Painting fabrics, Leather and Imitation Leather

Do you have an old piece of furniture that you love dearly, but the fabric no longer suits your taste? Or are you even looking for fabric in a colour shade that perfectly matches your wall paint? Then you've come to the right place! In this special painting hack, we'll show you how to easily paint fabric and what to consider when doing so.

Table of content

1. Turning old into new: Before and After pictures from the MissPompadour Painting community
2. Whether furniture or textiles - a new look with chalk paint
3. Colour or paint: The advantages of chalk paint
4. Step-by-step: How to paint your fabrics correctly (incl. video)
5. Upholstery, leather or cotton: What to consider?
6. FAQ: Frequently asked questions about painting fabrics

Painting fabric is a very individual experience - due to the variety of fabrics and their compositions, it is difficult to predict a specific use or an exact result, and textured fabrics in particular are real divas. However, if you have a smooth fabric, it is usually suitable for everyday use after painting.

Why should you still paint instead of throwing it away? Many of our customers have already had good experiences with painting fabric! And if you still have paint left over, it's a good way to use it up. Just bear in mind that fabric can be very stubborn and the quality of the result always depends on the nature of the fabric.

Turn old into new: Before/After images from the MissPompadour painting community

Why should you paint fabric? Quite simply because some old treasures are far too good to throw away and you can show off your creativity to the full. Our community has taken the plunge and proudly shows you their successes. Let their ideas inspire you!

Whether furniture or textiles - a new look with chalk paint

Of course, old furniture, e.g. made of wood, can be beautifully revitalised with our varnishes. But can you also paint fabrics? We at MissPompadour say: Yes, you can also embellish textiles with our varnishes and chalk paints. Almost all fabrics can be painted with matt wall and chalk paints. No extra textile or leather paint is required.
Personalise your jute shopping bag by decorating it with our stencils, or design lampshades and curtains to match your wall paints. Clothing can also be painted with personalised motifs. Please note that a curtain or item of clothing, for example, must remain movable. Therefore, you can only create patterns with wall paint, not paint the entire surface.
Give old upholstered furniture a new, fresh look. A dark brown armchair made of faux leather becomes a real eye-catcher. If you also want to paint the frames of old chairs in addition to the upholstery fabric, you can find out how to do this in our guide to painting wooden furniture.
It is important that no matter which fabric you want to paint, the surface should be intact and not worn.

Dyeing or painting: The benefits of chalk paint

Reupholstering furniture yourself, such as an armchair, is often difficult to achieve, and professional repair can quickly become expensive.
Painting fabrics, leather or faux leather is a cost-effective alternative and a clever solution! For example, paint the fabric of your old sofa or cushion covers with our MissPompadour wall paints, CosyColours chalk wall paints, or our LittlePomp chalk wall paints. For leather, faux leather or similar smooth materials, use the paints and chalk varnishes from the respective collections. These are available in many wonderful shades.
The great advantage of these is that they are water-based – making them ideal for dyeing fabrics. Our eco-friendly paints are solvent-free and therefore do not damage the fibres. You don’t need to worry about the painted textiles releasing harmful substances into your home later on. Please note, however, that the feel of the textiles will change when painted with chalk or acrylic paint – they will lose some of their original softness.

Step-by-Step: How to paint your fabrics the right way

In the following step-by-step guide, we’ll explain our painting hack and show you just how easy it is to paint fabrics.

Step 1: Cleaning and preparing the furniture or fabrics to be painted

Start with a thorough clean. Remove any dust and lint using a vacuum cleaner or a lint brush. You can also use a disposable razor to remove any loose fibres or threads. Any greasy or sticky residue should be washed away with water and a mild cleaner, such as our eco-friendly MissPompadour cleaner. Allow the fabric cover to dry afterwards; it should not be dripping wet when you start painting.
Before you begin painting, carefully protect all areas you don't want to paint with masking tape. If possible, remove seat cushions to paint them separately. Our paints adhere excellently to all surfaces and are difficult to remove once dry. If the paint is still wet, simply wipe it off with a damp cloth.

Step 2: Preparing the chalk paint

We recommend adding a little oil to the paint before painting your fabric. This makes the painted fabric feel more supple and gives it a pleasant texture. Use standard sunflower or rapeseed oil – about 1 tablespoon per 1 litre of paint. It is important to mix the oil well into the paint. Combine them in a paint tray so that the paint in the tin remains untouched and ready to store for later.
You can apply our chalk paints and lacquers directly to all fabric types without needing to thin them with water first. We recommend testing a small, inconspicuous area to see how well your fabric absorbs the paint. Apply the paint as thinly as possible. If you have trouble spreading the paint over the fabric, thin it slightly with water.

Step 3: Application of the stroking technique

• If you are painting a heavy, thick fabric that absorbs a lot of paint, it is helpful to wet the fabric with a little water, e.g. with a spray bottle, before the first coat. To Paint the fabric, use a roller or brush. Of course, you can also spray the paint. Make sure you protect all the parts you don't want to get paint on.
• Paint the fabric from the inside out. Start with a little paint and make sure that you always work wet in wet, so that there are no dry spots that you then paint over again. This way you will get an even result. If you only want to colour certain areas of the fabric, tape very carefully and always paint away from the tape to avoid pressing paint underneath. Be sure to remove the tape when it is wet.
• Allow the surface to dry for a few hours (overnight if necessary). Handling is not necessary. You can then sand it with a medium sandpaper. This step is to remove excess paint and make the fabric smoother. Vacuum the fabric again.
• Repeat the entire painting process a second time without re-wetting the fabric. Depending on the quality of the fabric, a 3rd or 4th coat may be necessary. Wait at least 1 week until you load the fabric again, better 14 days.

Video: Painting fabric - With these tips & tricks from MissPompadour you'll succeed (for sure!)

Upholstery, leather or cotton: what to keep in mind?

FAQ: Frequently asked questions about painting fabric