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Can You Paint Over Felt? (All You Need to Know)

Felt is a combination of fabrics that are being condensed and pressed together. It is commonly used in clothes, decors, drapes, apparel, and furniture. The incredible resilience of felt makes it so popular.

Can you paint over felt?

You can paint over felt. Painting over felt can be quite exciting. While there are many options available to paint felt, the most famous one is to paint it with acrylic paint. It is a fun process and the color comes out beautifully. It can bring some change in the things you use. 

You may need to apply different methods to paint over different types of felt.

Roofing felt:

You can paint over roofing felt. As roofing felt are used as a water-resistant protective layer in between roof deck and shingles, you must go for strong paint to keep it at its best. Experts and many users suggest using bitumen paint to paint over roofing felt.

Pool table felt:

You can paint over pool table felt. For this, you will have to take the felt off the table and wash it to get rid of dirt, and then rinse it properly. Then you can dye it with paint mixed with hot water with the help of a sponge.

Once the paint dries, wipe it off with a soft damp cloth to get rid of any excess paint.

Felt hat:

You can paint over a felt hat. The best way to do this will be to put on a good primer first and then go over with the paint when that dries. Leave the inside as it is for a comfortable experience.

Felt fabric/Felt paper:

You can paint over felt fabric or felt paper. Acrylic paints are the best in this case. To paint over felt fabric, you may have to consider using a primer before going on with the paint.

Felt board:

You can paint over a felt board. The best option for this is acrylic paint. Try to use a fabric medium and use it in a 1:1 ratio with the paint. This will prevent the felt from getting too stiff.

Felt tiles:

You can paint over felt tiles. Felt tiles are nothing but felt boards designed and cut to be used as wall tiles to give your place a new and different outlook. You can paint the tiles the same way felt boards are painted with acrylic paint.

GAF felt buster:

You may be able to paint over GAF felt buster. It is similar to the roofing felt but a better and stronger version of that. It is also water-resistant so you must go for strong paint to paint over the felt buster.

What happens when you paint felt fabric?

Painting felt is not a complicated task, but it can cause some changes in the nature of the felt.

Paint bleeding through:

The Felt is quite porous. When you try to paint over felt, you may often find the pain seeping into the fabric and bleeding through it.

So it is suggested to apply a good primer before applying the paint as this will decrease the porousness and make the paint stand out even more.

Make it stiff:

As felt holds onto the paint it often becomes stiff. Felt is absorbent fabric so the painting can alter its texture.

Of course, with the right paint and by applying the proper method, this can be avoided. And in some cases, even if the felt does become stiff at first, it loosens up with time.

Make it scruffy and uncomfortable:

It depends on how you are painting the felt. If you’re using a rough brush to put the paint on, too much rubbing can make the felt appear scruffy.

This way, the paint won’t sit right and the felt will feel uncomfortable to touch. Also, it may lose its appeal completely. Once the fabric becomes frowzy, there’s no going back to how it was before.

What paint can I use on felt?

The following three are the most ideal paint to use on felt.

Acrylic paint:

Acrylic paint is a wonderful paint to use on felt. It has a wide variety and it is interesting to use. You can use this paint on felt by creating an acrylic bath.

To get a dark color, you might have to repeat the process a few times to reach the desired color. Or you can seal the fabric before putting on the acrylic paint for a better result.

Fabric paint:

Fabric paint is the best suited for felt given the fuzzy and absorbent nature of felt. Instead of using a paintbrush, it will be wise to use a squeeze bottle or something else like this so you can pour the paint precisely and avoid disturbing the texture of the felt.

Spray paint:

You can use spray paint to paint the felt. The process is simple and you can enjoy the time as spray painting is quite fun. The felt may feel too stiff after a session of spray paint, but it will loosen up eventually.

How long does it take for paint to dry on felt?

The best way to dry paint on felt is by letting it air dry itself. This way the paint gets to sit on the felt and the finished product is more satisfying. It takes a maximum of 10 hours for the felt to dry. Fast-drying paint may take a little less time.

How to paint over felt?

There are multiple ways to paint over felt. The most common ways are discussed here.

How to paint felt with acrylic paint?

The best way to paint felt with acrylic paint is with an acrylic paint bath.

Preparing the surface and the felt:

Prepare a wide work surface by covering it with plastic or wax paper. Wear some disposable hand gloves to keep your hands protected.

It will be useful if you can wash the felt in a washing machine with only warm water. This step will loosen the fiber making it easier to paint. Then air-dry the felt.

Preparing the paint bath:

Prepare a bucket or bowl, fill it up with water and then add in your choice of acrylic paint. There’s no fixed quantity just more paint will give deeper color to the felt. Mix the paint so that it can dissolve properly.

Painting the felt:

If possible, take an extra piece of felt, submerge it in the water, and swirl well. This will help you get rid of undissolved paint. Then take the felt that you need to paint and dunk it in the prepared water for just a few seconds.

Take it out and hold it over the bucket to get rid of excess water. Lay the felt out on a flat covered surface and let it dry.

How to spray paint a felt hat?

You can spray paint a felt hat. It’s quite an easy yet fun method.

Prepare the area:

Choose an outside area or any place that has adequate ventilation. Spray painting causes fumes that need to be properly ventilated. You can also cover the area with wax paper.

Preparing the hat:

Put your felt hat over something that can hold it but won’t touch the outside of the hat. A Coffee or soda can would do.

Covering the designs:

If your hat has designs or a logo that you don’t want to paint over, cover them with masking tape.

Spraying the hat:

Now you can spray paint the hat from all the sides making sure that the color is distributed evenly. Let the hat air dry.

How to paint over felt tip pens?

Before you begin to paint over felt tip pens, you must prepare the surface first. Felt tip pen marks are hard to cover by simply painting over them. The marks eventually reappear as soon as the paint dries.

Preparing the surface:

Apply a thick toothpaste over the mark you wish to paint over and leave it to rest for thirty minutes. Avoid using gel-like toothpaste, go for thick paste-like instead.

After that, take a wet sponge and scrub the area of the toothpaste and wipe it off properly. Rinse the area to get rid of any residues and once you’re done leave it to dry.

Applying primer:

Apply a surface primer over the area. Concentrate over the ink marks and cover them entirely. Wait for the primer to dry completely.

Painting:

Now you can paint the area with your choice of paint. A little effort before this step will make the whole process worthwhile.

Final Thoughts

You can paint over felt. The choice of paint varies with the type of felt and painting method. The fact that different paints can be used on felt makes it an outstanding option for DIY projects. Also, the beautiful appearance and usability add to the demand.