Using Chalk Paint on fabric
Yes you really can paint fabric with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint! To see what the finished result would look and feel like Sherry decided to paint the seat of an upholstered dining chair.
They say you can use Annie Sloan Chalk Paint on any surface, Sherry has seen this as a challenge to try out Chalk Paint on as many surfaces as possible. Today she has tried painting on fabric, and we we're all interested to see if it worked, what the fabric would feel like and whether it would come off on your clothes.
Sherry picked up this old dining chair at the saleroom, and to create a before and after effect to show visitors to the shop, she used masking tape to create a dividing line.
Annie Sloan Country Grey was chosen for both the wooden frame and the fabric which is a brown chenille, so has a slight pile.
As normal Sherry started by painting the underneath of the chair, concentrating on the wooden frame first, giving it one thick coat of Chalk Paint, she then turned it upright and finished the rest of the frame.
As you can see in the image below Sherry uses Annie Sloan's brushes, they seem pricy to buy at first but are great to use, the long handle sits well in your hand, and the bristles are slightly tapered meaning its easy to get into the corners. When it comes to washing them its as simple as running the brush under water - I have used mine on several projects, rinsed it and its still in great condition.
Once the frame of the chair had been painted, Sherry turned her attention to the fabric. Water was added to the tin of Chalk Paint to create a single cream consistency - you can do this in the tin if its not too full or decant some of the Chalk Paint into a tub or jar.
This thinned down paint was applied straight onto the fabric and left to dry.
Once the paint was dry, a dry stiff brush was used to restore the pile in the fabric. Sherry also lightly sanded around the detail of the chair to create a slightly distressed look. Wax wasn't applied because a flat chalky look was desired.
When I saw the chair I was skeptical that it would crack as you sat on it, but much to my surprise after sitting for a few minutes the seat hadn't cracked! It was also reassuring that no paint had come off on my clothes.
