How to Spray Paint Patio Pillows

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I love the comfortable, inviting feel of throw pillows resting on my patio furniture. It makes the whole area cozier and adds a place to lay your head if you want to take a nap. Unfortunately, the hot Georgia sun takes a toll on them, leaving them faded after one season. At $10 to $15 per pillow, replacing them adds up in a hurry, especially when the pillow itself is still in good condition, just faded. I decided to research ways to redo the pillows I had. I found the usual ways–sewing new covers– but sewing machines and I don’t mix. Then, I discovered you could spray paint patio pillows! What??? Yeah, I couldn’t believe it either.

How to Spray Paint Patio Pillows

I researched how to spray paint pillows and found two ways. 1) You can use a special spray fabric paint from Rust-oleum. The downsides of this paint are limited colors and the price of around $12 a can. I read the reviews from customers and most said you needed 3 coats of paint to cover a pillow. If I can only cover 1 pillow per can, I could purchase a new cushion for around the same cost. I decided to try the second method; painting the pillows with outdoor spray paint.

If your pillows no longer look like this, try spray paint!

I purchased a couple of cans of Rust-oleum Painter’s Touch 2X Spray Paint in Oasis Blue and Satin Lagoon. I like Rust-oleum Painter’s Touch because it has paint plus primer included and comes in over 100 colors. It’s my go-to paint since it’s around $4 a can at Walmart.

I washed the pillows and allowed them to dry completely to get rid of any dirt spots that might mess with the paint coverage. All that was left was spray painting the pillows. Each pillow took a couple of coats. I let them dry completely between coats -around 30 minutes- before reapplying a second coat. After the first side dried, I flipped them over and spray painted the second side, allowing drying time between coats.

My pillows before spray painting

I was able to cover 2 to 2 1/2 pillows per can of paint, making the cost of refreshing the pillows around $2 apiece. Compared to spending $12 a pillow to purchase new ones, this was a significant saving. I’ve shown the painted pillows to visitors. They look so good that no one believes me when I say I spray-painted them.

Commonly Asked Questions About Spray Painting Pillows

  1. Does it make the pillows splotchy? When I first started painting, I noticed splotches on the fabric and thought, “Oh no!” After the paint dried I couldn’t see any splotches. The pillows look like they have even coverage. Note: I did run out of Rust-Oleum and the colors I used were out of stock. I tried Krylon ColorMaxx in Satin Island Splash instead. I found the colors were a little splotchy, which caused a kind of cloud effect. Since I was going for a tropical feel, this worked for me.
This one looks a little splotchy but I like the “cloud” effect.

2. Does it make the pillows hard and crunchy? In my experience, no. Patio cushion pillows always feel rougher than traditional indoor pillows. I noticed a slight difference in the feel of the pillows after painting but nothing hard or crunchy.

3. Can you cover dark fabric? I found the extremely faded pillows were easily covered, while the darker colored fabrics still sometimes showed the patterns or designs through the paint. It probably helped that I used dark colors of paint to cover the fabric as well.

4. How long does the color last? Since I only painted my pillows recently, I’m not sure. I’ve read reports of 1 to 3 years or even more. I assume your mileage may vary by factors like wind, temperature, and whether it’s continuously exposed to sunlight.

This one is in direct sunlight.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

  1. Wash the pillow and allow it to dry completely.
  2. Place the pillow on a piece of plastic. Spray paint one side of the pillow using an outdoor paint. Allow the pillow to dry completely. Depending on the brand of paint used, this could take 30 minutes to 1 hour.
  3. Reapply another layer of paint, if needed. Allow to dry.
  4. Flip the pillow to the other side and repeat the process above.

Each pillow took less than 5 minutes per coat so the main component of painting is the drying time. I painted several pillows at once. By the time I finished the first round, I could usually start painting the second coat. Easy peasy and saves me around $100? Yes, please!

Have you tried spray painting your patio pillows? What were your results? I’d love to hear about them!

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