How To Make Fabric Waterproof

Have you ever had an unexpected rainstorm that totally soaked your outdoor pillows or cushions? And then you couldn’t sit on them for days while they dried out? It’s the worst! But did you know that making fabric waterproof is as easy as spraying it with a waterproof spray?! If you’ve ever wondered how to waterproof fabric so you can use it outdoors, today’s tutorial will show you how in one simple step!

Did you know that making fabric waterproof is as easy as spraying it with a waterproof spray?!

I made these pillows for the painted Adirondack chairs at my parents’ house; I think the colors will be perfect with those chairs! But since the pillows will be outdoors, I decided that first I had to waterproof them!

The whole process took about ten minutes, plus a few hours of drying time, and now these pillows are ready for any weather! If they get wet, water just beads up on the fabric and rolls off, rather than soaking in. Plus it makes them super easy to clean; just wipe them off with a damp rag or sponge and the dirt will come off without soaking into the fabric!

How To Make Fabric Waterproof

Here’s what you need:


You can tell if your fabric needs waterproofing by dropping a few drops of water onto it. Does the water bead up and stay on the surface of the fabric, or does it soak into the fabric and turn it a darker color? If it soaks in and changes the color, your fabric isn’t waterproof!

But it’s easy to fix! Lay out your pillows (or whatever) on a piece of cardboard to protect from overspray.

How to make fabric waterproof in one simple step!

Then lightly spray the entire surface of the pillow with the waterproof spray, holding the can 6″ to 8″ away from your fabric as you spray. Make sure to slightly overlap each pass to make sure the entire surface is covered, but don’t apply it too heavily! You don’t need to saturate the fabric, just make sure it’s evenly covered everywhere!

The directions recommend you do a second coat, so after you do both sides of the pillows, let them dry for about four hours and then do a second coat everywhere. Let the second coat dry for another four hours, and then test it out!

How to make fabric waterproof in one simple step!-2

See how that water beaded up and is just sitting on the surface of the pillows rather than sinking in? That’s perfect! Now, if your outdoor pillows get rained on, they won’t get soaked! Just brush the beads of water off and the pillow will be good as new again.

Did you know that making fabric waterproof is as easy as spraying it with a waterproof spray?!

The Fabric Seal also helps protect the fabric from sun damage as well, so you get 2 in 1!

Want to share this tutorial with your friends? Just click any of the share buttons off to the left to share with Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, etc.!

Here are the pillows in their new home (photo courtesy of my mom and her iPhone!) I just love how the fabric looks on those chairs! And you can’t see it in the photo, but there’s a bright red picnic table behind where she’s standing to take the photo, so the whole patio matches with those fun primary colors!

How to make fabric waterproof in one simple step!

Do you have any outdoor fabrics that could use some waterproofing?

If you liked this project, check out these other outdoor projects!

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Jessi Wohlwend

I believe that anyone can do crafts and DIY projects, regardless of skill or experience. I love sharing simple craft ideas, step by step DIY project tutorials, cleaning hacks, and other tips and tricks all with one goal in mind: giving you the tools you need to “do it yourself”, complete fun projects, and make awesome things!

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Reader Interactions

  1. Anne says

    9 years ago

    Just saw your post on Pinterest. I didn’t even know a waterproofing spray existed for something like this! I bought some cushions last summer for my outdoor chaise lounges, so I know they can definitely use this! Thanks!

  2. Lisa @ Lisas Creative Designs says

    9 years ago

    I have been looking for an outdoor fabric to make pillows for my patio and haven’t found anything I LOVE. I would love to know how well these pillows held up with the weather and sun? Did the fabric fade?

    • Jessi Wohlwend says

      9 years ago

      The fabric hasn’t faded yet! It’s been about a year since I did this and the pillows live outside on my parents’ deck, which is in direct sun for about 4-6 hours per day, and then shaded the rest of the time. So they’re holding up pretty well!

  3. Stephanie Z. says

    9 years ago

    We use this for our tents…..life saver!!!

  4. Michelle brown says

    9 years ago

    how often do you have to apply it? Every season? Does it make the fabric feel plastic or starchy? And last question, sitting on it, would that break the seal? I’m thinking about doing this to my cushions for my outdoor furniture

    • Jessi Wohlwend says

      9 years ago

      I sprayed it on these cushions over a year ago and it’s still holding up! You should reapply whenever the “waterproofness” starts to wear off, but when that happens is different for everyone. If they’re out in direct sun all day every day, the sun will start wear on the cushions faster than cushions that are left in the shade. But I expect for these cushions, which are in direct sun maybe 2-3 hours per day, they’ll last for about another 6 months to a year before I need to reapply! And the spray doesn’t change the feel or functionality of the cushion at all. After it dries you can’t even tell it’s there! The spray works inside the weave of the fabric itself, so you can keep using the cushions just like normal and it won’t change the “waterproofness”. I mean, I guess if you were hitting them with a baseball bat every day for a year it might wear off a little sooner, but normal wear and tear won’t hurt them! 🙂

  5. Kristin says

    10 years ago

    Who told you that Borax was “highly toxic”? It is added to some foods, also used on horse’s hooves. http://pesticideinfo.org/Detail_Chemical.jsp?Rec_Id=PC34355#Toxicity

    Borax can cause nosebleeds by its mechanical action- not out of chemical or mysterious poisoning reaction. Borax is “scratchy”. One would have to consume an enormous quantity in order for it to be harmful. It is PERFECTLY SAFE to use around pets, children, plants. It is not “highly toxic”. In fact, I would be more suspect to use a spray product with unknown ingredients than a known, SAFE- product such as Borax (and no, I don’t work for nor own stock in Borax!)

    • Jessi Wohlwend says

      10 years ago

      I don’t think anyone told me borax was toxic; instead I did my own research into it a while ago when I was making my own homemade laundry soap. I know that it’s used as an insecticide and an herbicide (and I’ve used it for both purposes and know it works!), and that it was labeled as “Danger” by the EPA, which is the highest level word they issue. There is also a reasonable amount of controversy over whether borax causes infertility issues and birth defects, and currently the EU requires that any products imported in that contain borax have warnings such as “may cause infertility” and “may damage unborn children”. As we don’t have kids yet, but plan to, that alone is enough to make me skip the borax when there are other solutions that work just as well.

      Obviously the lethal dose, or even the “toxic dose” for a human would be much higher than that of an ant or a weed in your garden, but the bottle of borax under my kitchen sink says “Hazard to humans and domestic animals. Caution: Haramful if swallowed or inhaled.” and on the back it says “Apply only in areas inaccessible to children and pets.” And it mentions some stuff about not using it in areas where food is prepared, served, or likely to come into contact with it. I imagine this isn’t much of an issue with outdoor pillows because I doubt anyone will be serving food off the pillows, but given the warnings on the bottle, I would be very reluctant to use this to waterproof pillows that my family (pets included) will be on and around.

      I imagine you see the same types of warnings on a bottle of bleach (the children and pets part, not the infertility part), but I also don’t use bleach in areas to which my cats have access. I probably seem overprotective in some people’s eyes, but on the other hand, I know plenty of people who are horrified that I even have a bottle of bleach in my house, so to each his own! Everyone is allowed to make their own choices about the products they want to use in their homes! If you want to use borax to waterproof your pillows, do it! I prefer not to, so as you can see from this post, I found a different solution.

  6. Kristin says

    10 years ago

    Why buy water-proofing spray when you can just soak the items in a Borax and water solution??

    • Jessi Wohlwend says

      10 years ago

      I have never heard of using borax to make fabric waterproof! I guess I would just be worried because borax is highly toxic to you or your pets, so I might be worried about using that on pillows or anything that we keep in the house or in the yard.

      • GC Rodriguez says

        5 years ago

        Borax is not highly toxic. I take it as a supplement in my coffee each morning. Where did you hear that?

        • Jessi Wohlwend says

          4 years ago

          As I said in the previous comment, I did my own research. You can read what I found in the comment above. And as I said in that previous comment as well, to each his own! Just because I don’t use borax in my laundry soap doesn’t mean you can’t have it in your coffee!

  7. Patti says

    10 years ago

    This a great idea. I am obsessed with all the beautiful fabric out now. Designers like Amy Butler and Heather Bailey have the cutest stuff. I’m thinking I could make pillows for my screened in porch which occasionally gets wet and use the fabric spray. Thanks.

  8. Courtenay @ The Creek Line House says

    10 years ago

    I’m fascinated with this stuff and I’ve gotta try it! I love living in modern times! P.S. This comment sounds super spammy, doesn’t it? I do love modern technology though, especially when it’s crafty! 🙂

    • Jessi Wohlwend says

      10 years ago

      Lol, I know you’re no spammer Courtenay! But yes, it’s totally cool that you can pick out whatever fabric you want and just make it waterproof later! It means you’re not limited to the boring “outdoor” fabric designs; I love it!

  9. keri @ shaken together says

    10 years ago

    We live in super humid Florida and constantly have to replace our fabric pillows outdoors. Can’t wait to try this out!

  10. Karen Marie Kedzuch says

    10 years ago

    Jessi,
    I love your pillows and waterproofing any fabric. Great idea! That is letting your creative spirit dance in the rain!
    Blog XO
    Karen Marie
    Dragonfly & Lily Pads

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