Painting fabric with Colorantic products

Painting fabric? Colorantic products make it possible!

Artisan Émilie Côté of the company Rien ne se perd – Recycled furniture who was lucky enough to find a neglected sofa just waiting to be saved and restored. In this article, she shares important details and techniques on how to paint fabric using Colorantic products. She gives you the tips and tricks you need to embark on the wonderful project of painting on fabric. You’ll be pleasantly surprised by the results.

First and foremost, the color chosen for this transformation is called Jardin d’été, a soft, luminous green. It’s Emilie’s favorite chalk paint color.

Products used

• Sandblasting block
• Colorantic XL brush
• Glaze Translucent window
• Summer garden color chalk paint
• Natural and tinted beeswax
• Wax brush 16mm
• Water-filled spray bottle
• Clean, damp white cloth (for wiping)

Preparing the fabric

First, to paint on fabric, you need to prepare it well. Using a spray bottle filled with water, soak the fabric to soften the fiber. If the fabric is dirty, add a little dishwashing soap to the water and spray. Rinse and dry lightly. Remove all traces of grease, residue and dirt. Colorantic’s polish remover and cleaner can be a good option for thoroughly cleaning your leather sofa, for example. Moisten your fabric before applying paint to improve adhesion and let the paint penetrate the fibers. Be careful not to over-wet the fabric, as this will dilute your colors and prevent them from running.

Mixing products

Then, for a sofa, we recommend you buy at least one 58 oz translucent (clear) window glaze and one 32 oz chalk paint of your choice. You’ll need to mix together 1/3 glaze, 1/3 chalk paint and 1/3 water. In fact, whatever the quantity, the recipe is the same. It’s always equal parts of each product (one part translucent window glaze + one part chalk paint + one part water).

Applying the glaze-paint mixture

In this case, to apply the mixture, Émilie used Colorantic’s XL brush.

More specifically, this round brush with natural silk bristles is perfect for evenly covering a large surface.

Finally, apply a thin layer of the glaze-paint-water mixture evenly over the fabric. Leave to stand for 1 to 2 hours or until completely dry to the touch. And if the season allows, you can even sit outside. This could indeed reduce drying time.

Then continue with the next coats, re-mixing, but slightly reducing the amount of water. Also, depending on the type of fiber, you may need more Colorantic glaze and chalk paint. In addition, the quantities of glaze and chalk paint required may vary from one fabric to another.

So, between each layer of the mixture described above, lightly sand with a sanding block. Indeed, you can moisten the fabric between layers by lightly spraying a fine mist of water with your water spray bottle.

On the other hand, if you want to go from a dark to a light color, you may need 4 to 5 coats. In the opposite case, i.e. from a light to a dark color, the number of coats may be reduced. Obviously, you’ll need to repeat these steps 2 to 4 times, depending on the project. It’s a good idea to do a test on the back of your sofa or chair. This will enable you to see how the product works, so you can readjust if necessary.

The finish

Once the final coat is dry, apply the natural beeswax with a wax brush. However, it is advisable to apply wax with a natural XL round bristle brush or a 16 mm round brush, which are specially designed for spreading wax. Note that if you use a cloth, it will absorb a certain amount of wax. To avoid losses, use a brush.

Finally, wipe off the wax with a slightly damp white cotton cloth to allow the wax to penetrate the fabric. A white cotton “t-shirt”-style cloth is ideal for leaving no markings.

Finally, leave to dry for 1 to 7 days. Wax takes several days to dry, so patience is essential for this kind of project.