available in Australia?
I believe so Kim, check this out: https://www.simplyspray.com.au/
Hi Melissa—-I have a tip I hope will help your sore fingers when you spray. There’s a small plastic nozzle-attachment, kind of like a pistol handle, that snaps onto the tops of spray paint cans, you hold it like a household cleaning spray bottle & spray your paint in a smooth,continuous movement; makes it verrrrrry easy to do. I have arthritis and cannot squeeze the button on a regular spray paint can for more than a few seconds at a time, this spray attachment saves me all the way around. The best part is, it’s super cheap,less than $4 at your local DIY/home repair store. Get one and see what you think, I know it’s made a HUGE difference in my home decor rehabbing. I always buy two or three at a time because they do tend to go after about twenty or so uses.
oh my goodness, I need that…I just did my first spray paint project of the year and my finger is still sore!
Hi there! Love this project and need to do it with my patio furniture…I am wondering how it has held up since you did it quite a while ago! Thanks
Hi Amanda, it actually has held up fine although the second year I chose to cover the cushions to change my colors on the porch, it had nothing to do with the fabric paint though!
How did painting affect the “feel” of the cushion? Did it change the texture? I am curious how it feels against your skin, like sitting on it with shorts on or without a shirt. Would your skin be more likely to stick to it?
Great, now try spraying the frame white or toxic yellow and it will be totally new 🙂
That looks so great. I just love the wooden bench. I bought paint last fall to spray my old dirty outdoor patio cushions but haven’t gotten around to doing it yet.
Does the paint get on you or your clothes when you sit on the fabric that has been painted? Is there a suggested cure time? Just curious. It sounds amazing, but I can just imagine having the paint come through and stain your clothes or skin. Please let us all know. Thanks!
Priscilla we’ve had it for months and months and never after it was dry has any paint come off or stain anything-we have a pool too so we’ve sat on it with wet clothes. It really doesn’t bleed or stain anything we’ve seen!
So cool, love it! I have never heard of that paint.
I am going to have to try it….I have some beige furniture cushions on my screen porch just begging for some color!
Nancy
Definitely let me know what you think of it if you try Nancy! I thought it was so cool! If you haven’t entered yet we have a HUGE giveaway going on through tonight and one of the prizes is a six pack of the upholstery paint: https://thehappierhomemaker.com/2012/11/stuff-the-stockings-amazing.html
Take care!
Melissa
Thanks I entered! And I will definitely let you know how it turns out if I end up using this.
Nancy
This looks great! Thank you so much for sharing!
By now you probably know you can buy a cheap little gizmo that fits over the top of a spray paint can and turns it into a trigger sprayer. Home Depot has them, but you can probably find them plenty of places. No more paralyzed finger.
I have the perfect project to try this out on …thanks for the chance to win.
I never knew you could spray paint fabric. I should give this a go!!
Visiting via the Fun in Functional Hop 🙂
That is a simply ingenious use of paint and color! I’m impressed and inspired …
That turned out great! I never realized you could spray paint fabric 🙂 My favorite color is probably their Sage Green.
Thanks so much for sharing this at The Fun In Functional!