--- HOW TO PAINT ON FURNITURE FABRICS WITH FABRIC PAINTS ---

Painting on fabric-covered furniture is, by far, the topic
that we MOST frequently get asked about ... even before the
program aired that showed furniture being painted on TV.
Naturally, there is much interest in this due to the cost
of both reupholstering furniture and replacing it, which has
gotten so very expensive in the last few years.

Tri-chem Stencil-On* or Cameo Acrylic fabric paint are the
products that I often recommend to add designs to furniture
and cover smaller pieces like cornices and chairs.  Stencil-On,
despite its brand name, is the best product available for
projects involving furniture because it has a thicker creamier
formula that is drip-resistant and covers other colors 
better than other fabric paints while still leaving a soft
and permanent result that will never bleed off into clothing
after being properly allowed to dry thoroughly.

Both painta are non-toxic, water-based, water soluble
while wet, and very nice to use because clean-up is easily
done with soap and water until the paint has air cured. It
can be diluted but use of the Stencil-On Extender is recom-
mended and it provides value because an unlimited number of
shades can be created with the Extender withOUT changing the
wonderfully creamy consistency of the paint. Stencil-On
paint is available by mail-order and UPS delivery from
FPC International.  See the Stencil-On Online Product Guide at:
StencilOn.shtml for more info.
Cameo paints are found at: http://CameoPaints.com.

It is important that I convey the complete situation as
clearly as possible on painting on furniture to make sure
everyone interested in fabric painting their own furniture
understands our products positions in the industry on
this. PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING:

These are fabric paints that were specifically designed
to enable users to easily apply designs to fabric and
many surfaces with a line of products to cover most house-
hold applications. The package size was specifically chosen
to allow consumers to use the products on an individual,
personal basis and still get alot of uses from each tube.
Broad-based application was not the intended use of the
products. Application of Tri-chem and Cameo products
was, therefore, designed to be applied in amounts sig-
nificant enough to allow designs to be applied easily by an
individual person for personal creativity.  By design, all
Tri-chem fabric paint is, therefore, packaged in one-ounce
tubes only.  Coverage of large areas of furniture fabrics,
while very possible with these paints, is a the more
unpractical use of these products due to expense and the
product package sizing.

If you desire to do more than apply designs or change only
certain areas of furniture fabric (like change complete color
on large areas like couches, loveseats, and large chairs),
then a more practical and efficient use of your money may be


to use a product designed to cover large areas less
expensively.  It is my understanding that spray
paints for car upholstery that is also good for home uphol-
stery are no longer on the market.  Plastikote used to make a
spray for this that was sold in auto supply stores.  However,
I can recommend you search http://www.dharmatrading.com for
a suitable product in the larger sized fabric paints.  Liquid
fabric paints can be easily applied with a sponge brush and
sponge brushes come in many handy sizes.  They are available
widely at home improvement, paint, and hobby stores.

My experience does extend to covering a smooth brocade
fabric-covered dining chairs with Stencil-On by applying
with both (or either) a large sponge painting brush and a
small roller kit (available at Michael's craft supply store)
with very satisfactory results. The darker colors of
Stencil-On cover lighter colors well and sort of "melt" into
the fabric nicely.  Stencil-On & Cameo paints do not need heat
setting and air cures nicely, making it wonderful for
furniture in that way.

Please understand that my experience does NOT extend into
using the product on many of the different types of fabrics
that are used in upholstery. I do know that vinyl and vinyl-
type of fabrics are NOT paintable with fabric paint because
vinyl was designed to resist any kind of staining medium,
including food, of course.  Nylon and 100% polyester fabrics
are also dye and paint resistant and the color has to be
manufactured into the fibers themselves. So results will vary,
no matter what you use, so ALWAYS test the paint on a hidden
area of the furniture covering ... like the back or bottom.

If you wish to try Stencil-On or Cameo paints on your furniture,
I recommend that you first purchase one tube & try it on a
hidden area.  Then, if you get results that please you, you
order more fabric paint. 

If you use the first tube up then determine the square inch
coverage that you got from the one-ounce tube, you can much
more easily determine the remaining number of tubes you will
need to get those same desired results to finish the job.
I do recommend that you paint the back or bottom of the
furniture piece with that first tube, so you can wait for your
Stencil-On order.  This way, you can also see if you prefer an
extra coat.

I also recommend that you also test any spray (or other)
product on a hidden area first also. ALWAYS make sure the
results are permanent and non-bleeding once dry.



To clean Stencil-On painted fabric after it has been painted:

- ALLOW FURNITURE TO DRY THOROUGHLY before allowing use of
  furniture again.

- ALWAYS wait at least one week to allow it to air-cure
  before attempting any cleaning.

- FOR BEST RESULTS: Use only mild soap & water or a mild
type of furniture cleaner. Test foam cleaners FIRST. Steam
only with a mild solution, do not over saturate, and if
there are design-painted areas and unpainted areas--you will
not need to deep-clean design areas because they will resist
dirt, grease, etc. better than unpainted areas will. Lightly
clean any design-painted areas.

HERE IS SOMETHING THAT I MUST MAKE CLEAR IN THIS ARTICLE:

If you are hoping to cover fabrics that already have
multiple colors with any fabric paint, spray or otherwise,
you are probably asking too much unless you intend to cover
with the darkest color(s) available AND you WILL need to
test PRIOR to painting to make sure you get good results.
Your best option, in this case, will probably be to
re-upholster your furniture piece(s).

Our clients have successfully painted their furniture with
our featured products and at a price that satisfied them
in their situation. It is possible that you could do that also
but you need to consider everything explained here. If you
need more help and advice, please feel free to contact me on
11am to 8pm PACIFIC time. Check for time zone differences
BEFORE phoning, please. I am happy to give you as much
advice and help as you need for no-charge. Again, please
visit our websites: www.fabricpaint.com or www.cameopaints.com
for more information on these fabric paint products and details
on purchasing the products.

HAPPY FABRIC PAINTING & HEIRLOOM CRAFTING!
Diane Seveland, Product Support Technician,
support@fabricpaint.com
Great Adventures in Fabric Painting begin at
FPC International, FabricPaint.Com / CameoPaints.com
Explore Your Creative Side TODAY!