Old Victorian Chair+BJC Paint Collection=AMAZING

This post is a little late but I guess better late than never.

A few months ago I scored this amazing Victorian style upholstered chair that was in pretty good shape. The fabric color left a little to be desired so I thought what better way to update it than to PAINT IT! Ya Im not just talking about painting the wood frame but actually PAINTING the fabric!
Mind Blown! Ya just wait!

So I decided I wanted it to stay yellow but thought it deserved to be a more Mustard color than a pale yellow. Be Junk Chic Paint Collection has this to die for Mustard that was perfect for what I was doing. I had read and read about painting fabric and had done some painting on canvas before but not on something you would actually sit on. If you know anything about me I am literally an impulsive person so I just brought the chair out grabbed my paint, a spray bottle of water, and some clear wax.

First, I took a damp rag and wiped down the chair pretty good as it was dirty just from sitting in the garage etc. Than I sprayed the chair down with a light mist of water. I grabbed my paint and my favorite chalk pro brush and put on a light coat of paint. Fabric sucks up paint pretty easily so you want to make sure your not putting on too much paint but rather layer it. After I got a good first coat and it dried I wiped some clear paste wax on it to keep the fabric softer. As you layer paint the fabric pores get harder. You can't completely soften it but you can help it not crack and soften the fabric itself.

I was doing this project in the heat of August so it dried rather quickly. The one pointer I would give you is to make sure that you aren't being impatient and painting over a wet surface. Let it all dry before you do your next layers. So I had every intention of getting this project done for the September market at Vintage Whites but I just didn't finish with all the other things I had going so I set this project aside.

I just recently came back to it. Finished my last layer and I have to say she looks awesome! It took this chair 3 layers of paint to get my desired finish. I finished the wood frame in Moon by Be Junk Chic Paint Collection. I think that she turned out amazing!

Some common questions I get are: Does the paint come off? NOPE! Once it binds to the fabric its not coming off. Does the fabric crack? If you paint to thick of layers you run a risk of cracking. The key is to paint in thin layers and be patient in the drying process. What does it feel like when finished? This chair feels like leather now that its done. It depends on the fabric your painting. If you have velvet fabric your process will be different and you need to make sure you research it before you try it.

This chair has been so popular that I am teaching workshops on fabric painting! I will be teaching a workshop in Plains Montana November 12th at 11am for all my Montana followers who want to try your hand at this. Bring your piece and I will teach you how fun this is!

My pictures are below of the process!