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The Frugal Homemaker

Your guide to turning your house into a home... one DIY project and yard sale find at a time

Faded chair cushions refreshed with spray paint!

May 23, 2012

I hope you aren’t tired about me talking about spray paint ,because seriously spray paint has become my best friend in the last few years!  And yet again it has won my affection for refreshing something old and worn out and saving me some major $.  I should have just declared this spray paint week because I think I could have filled every day with a different spray paint project – starting with my spray painted coffee filter poofs I posted on Monday.

Today, I am sharing another spray paint project that the before and after pictures amazed even me!

beforeafter chair cushions

At the beginning of spring this is what my deck patio furniture cushions looked like.  Beautiful, right?  …. NOT!

DSC_0921

I know you are thinking, I just saw her deck in her reveal post and they looked great?  That is because they had already gone through a major makeover the day before I shot those pictures!  I even hinted about it on over on facebook – “You are not going to believe what I am spray painting now! ;). It is something outside! Will share on the blog soon…”

Before & After Deck reveal

We have only had this set 2 years and the cushions are supposed to be fade resistant, sun resistant, weather resistant – blah, blah, blah!  Well, they have held up well to the weather and they do wipe off very easily, but they have faded a LOT over time. 

We do have covers for the furniture and keep them covered all winter and try to remember to cover them when we are not using them during the summer but we forget most of the time.  Or we just used the deck, then it rained, so we have to wait for them to dry out before we can put the covers on.

Technically, this type of furniture should be used on more of a covered porch or patio, but we didn’t want an umbrella table and chairs out there so this was really our only other option.  And it was over 60% off, and pretty, and I loved it! Smile

The resin wicker is holding up great!  (And if it ever faded, I know some spray paint could refresh it too.)  And now that I have seen that I can refresh the cushions I am a lot less worried about this set holding up for many more years.DSC_0922

So I had thought I would just flip the cushions to the good side when we had company or were using them, then flip them back to the faded side the rest of the time (but I knew if I didn’t remember or didn’t bother with putting the covers back on, I probably wouldn’t remember to flip the cushions either.)  A few weeks ago, Sherry at Young House Love spray painted the fabric on her her upholstered chairs with oil rubbed bronze spray paint.  And she said it didn’t rub off and held up well!  And that got me thinking?  Could I spray paint my outdoor cushions??  (In fact I almost stole her post title for my post – “You spray painted what?” Smile)

I had a can of Cherry Red Krylon spray paint and Burgundy Krylon spray paint and decided to see which one matched the best.  After trying a few methods what worked best was spraying it with the burgundy first, then the red on top of that (after the burgundy dried for a few minutes) to brighten it up.  Using just one color didn’t seem to block the “white” from showing through – but both colors did.

Here’s the seat cushion for the couch after one light coat of paint – already looking better!

DSC_0924

And here is the top of one of the back cushions done.  The one on the left is spray painted – the one on the right isn’t done yet.

DSC_0923

And here’s the after!  (I took these pictures in early morning so there is a little dew on the chairs making them look  a little wet and splotchy, but they aren’t splotchy once they are dry.)

DSC_1212

Here’s the 2 chairs with the cushions spray painted:

DSC_1209DSC_1208

And now for some before and after pictures – chair on the left:

deck chair 1 beforeafter

Chair on the right:deck chair 2 beforeafter

And of course the couch which was the biggest change.

Before…

DSC_0921

After!

DSC_1212

I did have to buy a new can of red and burgundy Krylon spray paint as mine had already been used for many projects before and didn’t have much left in them.  So even if you factor in $6 for 2 cans of spray paint this was still a very frugal refresh that saved me tons of $ than if I had gone out and bought new cushions (that would eventually fade too.)

I will have to update you later in the summer if the spray paint fades on the fabric at all or not??  I am thinking that it might not as bad as the fabric did – but if it does I still have my 2 almost new cans in the garage ready to fix it back!  And for those of you wondering – it doesn’t not rub off on your hands or clothes.  I have rubbed them and nothing comes off and we have sat on them and nothing comes off.  The fabric does feel a tiny bit stiffer, but not much at all.  It was outdoor material which already has a heavy textured feel to it so I don’t notice much difference at all.  Then again, I did light coats of spray paint too.

And if you have wicker or metal furniture that has faded or weathered or if you even just want to change the color, spray paint works wonders for that too!

Have I inspired you to pick up some spray paint yet?  I hope so!  I am going to be doing lots of it in the driveway over the weekend on a big project I am working on so yes, another spray paint post is coming! Smile

What have you spray painted recently?

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Comments

  1. Susy says

    May 23, 2012 at 1:10 PM

    bought my first 3 cans today! do the $1 ones work just as well as the $3 ones? just basic colors in those.

    Reply
    • Christina says

      May 24, 2012 at 3:25 PM

      Yay, Susana!

      The $1 ones can work ok. I used to buy those at the very beginning. I find that they don’t last as long and don’t spray as well. I think I sometimes get twice as much usage and it sprays better with the $3
      cans. Even the nozzle is better! 🙂 So it is up to you. Try the ones you bought and then try a $3 can when they run out – I think you will notice a big difference.

      Reply
  2. Kelly Palmer says

    May 23, 2012 at 1:39 PM

    Thanks for the very helpful tip! We bought new cushions and pillows for our front porch swing and rockers last year and they are already looking faded. It will definitely be much cheaper to refresh rather than to replace them. Also just noticed your new picture, very pretty 🙂

    Reply
    • Christina says

      May 24, 2012 at 3:21 PM

      Yes, much cheaper! I need to check and see if they make specific fabric paint – my hubby said I should have used that. But I will see how this holds up – it is working fine for now!

      Thanks for the compliment on the picture – I have some new ones on my about me page too. And some more too – glad to finally have some professional pictures – will share about them in an future post.

      Reply
      • Theresa says

        August 9, 2015 at 12:20 PM

        Design Master Spray Paint….used by florists….found in craft stores, will stay soft. It is designed to use on many materials including silk flowers.

        Reply
  3. Wendy J says

    May 23, 2012 at 5:57 PM

    This is exactly what mine look like too. Can’t wait to try it out.

    Reply
    • Christina says

      May 24, 2012 at 3:20 PM

      I am sure many people have them. I am SOOO glad it worked as buying new cushions every few years was not going to be an option and I am not sure how good of a recovering job I could do. You’ll have to blog about it if you do it 🙂

      Reply
  4. Christa @ BrownSugarToast says

    May 23, 2012 at 9:21 PM

    woohoo!!!!!!! great job!

    Reply
    • Christina says

      May 24, 2012 at 3:17 PM

      thanks! Hoping they still look that good at end of summer 😉

      Reply
  5. Donna says

    May 24, 2012 at 8:26 AM

    Amazing! What a successful project as your furniture cushions look really nice. I just love your deck and because of you have decided I want to get rid of my umbrella table and get deck furniture. Now to convince my husband. 🙁
    What color shade and brand of paint did you purchase?
    Donna

    Reply
  6. Erika says

    June 14, 2012 at 12:02 AM

    I found this really nice patio furniture online, but the cushions are white…. Could I change the color with spray paint or just dress it up with different colored pillows?

    Reply
  7. jane says

    July 28, 2012 at 9:40 PM

    Hi Christina,

    I have a papazaan chair cushion that I bought in a garage sale and the fabric has seen better days. The cushion is in great shape, but I cannot clean it. I tried using a scrub brush and Shout to no avial. What type of spray paint did you use…Rustoleum, Kylon, etc. or was it specially made for fabric. In addition, did it crack or crunch when you sat on it? Did it remain soft and comfortable? Thanks again for your tips. Jane

    Reply
  8. Emily Jacoby says

    October 1, 2012 at 7:05 PM

    Did I miss the brand of paint you used? Did you find the fabric absorbed a lot of it??

    Reply
  9. sidra hammad says

    January 21, 2013 at 9:18 AM

    Dear christina ,
    im sidra.i really liked your work.i also want to learn this kind of work.i also want to creat this kind of goods.could yoy please help me out.Hope u ll reply me

    Thanks

    Reply
  10. Jenna says

    January 28, 2013 at 10:40 AM

    What happens when it rains and then later a guest comes with white pants and sits on the spray paiinted items only to have it bleed on the white pants????

    Reply
  11. Kyra says

    March 5, 2013 at 4:32 PM

    Have you had any problems of this rubbing off? I recently painted a chair with fabric spray paint(blue) and it has been rubbing off. I haven’t used it yet because I’m afraid it will come off on my clothes, but I was just wondering if you have had this problem?

    Reply
  12. Mechelle says

    March 22, 2013 at 5:01 AM

    I’m going to try this with my patio umbrella I bought last year. It’s a 11’x8′ umbrella so not cheap! & extremely faded after 1 season.

    Reply
  13. Carrie says

    March 26, 2013 at 9:29 PM

    I just bought some outdoor floral fabric cushions that I want to spray paint to a solid color. Which kind of spray paint should I use to completely cover up the faded floral pattern without being too stiff to sit on? And, as I saw someone else mentioned, it won’t flake off on clothing, will it?

    Reply
    • Christina says

      April 11, 2013 at 4:13 PM

      My paint has not flaked off or rubbed off at all on clothing. Think of if you get wall paint or spray paint on your clothes – once it is dry – it is permanent! :

      I need to update my post with pictures but my cushions eventually faded again 🙁 Just from the sun not anything to do with the spray paint or anything like that.

      I would say if you are wanting to cover up the flowers you may need to do spray primer first (grey? if you are doing a colored spray paint) – then do your color of spray paint. The cushions are a “little” stiff but not bad at all.

      Reply
  14. Judy says

    April 13, 2013 at 6:24 PM

    PLEASE – tell us what KIND of paint?? Is this just the regular spray paint like you would use on any outdoor project or did you use a special kind of paint?

    Reply
    • bob says

      April 26, 2013 at 2:39 PM

      In this WHOLE story I have yet to see what brand or type of spray paint was used, where it was purchased, etc. Is it regular Krylon, automotive, or another high-priced special paint for fabrics??

      Reply
    • Lori says

      February 12, 2015 at 1:37 PM

      Krylon spray paint I believe she said. : }

      Reply
  15. Leslie sombers says

    April 15, 2013 at 11:18 PM

    I woke up this morning thinking I thought of a brilliant idea to save money and was not sure if it was safe to use on fabric…..yay! who knew!

    Reply
  16. Michelle Wainwright says

    May 30, 2013 at 4:09 PM

    So I bought exactly the same set (twice!) We have a very large deck and I love the furniture but am so disappointed with the cushions. I’m going to try this…but I’m with everyone else…can you give us the paint info and colors?

    Reply
  17. Michelle Wainwright says

    May 30, 2013 at 4:10 PM

    I have the exact same set that I bought two of! My cushions look exactly the same and am so excited to try this method…can you please tell us the paint color and info?

    Reply
  18. Carla S. says

    June 22, 2013 at 11:13 PM

    She very plainly says she had to get another can of red and burgundy KRYLON spray paint just like what she had in order to finish her cushions. Go back and read the article again so you will all know. 😉

    Reply
  19. Kim says

    July 2, 2013 at 4:43 PM

    Wanting to dye or paint my outdoor cushions and saw your post. Am I understanding that you just sprayed regular outdoor paint? Directly on the cushions? Sound too easy to be true, but may try it.

    Enjoy reading your post!

    Reply
  20. Marlys says

    September 3, 2013 at 10:34 PM

    Hello colleagues, its enormous article on the topic of teachingand fully defined, keep it up all the time.

    Reply
  21. Debbie says

    April 18, 2014 at 8:47 AM

    I was so excited to see this! I have this exact set and was online trying to find new cushions. I am going to try the burgundy and cherry red combo today!

    Reply
  22. Danielle says

    June 18, 2014 at 6:55 PM

    Does the color fade after being in the sun. What if u leave it out and it rains? Does the paint run or come off on your clothes when u sit down?

    Reply
  23. Mitch Middleton says

    December 23, 2014 at 4:05 PM

    Where is the best place to buy the upholstery spray paint?

    Reply
    • Christina says

      December 24, 2014 at 12:12 AM

      I just used regular spray paint.

      Reply
  24. Linda Couzens says

    January 29, 2015 at 11:29 AM

    I used a fabric spray paint 12 years ago on some fabric blinds we had to update the look. They were a light blue when we first purchased them back in the 1986, when we had purchased our home. After so many years in the house we needed to update it to get it ready for sale. We had paid a lot for these blinds, and they were still in very good condition, just a very out dated color. So, I figured we had nothing to lose by trying to paint them as opposed to purchasing new ones. They turned out fantastically! Sorry I do not have before and after pictures to post, since we are no longer in that house. But you have inspired me to try the paint method on our patio cushions. Thanks!

    Reply
  25. Liddi Pate says

    March 21, 2015 at 12:25 PM

    I have this same set do you know which style of better homes and garden it is? I think it’s windgate or something like that . I need to buy the cushions for it. Thanks

    Reply
  26. Dedelj says

    May 7, 2015 at 3:22 AM

    Hi,

    I would like to spray paint my patio cushions too. I moved overseas and cannot find the spray cans. Could you please tell me which cans you bought exactly (a reference as they are so many different ones from Krylon) and where did you get them from ? If you have a link to a store that would work perfectly.
    A friend is coming over from the USA and could bring them back to me.
    Thank you very much ! Love your blog !!!

    Reply
  27. Richard says

    May 9, 2015 at 10:14 PM

    My cushions have a pattern, has anyone tried spaying with a clear “gloss” to see if the cushions color can be enhanced?

    Reply
  28. Deanne says

    May 11, 2015 at 9:43 PM

    Good Morning All, I just stumbled across this thread and thought I’d let you know that we sell a product that is ideal for re-painting fabric. Aqueous Fabric Ink / Paint. It is ideal for painting outdoor fabrics – umbrellas, deck chairs, directors chairs or anything similar. I have water it down and used it to tie dye shirts as well. It’s available in 36 colours including Fluorescents and Metallics. It is cured by heat, ie sun, clothes dryer or even hair dryer. Check out our website. http://www.tintex.com.au.

    Regards

    Reply
  29. robyn says

    May 15, 2015 at 2:18 PM

    Hi does it run off on your clothing or dry completely?

    Reply
  30. Trina Bailey says

    November 25, 2015 at 8:57 AM

    Girl, you rocked it!!! I have the EXACT SET!!!
    Paint store here I come!!!??

    Reply
  31. Paulette says

    February 14, 2016 at 3:02 PM

    I spray painted drawers I saw left on the side of the road. The bottoms bright yellow and the sides (in and out) one blue and one black then hung on my wall for square shelves :). Spray paint is my friend too! Read this to see if I could just spray paint an old outdoor chair someone tossed last week! Time to get the cans out!

    Reply
  32. Nathalie says

    April 17, 2016 at 6:05 PM

    I spray painted the cushions of my outdoor chairs with the same Krylon Indoor/Outdoor Paint (it says on the can it can be used on fabric) and exact same color you used (burgandy and cherry red on top) (wich is 5,68$ each can here in Canada) but once the cushions were dry, I scratched it with my fingernails, the paint comes off in a red powder… I tried to wash it, I soaked it with water and scrubbed with a brush but once again when the cushions were dry, the paint still comes off under my fingernails

    Reply
  33. Isabel says

    May 26, 2016 at 5:14 PM

    Hi Christina – I have four metal patio chairs and two small metal tables with glass tops that go in between the chairs. The chairs are a nice design and I like them, but the metal on the chairs and table have rusted and looks terrible. The chairs have a heavy fabric on the seat and back and it has faded and looks dirty. The fabric on the back and seat is separate pieces about 15″ x 18″ each and secured with multiple tiny screws hidden underneath the seat and on the back of the back of the chairs. I don’t want to remove the screws and fabric. I know nothing about spray painting, but I am willing to learn.
    Would you please give me instructions on how to make these chairs and tables look nice with spray painting them a pretty color. I like burgundy color – would it be best to spray the metal and fabric the same color or should I select a nice color to compliment the burgundy. I am retired and have a limited budget for this project – so would you guide me toward the least expensive but good spray paint and whatever other materials I need to complete this project. Will the spray paint thoroughly dry on the fabric part of the chairs? Thank You in advance, Christina, for your advise, etc., to help me get this project done.

    Reply
  34. Susan says

    June 5, 2016 at 2:02 PM

    We have this exact outdoor furniture and it is very faded! Got it at Walmart 3 or 4 years ago. Better Home and Gardens brand. Might have to try this!

    Reply
  35. Barb says

    June 26, 2016 at 1:02 PM

    What about mesh chairs. Doesn’t crack or peel??

    Reply
  36. Mary says

    July 14, 2016 at 11:04 PM

    Does this crack at all when you sit on it??

    Reply
  37. Shelli says

    August 30, 2016 at 8:57 PM

    Outdoor faded tables. They look great. Can’t wait to paint my cushions too

    Reply
  38. Amanda says

    May 26, 2017 at 12:41 PM

    Just wondering if you had and transfer of dye from the cushions onto clothing, and did it bleed in the rain?

    Reply
  39. Kristen says

    June 20, 2017 at 7:30 AM

    We have a metal couch with 3 cushions across on our covered porch. The cushions are Black and Tan stripped and I’d much rather them at least be black so I can use other pops of color. Do you think I could do the spray paint in black and it would cover?

    Reply
  40. Tina says

    September 11, 2017 at 10:33 PM

    Did the color bleed at all onto clothing?

    Reply
  41. Jim R. says

    January 13, 2019 at 4:38 AM

    That’s really amazing! I would have never thought of spray painting furniture cushions. 😀

    Reply
  42. Alex says

    March 19, 2019 at 10:10 AM

    I am also using the same kind of chairs in my deck which is really old now and I was thinking to change them but then I realized its material is really good instead of changing it I can renovate it, thanks to your tips I am going to work on it I hope all goes well.

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Fix your faded chair cushions with spray paint (update) | The Frugal Homemaker says:
    June 18, 2013 at 12:43 PM

    […] Last summer I published a post called “Faded chair cushions refreshed with spray paint.” […]

    Reply
  2. DIY Saturday: Spray Paint Those Old Faded Outdoor Cushions — A Cultivated Nest says:
    June 22, 2013 at 6:00 AM

    […] Happy weekend everyone! I was super excited when I found this DIY because every year it seems I have to replace my outdoor cushions because they get so faded and yucky looking from all the strong sun we get here (and probably the wind and rain from all our storms too). I know people get outdoor fabric and recover them but until you have time to do that, you should try this method. It’s fast, it’s easy –  DIY Spray Painted Cushions from The Frugal Homemaker. […]

    Reply
  3. best way to spray paint furniture | A Listly List says:
    October 27, 2013 at 11:13 AM

    […] Faded chair cushions refreshed with spray paint! […]

    Reply

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Hi!  My name is Christina . . .

I love doing simple, frugal things to make our house feel like HOME! Come learn along with me how to have a beautiful home on a budget.

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