How to Dye Faux Fur

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Things You'll Need

  • Acrylic spray paint (such as Krylon)

  • Plastic sheeting

  • Fine tooth comb

  • Painter's mask

Create fun patterns on your faux fur with acrylic spray paint.

Faux fur is a low-cost and animal-friendly alternative to real fur clothing. To achieve the real fur look, faux fur is manufactured from man-made materials like polyester and acrylic. These types of materials do not dye with traditional textile or acid-based dyes, but the color of acrylic or polyester faux fur can be changed with acrylic paint. A light spray application of acrylic paint can permanently change the color of the individual faux fur fibers without matting or clumping them together.

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Step 1

Lay out a layer of plastic sheeting to protect your work surface from paint. You can also use a painter's drop cloth or newspaper. Put on the painter's mask to protect your lungs from the paint fumes.

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Step 2

Lay out the faux fur fabric with the fur side up in a single layer. Make sure there are no creases or overlapping pieces, so the paint can coat the surface evenly.

Step 3

Remove the lid from the spray paint can and point the nozzle away from your body. Hold the can approximately 12 to 18 inches from the surface of the faux fur and spray an even, light coating of paint on the fur.

Step 4

Brush the fur with the fine tooth comb to separate the fibers before they dry together. Once the paint is mostly dry, move the fur to expose unpainted parts and apply the spray paint again.

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Step 5

Allow the paint to thoroughly dry before wearing or working with the faux fur fabric to prevent the paint from transferring to your hands or clothes..

Tip

Another option for painting faux fur is thin fabric paint, such as Jacquard Dye-Na-Flow, which can be mixed with a setting agent (such as Jacquard Airfix) and airbrushed onto the faux fur.

Warning

Practice this painting technique on scrap faux fur to determine the best distance to spray from. If you spray too close to the fabric, the fur will become matted and stuck together in clumps. If you spray from too far away, the fur will not get enough paint coverage to cover the original color.

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