How To Make Your Own DIY Fabric Paint
Learn how to make your own fabric paint!
If you've been following along over on Instagram, then you'll know I have been busy working on my Upcycled Fabric Painted Armchair this week using paint and fabric softener! I had recently discovered it’s possible to make your own DIY Fabric Paint using paint and fabric softener here and here, and knew I had to give it a try myself. I've been sharing the entire process over on Instagram, so make sure you join me and check out my ["Painted Armchair" Instagram Highlights]. Everyone has been so helpful and generous with their advice, votes, tips and opinions as I chose paint colours - it's been a lot of fun!
But let’s quickly rewind. I found a secondhand armchair at a tip shop for only $10 and knew it would be perfect to upcycle. The fabric was outdated but in good condition and I loved the timber frame. For this project I thought long and hard about paint colours and timber stain, and in the end decided to paint the chair to celebrate Pantone’s colour of the year - Peach Fuzz. I fell madly in love with British Paints Retro Peach last week when I made my DIY Christmas Table Centrepiece and wanted to incorporate this colour. All I needed to do was choose a second colour and get working on mixing my own DIY Fabric Paint!
For this Upcycled Painted Fabric Armchair project tutorial, click here and watch this video to see how it all came together.
Before & After
How To Make DIY Fabric Paint
One of the best perks of my job is being able to experiment with new techniques, so naturally I was really excited to dive in! After watching both videos here and here, I thought it would be best to run my own experiment too. Not all paint and fabric softener is made equal and I wanted to make sure I had the best fabric paint consistency for this project. I used British Paints interior paint with Earth Choice Fabric Softener and tested the mixture:
25% Paint with 75% Fabric Softener
50% Paint with 50% Fabric Softener
75% Paint with 25% Fabric Softener
The Verdict
Following my test samples, I concluded that the more fabric softener in your mixture, the softer the paint will feels on the fabric. And it goes both ways - the more paint you use in your mixture, the harder the paint will dry on the fabric.
Initially I decided use 50% Paint with 50% Fabric Softener, but I found that the fabric softener thickened the paint and that I liked the consistency more when I added more fabric softener. I also felt that it made the paint go a long way and that it dried more softly on the fabric. So, I recommend 1 part Paint with 2 parts Fabric Softener.
Additionally, in my experience adding more fabric softener to the paint does dilute or change the colour of the paint so don’t be afraid to add more fabric softener if you think you need to. Just have fun!
