Painting Upholstery Fabric With Chalk Paint®

I think this has to be one of the most enjoyable projects that I’ve done so far. If you’ve read my blog for any length of time you know that I absolutely love Annie Sloan Chalk Paint® (and I don’t get paid to say that).


I have painted wood furniture. I’ve painted glass. I’ve painted hardware. I’ve painted lamps. I’ve painted metal. But, fabric? Really!? This, I had to try.

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I had been looking for a smaller sitting solution for our living room and came across this vintage settee.  The seller was a cute gal who had just moved into an old row house. Unfortunately, it didn’t fit in her new layout.



Her asking price said I just want it gone… and I was happy to take it off of her hands! I couldn’t believe how lucky I was. The bones of this piece were fabulous! The frame was sturdy. The springs were perfect and even the upholstery was newer… just not my style. Okay who are we kidding… who’s style would this be?







I love it when you can create the look of an expensive piece of furniture for very little money. Painting allows you to do just that. I’m not going to lie. I sat on this piece for a little while. Both literally and not literally because I couldn’t decide what color to paint her. 



Should she be a deep turquoise or emerald green? I’m smack dab in the middle of transitioning my living room colors from grey and yellow to another color pallet. After much consideration emerald green was the winner…

Tutorial: How To Paint Upholstery Fabric

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Materials Used To Upholster Fabric

Annie Sloan Chalk Paint® in Antibes Green

Annie Sloan Chalk Paint® in Florence

Annie Sloan Chalk Paint® in Aubusson Blue
Annie Sloan Chalk Paint® in Graphite

Squirt Bottle filled with water

2" Paint Brush
Annie Sloan Clear & Dark Wax
Small Paint Brush
Old T-shirt

Steps To Create Custom Emerald Green Chalk Paint®

Mix 2 parts Antibes Green, 1 part Florence and 1 part Aubusson Blue to get this rich emerald green  chalk paint® color. Add a little water to the paint and mix it up really good. I didn't want the paint to sit on the fabric, I wanted it to soak right in. 


I didn't measure but if I had to guess I would say I added a total of 1/4 cup water to a quart of paint. (I like to add a table spoon of water at a time and then stir. You can always add more water but you can't take the water from the paint.) 

How To Apply Chalk Paint® To Fabric

Apply one light coat of your slightly water downed chalk paint® to your fabric. Use your water spray bottle to dampen the fabric just slightly before you paint. This helps spread the paint easier as well as helps the paint to soak into the fabric. The first coat looks like crud. ;) Hold on tight! 


The second coat gets better! (Wait 24 hours and make sure that the fabric is dry before painting a second coat.) While waiting for the upholstery fabric to dry,  I used this small paint brush and painted the settee frame in Annie Sloan Chalk Paint® in Graphite. I didn't tape off my edges. These small paint brushes are the perfect size for painting the edges and getting into tight spots! 


Once both coats are dry,  apply clear wax with an old T-shirt to the fabric to seal it. The settee frame was sealed with a mixture of of dark and clear wax.

The Berquist Settee came out looking absolutely bold & lovely... and had a feeling of a soft suede. It also passed the green bum bum test. :) 

UPDATE!: Some of you have asked me how the paint holds up on fabric. I'm happy to report that as of Fall 2016, our settee is still going strong! It looks almost as good as the day I painted it... Three years later!

Take risks! Take chances. You might be surprised at what can happen…

Carrie || Thirty Eighth Street

If you enjoyed this painted upholstery tutorial, you might also like this painted chair makeover! Would you like to learn more about refinishing furniture? Stop by and check out our Furniture Painting & Tutorials Resource Guide!