The 11 Best Water based Fabric Paints (2023 reviews)

There are several advantages of having a water based fabric paint. Let’s take you step by step, type by type, and find the best water based fabric paint for you.

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Our Top Picks:

Best Overall: Buy: Arteza Water based Fabric Paint READ REVIEW

Best For paper: Buy: Shuttle Art Water based Fabric Paint READ REVIEW

Best For All kinds Of DIY projects: Buy: Magicfly Water based Fabric Paint READ REVIEW

Best For cushion: Buy: Jacquard Water based Fabric Paint READ REVIEW

Best For Upholstery: Buy: FABRICOAT Water based Fabric Paint READ REVIEW

Best For dress: Buy: Hippie crafter Water based Fabric Paint READ REVIEW

Best For beginner: Buy: Pebeo Vibrant Color READ REVIEW

Best For shirt: Buy: Tulip deluxe Set READ REVIEW

Best For own projects: Buy: Tulip Water based Fabric Paint READ REVIEW

Best For shoe: Buy: Alpha 6 Water based Fabric Paint READ REVIEW

Best Premium: Buy: Pebeo Water based Fabric Paint READ REVIEW

Best Overall: Arteza Water based Fabric Paint

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This kit provides endless options for exploring your creativity and expressing it through what you wear. It can be used as a childlike ‘puffy paint’ for things like making non-slip on socks, or painting beautifully onto fabric or paper to make a stunning design. The small tips in the bottles allow pretty precise placement. It comes with 2 inexpensive paint brushes and 5 stencil sheets. The paints are great colors, and very easy to use.

The huge amount of colour options also opens up the window for so much more creativity no matter what you're painting. It can be a bit uneven, and can be very glossy in some places while completely matte in others. The bottle sizes are perfect for adults and kids alike to handle comfortably.

• Opaque but doesnt sit right on top, it blends with the fabric perfectly
• Bright vibrant colors with great even flowing tops
• New and hot release

Best For paper: Shuttle Art Water based Fabric Paint

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Next on the list, we've got yet another paint that manages to win our hearts. It's the shuttle art water based fabric paint and it's widely considered as paint that has the most suitable features. These 3D fabric paints feature a precision bottle tip design which makes them super easy to squeeze and apply. You can use it for canvas, plastic, wood, metal and glass. The paints themselves are very thin compared to name brand consistencies like Tulip or Puffy 3D. They do take awhile to dry if you squeeze too hard.

This set has amazing potential. The colors themselves are very thin compared to name brand consistencies like Tulip or Puffy 3D. This is a great set for the money and has every color you can think of to be honest.

• Endless craft ideas and hours of fun
• Works great, great coverage, great selection of colours
• Great christmas gift for a crafty kid

Best For All kinds Of DIY projects: Magicfly Water based Fabric Paint

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It is a fantastic gift choice for diy hobbyist, designers and handcraft enthusiasts on birthday, new year, christmas and other holidays. These are semi transparent paints. The colors are very bright and vibrant, with a metallic gold and metallic silver included in the 14 colors. The colors are vibrant and the paint flows smoothly. Multiple layers of paint will still allow darker ink or fabric markers used for designing or outlining to be visible.

These paints are well pigmented, and the color is vibrant. It has lots of colors, not opaque and the brushes it comes with made it easy to get detailed designs. It is easy to use it’s like using acrylic paint but softer and more sheer than regular acrylic paint. It is easy to use and cleanup with vibrant colors.

• Easy clean up and dried softer than other fabric paints
• Easy to use on clothes and canvases
• Easy to use and perfect for fabric projects

Best For cushion: Jacquard Water based Fabric Paint

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We know from years of feedback from readers, customers and amazon sellers, what most people want in a convenient and appropriate paint. The jacquard water based fabric paint is exactly that - it's a simple paint that hits all the right notes. This "paint" is the perfect solution for a wide black twill rug binding that is badly faded. It can be used as primer under chslk paint on a cloth chair. It is better on synthetic fabrics like that than the textile which works better on natural fabrics.

The Modpodge brushes work really well with the Jacquard TEXTILE color line. It is stamped on thinly and drys almost immediately. There is no smell to it, also it dried quickly and didnt rub off after it dried. These are outside in the sun and stored outside in a chest during winter. If you’re looking for thick, opaque, bright, white fabric paint this is a good one.

• Perfect product for santa's white chef's hat
• Paint covers well and holds up when washed
• Great product and easy to use

Best For Upholstery: FABRICOAT Water based Fabric Paint

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The fabricoat water based fabric paint is satisfactory and appropriate and fits well with your regular usage. It is specialist fabric paint used to change or restore the color of any item of fabric. It has to go on pretty thick to get coverage. The chairs have a slightly raised damask pattern and are afaded greenish yellow. The mix in glitter stuff mixes evenly and well without clumping. It works because it's a beach house and the streaks with a little green or uneven blue hues looks a little like waves.

It’s important to work the paint (which is runny) into the fabric in all different directions. It requires a touch up because it is a bit spotty once dry. It is only one coat, it's great coverage.

• Very fine fabric, kinda like canvas
• Covers well, leaves fabric a bit stiff
• Cheaper than reupholstery and aesthetically acceptable results

Best For dress: Hippie crafter Water based Fabric Paint

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This is Fantastic Fabric paint because it’s not runny at all. The colors are vivid and it is easy to mix new colors as well as to add the titanium white to create lighter shades. They do not come with brushes so get yourself a decent set and these paints will work amazing.

This is a great set of fabric paints. It is even washable. The paints are bright and vivid. It is great for paint and other art mess that will for sure get it off.

• Plenty of vibrant colors & easy to create new or softer shades
• Include gold and silver which have a shine but not glitter
• Great set of paints lots of colors

Best For beginner: Pebeo Vibrant Color

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Best part: pebeo vibrant color costs comparatively low and it is available to ship in 24 hours. These superior-quality pigmented fabric paints are vivid and rich and easily impregnate fabric so you get faster fixing and vibrancy that are resistant to machine washing at 40°c after fixing. It is based on iridescent pearls. It works great and the fabric stays soft and easy to work with. It is particularly suitable for many textile decoration techniques.

This paint goes on easily, looks nice when dry and does not run when wet (after heat setting) and does everything as described and is recommended by others,so why only 4 stars. It can be used pure or diluted with water to obtain effects.

• Setacolor opaque colours can be applied to many fabrics
• Water-based aerosol paint for decorating most dark and light coloured textiles
• Color intensity and the hand of the fabric is beautiful
• Dying fabric with a batik look is super easy

Best For shirt: Tulip deluxe Set

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Next on the list, we've got yet another paint that manages to win our hearts. It's the tulip deluxe set and it's widely considered as one of the best convenient paint you can buy. It is great to decorate a shirt or any type of clothing with this bright self luminous paint. It includes 6 assorted glow in the dark paints. It is a fabric paint and best used on fabrics. It will glow brightly continuosly in uv blacklight. It is designed to adhere long term to these surfaces. It can also be used for arts and crafts.

• Applies easily and adheres to any surface
• Warm water and soap from any standard non clothing surface
• Glows in the dark after brief light exposure

Best For own projects: Tulip Water based Fabric Paint

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We know from years of feedback from readers, customers and amazon sellers, what most people want in a convenient and appropriate paint. The tulip water based fabric paint is exactly that - it's a simple paint that hits all the right notes. Tulip Soft Fabric Paint is formulated to work best on fabrics, but can be used on a multitude of surfaces. It is easy to blend, lots of paint in each bottle, and dries quickly. The paint goes on and dry fast. It's really a nice paint, that's thick with beautiful colors. You can also add water to it to thin it a bit but, it will soak up into the fabric faster and may bleed a bit, depending on how much water you use.

It is nontoxic and safe for infant clothing. It is great for diy shirt designs.

• Great color selection and dries great
• One of the new comers and featured product

Best For shoe: Alpha 6 Water based Fabric Paint

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Alpha 6 has been making great paint for years, thanks to a combination of clever design and appropriate materials. It is made with shoe and clothing customizers in mind. It allows it to be worn for many years without cracking. It is perfect for use on any project including leather, canvas, textiles, even glass, wood, acetate and vinyl.

• Durable, flexible, acrylic paint made with shoe and clothing customizers in mind
• One of the new comers and featured product

Best Premium: Pebeo Water based Fabric Paint

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The latest pebeo water based fabric paint is an absolute beast in terms of its features, and rightfully takes the top spot with ease. This Light Fabrics Initiation Set contains 6 assorted 20 ml colors. The Setacolor 3d will allow you to create 3d patterns. These have a shimmer with changing reflections towards pink, blue, green and gold, while always remaining on a pearly base colour. It can be used pure or diluted with water to obtain effects.

The Setacolor Opaque colours can be applied to pre-washed fabric. It is particularly suitable for many textile decoration techniques.

• Over 30 colours in pearl, gloss and matt finishes
• Water-based, ready-to-use, transparent fabric paints for light colored fabrics
• Bright and luminous, the colours are superimposable thanks to their good opacity
• Water-based aerosol paint for decorating most dark and light coloured textiles