How to dye a burgundy leather purse?
Generally, leather items should be kept away from water and moisture. Leather needs to breathe and is subject to damage from moisture and water. Since the purse is already damaged, you may want to try a few different methods to see what works best. It is possible to dye leather. The best method will depend on what the burgundy leather purse is made of.
There are several methods you can use for dyeing leather. You may want to try dying it with a dye that is specifically made for leather. Be sure that the dye is designed to be permanent, though, and follow the manufacturer’s instructions. If you are not sure what shade of leather handbag you want, you can purchase leather dye in a variety of colors at your local hobby or craft store.
Prepare Leather Burgundy Bag for Dye
In the tanning process, various surface finishes are given to leather hides. Over the course of the life of a product, you may have applied conditioners and protectors and no doubt dirt has accumulated on the surface of the leather. You must remove all this prior to any dye job. This will give you a clean surface and create the byte required for the dye to attach to the leather properly.
The most recommended product for this is ZeliPREP leather preparer/deglazer.
This is applied with a damp sponge or rag. Make sure you’re using a white rag as you don’t want the color from the cloth transferring to your project and hands. An old white t-shirt also works very well. You will notice that the finish will be removed as well some of the color.
Apply the Dye
After the leather bag has been cleaned and prepared as recommended above, turn the bottle upside down and shake to mix. If it’s not mixing after you’ve done so, use a stick to stir the pigment at the bottom of the bottle.
Apply dye with a sponge brush or cloth. Lightly spray dye onto leather using a spray gun. Apply in one direction only with short bursts as air can easily “pock”/damage leather especially at first.
A second coat of dye may be applied if required. Be sure to brush in the opposite direction. If you went left to right on the first coat, brush up and down on the second. In some cases, a third coat may be applied.
Allow time to dry before applying additional coats. If you want a lighter shade, apply a coat of white first and then follow up with the intended color. If you want a darker shade, apply black first and follow up again with your intended second color choice.
The same goes for leather (make sure it is new). If you’re painting textured or patterned vinyl such as imitation leather or an animal print, try testing out the chosen colors in a small area for best results.
Finishing with a Top Coat
After you finish your dye and the project is completely dry, it’s a good idea to apply a finishing coat. It may not always be necessary with our pigments dyes, but solvent based ones might need that extra layer of protection from wear and tear.
Zelikovitz Professional Acrylic Leather Top Coat is available in the following formats: Matt Finish, Satin Finish, Gloss Finish with Carnauba Wax. This can be applied with a sponge, dauber or cloth in a circular motion.
You can also consider finishing the project with a mink oil cream for waterproofing.