Have you ever looked at a plain white t-shirt and thought, “This needs more *me*”? Imagine transforming your favorite jeans or that boring tote bag into a one-of-a-kind masterpiece. Fabric painting is a fun way to show off your unique style. But stepping into the world of fabric paints can feel a little overwhelming. Which paints last through the wash? Do some colors look better than others? Finding the perfect paint that sticks well and gives you the vibrant look you want can be tricky.
Don’t worry! We are here to guide you through the colorful chaos. This post will break down everything you need to know about choosing the absolute best fabric paint for your next clothing creation. We will cover different types, application tips, and how to make sure your artwork stays bright, wash after wash. Get ready to trade in the dull for the dazzling!
Top Fabric Paint For Clothes Recommendations
- 18 VIBRANT COLORS WITH STENCILS : Shuttle Art fabric paint set contains 18 colors soft fabric paint in bottles (60 ml/2 oz), 3 brushes, 1 palette and 18 patterns sticker stencils, perfect for various textile paintings and art crafts
- PERMANENT & WASHER SAFE : Easy to blend and cover, stay permanent and won’t crack or peel, durable enough to hold up extensive wear and repeated washes in the washing machine and dryer. Shuttle Art clothing paints are also ready to use, do not need extra textile medium or heating
- MULTIPLE PURPOSES : Premium textile paint with bright colors performs well on both light and deep color fabrics, applicable for both synthetic and natural fibers, ideal for T-shirts, jeans, bags, shoes, caps, pillowcases and other DIY projects and crafting
- NON-TOXIC & CERTIFICATED : Conforms to U.S. ASTM D-4236 & EN71-3, non-toxic and acid-free, safe and suitable for all ages
- SERVICE GUARANTEE : Your satisfaction is our top priority, please rest assured to purchase our products. If you are not satisfied with our products or have any questions, please feel free to contact us at any time
- Dual-Tip: These fabric markers offer both a 1mm fine tip for precise details and a flexible brush tip for creating broader strokes, shading, and filling in larger areas. These fabric markers permanent for clothes are perfect for all types of fabric artwork, from fine lines to expressive strokes.
- Vibrant, Long-Lasting Colors: The paint for clothes in these fabric pens delivers bold and vivid colors that remain vibrant over time. These permanent fabric markers are designed to resist fading and withstand repeated washing, keeping your creations looking fresh.
- Quick-Drying & Non-Bleeding Ink: The fabric paint for clothes permanent in each fabric marker dries quickly on fabric, ensuring you’ll get crisp lines without smudging or bleeding. Now you can create with confidence with our fabric markers permanent, knowing your work won’t run!
- Permanent: Once applied and heat-set with an iron, the clothing paint becomes permanent, ensuring your designs stay intact wash after wash. Each fabric pen is perfect on cotton, denim, polyester, and more.
- Easy-to-Use: These fabric pens for clothes permanent are easy to use and are even perfect as fabric markers for kids! Simply apply your design to clean, dry fabric. After the clothes paint is fully dry, set the design by ironing it on medium heat (without steam) for 3-5 minutes to ensure long-lasting results.
- 【Premium Acrylic Paints for Fabric】Colorful fabric paint set offers 12 rich colors of artist quality acrylic fabric medium. The creamy consistency and high pigments with designed rheology ensure easy blending and smooth application, covering large areas and fine details with great power. Quick-drying and vivid after curing, additional coats can be applied shortly for desired effects.
- 【Versatile Fabric Paint Set】 The set includes 12 artist quality acrylic fabric medium based colors that can be easily blended and offer great coverage for large areas and fine details. The paint dries quickly and stays vivid after curing, making it ideal for use on fabrics, textiles, shoes, paper, wood, and walls. Whether you're a beginner or a professional artist, this fabric paint set will unleash your creativity and bring your projects to life.
- 【No Heating Needed & Machine Washable Fabric Paint】 Our permanent fabric paints for clothing can be cured at ambient conditions with no heating required, thanks to its special formulation. The slick paint dries quickly and becomes waterproof once dry, making it machine washable. This makes our fabric paint set perfect for turning your decorated clothes into permanent craft art pieces and sweet memories.
- 【Certified Safe & Non-Toxic】 Colorful's non toxic fabric paint is a water-based, eco-friendly, non-toxic and odorless formula, certified safe for all ages. You can paint worry-free knowing that our textile paints are free of harmful chemicals. Even kids and hobby painters can use it safely. Our fabric decorating supplies are easy to clean up with soap and water, making it the perfect choice for art painting and creations.
- 【Convenient All-in-One Package】The Colorful fabric paint supplies kit includes 12 tubes (0.4oz) of common colors, The kit also comes with 6 brushes and 1 palette, all neatly packaged in an exquisite colored box with the COLORFUL brand. This all-in-one package is not only convenient for beginners but also a great gift choice for kids or DIY hobbyists.
- VIVID COLORS. Nicpro 8 Colors Permanent Fabric Paint is in vibrant and intense color, allowing artists and creators to add bold and eye-catching designs to their fabric projects. These paints often come in a wide range of shades, from rich primaries to intricate blends, providing ample options for artistic expression. With a color wheel to help organize colors, making selection and combination easier
- DURABILITY. Fabric paints are designed to adhere firmly to fabric fibers, ensuring long-lasting results. This durability is essential for items that undergo frequent use and laundering, such as clothing, bags, and accessories. With proper application and care, fabric paint can withstand multiple wash cycles without fading or peeling, maintaining its vivid color and water-proof qualities over time. Not requiring heat setting
- VERSATILITY. Fabric paints offer versatility in application, allowing artists to explore various techniques and surfaces beyond traditional painting on canvas. Whether used for freehand designs, stenciling, block printing, or fabric dyeing, these paints provide flexibility to create intricate patterns and textures on different types of fabrics, including cotton, polyester, denim, and more
- WATERPOOF AND FADE RESISTANT. One of the key features of fabric paint is its water-proof properties. Usually drying after painting 6-8 hours, fabric paint forms a protective layer on the fabric surface, making it resistant to water damage. This attribute ensures that the colors remain vivid and the designs stay intact even after exposure to moisture, whether through washing or environmental conditions
- UNIQUE STYLE. Fabric paint enables individuals to personalize their clothing and textile items with unique designs, logos, or messages. From customizing t-shirts and tote bags to embellishing home decor items like pillows and curtains, fabric paint offers a creative outlet for expressing individual style and preferences
- 【All-in-One Fabric Paint Set】: Get creative with 24 bold fabric paint in a permanent set of fabric paints designed specifically for clothing(60 ml/2 oz). The set also includes 10 professional brushes, 18 reusable stencils and a color palette, perfect for DIY projects, crafts and customized gifts.
- 【PERMANENT Fabric paint】: High quality soft fabric paint are easy to cover , stay permanent, machine washable, gently washable, not easy to lose color, crack or peel. This textile paint is ideal for clothing, shoes, bags and textiles that are frequently used and wash strips, ensuring a long-lasting effect on all your favorite fabrics.
- 【Waterproof and fade-proof】: Fabric paints is waterproof, dry your design within 6-8 hours, but remember to wait until fully cured before washing to prevent smudging halos and to ensure that your artistic expression lasts for years to come.
- 【Eco-friendly and versatile】: Using fabric dyeing can bring old clothes to life or personalize items from a yard sale. Fabric paint can be used not only on different types of fabrics such as t-shirts, jeans, and pillowcases, but also on other textured surfaces such as paper, wood, and walls - our pigments are washable, flexible, and crack-resistant, inspiring endless creativity while promoting sustainability!
- 【NON-TOXIC, NON-ACIDIC, SAFE】:Fabric paints, non-toxic, odorless and safe for all ages. Easily cleaned with soap and water, with our high quality permanent soft fabric paints, you can effortlessly mix colors or boldly layer colors and enjoy a streak-free application.
- VIBRANT COLORS: Perfect for textile projects, arts & crafts or for rejuvenating your clothes.
- LONG-LASTING: Our high-quality formula ensures colors stay vibrant wash after wash, maintaining the integrity of your textiles and accessories.
- PERMANENT & WASHER SAFE: Easy to blend and cover, stay permanent and won’t crack or peel, durable enough to hold up extensive wear and repeated washes in the washing machine and dryer. Bluebird fabric paints are ready to use, do not need extra textile medium or heating.
- MULTIPLE PURPOSES: Premium textile paint with bright colors performs well on both light and deep color fabrics, applicable for both synthetic and natural fibers, ideal for T-shirts, jeans, bags, shoes, caps, pillowcases and other DIY projects and crafting.
- ECO-FRIENDLY FORMULA & NON-TOXIC: Crafted with an eco-conscious mindset, our fabric dye is gentle on both your fabrics and the environment. Non-toxic, safe and suitable for all ages.
- 14 VIBRANT COLORS PLUS EXTRA WHITE: The Shuttle Art fabric paint set includes 14 vibrant soft fabric paints (12 ml/0.4 oz) in tubes, plus an additional white for extra versatility, along with 3 brushes. Perfect for various textile painting projects and art crafts
- PERMANENT & WASHER SAFE: Easy to blend and cover, stay permanent and won’t crack or peel. After 72 hours of drying, your fabric is safe for gentle machine washing without fading or peeling, and durable enough to withstand repeated washes and wear. Shuttle Art clothing paints are also ready to use, do not need extra textile medium or heating
- MULTIPLE PURPOSES: Premium textile paint with bright colors performs well on both light and deep color fabrics, applicable for both synthetic and natural fibers, ideal for T-shirts, jeans, bags, shoes, caps, pillowcases and other DIY projects and crafting
- NON-TOXIC & CERTIFICATED: Conforms to U.S. ASTM D-4236 & EN71-3, non-toxic and acid-free, safe and suitable for all ages
- SERVICE GUARANTEE: Your satisfaction is our top priority, please rest assured to purchase our products. If you are not satisfied with our products or have any questions, please feel free to contact us at any time
- CONVENIENT SIZE - This fabric acrylic paint set includes 8 - 2 oz bottles of fabric craft paint. The colors in this paint set include: FolkArt Fabric Wicker White, Licorice, Engine Red, Lemon Custard, Fresh Foliage, Magenta, Brilliant Blue, and Pure Orange
- SOFT FINISH - When dry, FolkArt Fabric paint is permanent on textiles, once dry, painted fabrics can be machine washed in cold water - making this acrylic paint set the perfect fabric paint for clothes
- EASY & SMOOTH APPLICATION - Use this fabric paint on a variety of textiles such as cotton, linen, denim, polyester, and so much more
- SIMPLE CLEAN UP - Clean up is easy with FolkArt's Fabric formula! Simply clean up while wet with soap and water
- AMERICAN MADE, TRUSTED BRAND - FolkArt Fabric Acrylic Paint is proudly made in the USA
The Ultimate Buying Guide for Fabric Paint for Clothes
Transforming old clothes into brand-new, personalized masterpieces is fun! Fabric paint lets you do just that. This guide helps you pick the best paint for your next clothing art project.
Key Features to Look For
When you shop for fabric paint, check for these important features. They make your painting easier and your design last longer.
1. Permanence and Washability
The best fabric paints stay on the fabric even after you wash them. Look for labels that say “Permanent” or “Machine Washable.” Poor quality paint often fades or cracks after just a few washes.
2. Finish Type
Paints come in different looks. Do you want a shiny look? Choose a metallic finish. Do you prefer a natural look? Pick a matte finish. Some paints dry clear, letting the fabric color show through.
3. Opacity (How well it covers)
Opacity means how well the paint covers the original color of the shirt. Dark fabrics need highly opaque paint. If the paint is thin, you might need three or four coats. Thicker, more opaque paints usually cover better in one or two coats.
4. Flexibility
Clothes move! Your paint must stretch with the fabric. If the paint dries too stiff, it will crack when you wear the item. Good fabric paint stays flexible after it dries.
Important Materials and Types
Understanding what the paint is made of helps you choose the right one for your fabric.
Paint Base
- Acrylic-Based Paints: Most common fabric paints use an acrylic base. They stick well to most natural fibers like cotton.
- Specialty Paints: Some paints are specifically designed for synthetic fabrics like polyester. Check the label carefully if you are painting workout gear or nylon.
Application Tools
While not part of the paint itself, the quality of the tools you use matters. You will need brushes, sponges, or stencils. Ensure your brushes have soft bristles so they do not drag or pull the paint unevenly.
Factors That Improve or Reduce Quality
What makes a paint great? What makes it terrible?
Quality Boosters
- Heat Setting Requirement: Many high-quality paints require you to “heat set” them with an iron after they dry. This process locks the color in permanently, greatly improving washability.
- Good Pigment Load: High pigment means the colors are bright and true. Cheap paints often have too much filler, making the colors look dull.
Quality Reducers
- Watery Consistency: If the paint is too thin, it bleeds through the fabric, creating fuzzy lines. This reduces the sharpness of your design.
- No Heat Setting Instructions: If the bottle does not mention heat setting, the paint might wash out quickly.
User Experience and Use Cases
Think about how you plan to use the paint.
Beginners vs. Experts
Beginners should choose “no-heat-set” paints or pre-mixed fabric paint kits. These are often easier to manage. Experts might prefer buying neutral fabric mediums to mix with their existing acrylic paints for custom colors.
Best Use Cases
- T-Shirts and Canvas Bags: These items use cotton, which works perfectly with most standard fabric paints.
- Sneakers/Shoes: You need specialized flexible paint for leather or canvas shoes. Standard shirt paint will peel off quickly.
- Detail Work: For fine lines, use fabric markers or very fine-tipped brushes with thinned paint.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) About Fabric Paint
Q: Do I have to wash the clothes before painting?
A: Yes! Always wash and dry the clothing item first. This removes sizing, which is a chemical finish that prevents the paint from sticking properly.
Q: How long does fabric paint take to dry completely?
A: Most fabric paints need 24 hours to dry to the touch. However, you must wait the full time listed on the bottle—usually 72 hours—before washing the item, even after heat setting.
Q: Can I use regular acrylic paint on clothes?
A: You can, but you must mix it with a fabric medium first. Regular acrylic paint dries hard and cracks easily on fabric unless you add this special additive.
Q: What is the best way to prevent the paint from bleeding through to the back layer?
A: Always place a piece of cardboard or plastic inside the garment. Push the cardboard right against the area you are painting. This stops the paint from soaking through to the back of the shirt.
Q: Do I iron the paint after I apply it?
A: Usually, yes. Most permanent paints require heat setting with an iron to make them washable. Check the instructions for the correct temperature and time setting.
Q: Can fabric paint work on dark colors?
A: It depends. You need opaque, high-quality paint, often labeled as “opaque” or “heavy body,” designed for dark fabrics. Light-colored paints will look dull or disappear on black fabric otherwise.
Q: What happens if I accidentally spill paint on my hands?
A: If the paint is still wet, wash it off immediately with soap and warm water. Once it dries, it is much harder to remove, especially if it is an acrylic base.
Q: Are fabric paints safe for kids to use?
A: Look for paints labeled “Non-Toxic.” Most name-brand fabric paints sold today are non-toxic, but adult supervision is always recommended for younger children.
Q: Can I use fabric paint on shoes?
A: You can use it on canvas shoes, but you must use a flexible paint designed for fabric or leather/vinyl. Standard shirt paint will crack when the shoe bends.
Q: How do I clean a painted garment?
A: Turn the garment inside out before washing. Use cold water and a gentle cycle. Avoid harsh detergents or bleach to keep your design looking new.