How to Fabric Paint Grain Sack Chairs or Pillows Using Chalk Paint

I saw some gorgeous French grainsack chairs on Pinterest and some cushions on Instagram that really inspired me on to try it for myself.  So here is a little tutorial to help you along.  For painting fabric, you can use the Autentico Chalk Paint and I recommend adding Fabric Medium.  Fabric Medium ensures that you can wash your finished product without fear of fading.  I happen to use Martha Stewart brand as I tend to buy quite a bit of my craft supplies on Amazon but any Fabric Medium should work.

The chair on the left is what I started with.  You can see the icky looking seat cover.  I removed that fabric and replaced with a fire retardant fabric that looks quite a lot similar to white/cream hessian but with a tight weave.  I recovered the chair seat cushion using my trusty electric staple gun.

Using 3M Repositional Mounting Spray, I sprayed the back of the Grain Sack Stencil (you could use Frog Tape but I don't trust myself to make the lines straight) and affixed to the seat cushion.  At the cushion bend, I also used some Frog Tape to secure.   I used a sponge pouncer to paint the stripe, using Autentico French Grey.

Once the stripe is completed, use the hair dryer to dry.  Then follow the same procedure with the mounting spray and affix a centre stencil.  I used the top of the crown and the centre circle to line up with the centre of the stripe.  Here I used Autentico Nearly Black mixed with the fabric medium to stencil the wreath.  I prefer to use a sponge pouncer but the key is - do not over load the paint when stencilling to avoid seepage under the stencil.  Below is the same process for a pillow cushion, using Autentico French Grey and then the Autentico Silver Pearl Metallic Paint.   To make permanent, please ensure you either use the hair dryer on a hot setting or once dry, use an iron to set.  I also do spray the chair seat cushion with Scotch Guard to repel any spills.