Painting Upholstery, Carpet & Canvas

When I spotted this article by Louise Price Bell in Modern Woman (Vol 12, No 4, 1943), I was tempted to save it for posting in spring because it's about painting garden, porch & patio furniture and rugs. But then I realized that painting techniques like this offer cheaper alternatives to reupholstering chairs & having new carpeting or other floor coverings installed to easily spruce up the place for holiday gatherings and knew I had to share it now.



Frankly, the article on "canvas paint" rather blew my mind. I knew of fabric paints for making crafty tee-shirts & canvas shoes, but I had no idea there were paints sturdy enough for more rugged action. While I couldn't find the exact product (Setfast), I did find several DIY sites which recommended those same fabric paints as well as latex -- and there's even a spray upholstery paint.

If the idea of painting the spotted &/or stained fabric on furniture (even if the seats etc. are not removable), excites you; if getting a cheap indoor/outdoor rug, painting it and throwing it over the worn hallways (and even just plain old bad carpeting) just in time for the holidays is just too delightful; then here's some additional how-tos & info:

Hate The Fabric Colour? Just Paint It!, says the Ikea Hacker.

Some basics are at eHow's (How To Paint A Sisal Rug), Real Simple (Makeover Your Rugs with Paint), and Curbly (How To Paint An Indoor-Outdoor Rug).

At TLC, Jeff Beneke's Paint The Rug, Or Not discusses which carpet may or may not be suitable to paint.