Painted fabric pillow topper - DIY

Painted Fabric Pillow Cover

I painted a fabric pillow cover! WHAT!!! Yep! Another DIY…There was nothing wrong with it, I just didn’t use it as it was. It didn’t match my decor, and it was a seasonal printed fabric.

A painted fabric pillow in a cowhide chair.

Inspiration Pillow

I found this pillow on Pinterest and fell in love with its design and colors. Living where I live and not able to find it locally or online, I decided to create my own pillow cover with paint.

Pinterest pillow the inspiration for a DIY.

Painting Fabric

Now painting fabric furniture is a thing. Maybe not my thing, but what can it hurt to create/paint a fabric pillow topper. Painting fabric furniture is a cost-effective way to upcycle furniture and there is a process that is recommended so that your fabric doesn’t turn out like a crispy tortilla. You can certainly Google this information if you are a serious furniture up cycler. As for me I think it’s only going to be a one-time thing.

Painted fabric pillow on a brown leather sofa.

What I Did

I used no certain process. My “get out of the way and let me do it” is how I completed the painted fabric pillow covering. Yes, I have no patience for most DIY projects they either work or they don’t! This is how it turned out.

Painted fabric pillow.

Supplies:

Using acrylic paint in the colors:

  • Nutmeg Brown
  • Territorial Beige
  • Classic Caramel
  • Chocolate Bar
  • Real Brown Marron
  • Chalk Paint in the color Mineral
  • Foam Roller
  • Paper Plate or flat pan to roll the paint out on
A DIYed painted fabric pillow covering.

What I Did:

Using a paint roller, I layered on my paints working to achieve the desired effect. Still not quite able to get the rich orangish brown color I used cinnamon from my spice drawer and sprinkled it on when the paint was wet.

Step 1: Removed the pillow/cushion from the slipcover which made the painting of the fabric much easier. First rolled on the Chalk paint in the color Mineral to cover the fabric and give the other paints a foundation.

Step 1 of the painting process of the DIY pillow cover.

Step 2: Layered on the brown paints in sections until I achieved the desired look. The cinnamon was applied to only one side of the pillow covering where I wanted that rich rust color.

Step 3: Let the fabric pillow cover dry for 8 to 10 hours or more. You will want to wipe the excess cinnamon off before replacing the pillow/cushion.

Tip: Make sure to put a plastic liner, small garbage sack in between the fabric layers of the pillow covering so the paint does not bleed through to the back.

You may notice that this pillow covering had a small area of embroidery on the fabric front. Hey, I ignored that and continued with the DIY. Now, this might bother you, but I knew that I wouldn’t mind. and it isn’t that noticeable.

Finished pillow cover painted with multiple shades of browns.

Recommendation for a Painted Fabric Pillow Cover

Yes, I have a recommendation for a painted fabric pillow cover. I recommend that you follow some directions to paint fabric. The methods suggested will keep your fabric soft and cozy. Now my painted fabric pillow topper is a bit crunchy and not cozy. However, I still like it but guaranteed that guests won’t want to be snuggling up with this bad boy. Ha, Ha!

Pillow cover painted in multiple shades of brown.

Is it Washable?

It is not washable! Washing is not recommended. When I painted the pillow slipcover, I did not incorporate any fabric medium that would sustain washing.

Let me know what you think of this project by commenting and if you would try painting a pillow or fabric furniture.

Happy Upcycling!

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