Latex interior paint adheres as well to several fabrics as it does to walls, as you may have noticed on your clothing after you completed a painting project. Fabric medium adds versatility to the paint for jobs that require a little give, including a cushion cover. If the project doesn’t demand flexible fabric, no paint additives are needed.
The Prep Work
Before attempting a complete fabric makeover with paint, test a scrap first to verify it turns out as expected once it dissolves. Cut a very small piece of fabric in the project piece if at all possible, such as excess material beyond the basics on the base of a armchair. If unable to obtain a piece of the same fabric, use a small piece of the comparable stuff. Vacuum the fabric with an upholstery brush to remove dust and pet hair to avoid having them stuck in the paint. Place the fabric atop cardboard or craft paper to stop the paint seeping through the fabric onto your work room as you paint.
Flat Fabrics
For fabrics which you intend to stay relatively flat following painting, such as on the sides of a fabric storage bin or as a piece of elongated material over a frame as wall art, you do not require a fabric medium. Implement painter’s tape to mark off your selected layouts — chevrons, stripes or other interesting shapes, and then brush or roll a thin layer above the fabric. If you enjoy the appearance as-is, no paint is necessary. Add another layer or 2 if you would rather an opaque, solid seeming paint finish following the first layer dissolves entirely.
Flexibility for Painted Fabrics
Fabric medium is a must if painting upholstered furniture, throw pillows or clothes, otherwise the painted area may feel overly stiff or the paint may crack over time. Mix equal parts fabric medium and latex paint for your key fabric-painting alternative. For the first coat, mix in half as much water, as an instance, stir 1/2 cup water to 1 cup of the paint-fabric medium mixture. The water thins the mixture and makes the fabric absorb the paint better. After the first coat dries, use the unthinned paint-and-fabric-medium alternative and continue brushing on additional thin layers till the paint appears opaque. Permit the paint to cure for several days prior to using the painted fabric.
Paint Choice Importance
Aside from the color of the paint selected for your fabric undertaking, the paint’s sheen has a massive influence on the way the painted piece appears once the paint dries. Paint sheen runs from flat or matte on through to high-gloss. That is the reason why choosing a horizontal interior paint may work the best, as selecting a paint having a medium to high amount of gloss or wax may create the painted material look like vinyl or a covered leather. Select a horizontal paint, unless you want the painted material to shine.