How to Paint a Couch

There’s a pretty specific type of couch that you can haul from Indiana to New York in a cargo van full of furniture, clothes, and stuff to furnish an apartment. There’s also a very specific type of couch that will allow three roommates in a two-bedroom NYC apartment to squirrel away three pairs of rollerblades, a stash of on-sale Rolling Rock beer, an impressive collection of Mod Podge, blankets, an extra rug, and a stationary bike stand. Meet:

THE MARY POPPINS COUCH

Where an incredible amount of stuff is stored underneath a mediocre, yet well-loved, 1970s couch. : )

This couch was actually from my grandparents. They bought it new back in the late 70s and this couch has bopped around everywhere from my parent’s little lake cottage, to the basement in our house, to the attic of my house, and now out with me in NYC. Isn’t it strange what furniture follows your life around? It’s never the fancy stuff. It’s always the underdog armoir or the itchy Lay-Z-Boy.

Now, I’m not in love with this couch or anything, but I respect the thing for it’s longevity and handiness. It’s lightweight and easy to pack, plus, there’s a lot of space underneath… If you add the little white risers that you typically see in dorm room beds. In it’s original state of plaid, I couldn’t really see this couch sitting in my NYC apartment. So I decided to paint it. I went through quite a few processes before settling on one that worked well.

What you need:

–Soft fabric paint
–Paint Sprayer
-Couch
-Clothesline of sorts

So the first attempt I made was with a paintbrush. This was the most terrible idea I had because the paint gets absorbed by the couch right away and it uses a TON of paint and it is not covered thoroughly.

Method number two was a failure, for sure, but I realized I was on the right track. Method number two involved diluting the soft fabric paint in an empty spray bottle. The the beginning stages of carpal tunnel later and a few hand blisters later,I figured that this was not a good method. Also, I would have had to spritz that couch for many, many hours.

Method #3 was perfect. Method #3 involved asking your dad if you can use his old paint sprayer. It takes a while to explain why you want to use fabric paint in a very efficient barn tool, but he’ll come around and your project will be awesome. 🙂

First I made a diluted concoction of fabric paint and water, just enough water to make the paint really, really soupy. Then I tied a rope between two trees and hung the cushions by twisting a bit of wire to the cushions’ zippers. 30 minutes later, my cushions were done!

The couch isn’t super soft, but it’s a really nice base for pillows and throws. It’s a pretty great couch for being free. 🙂