Tips for How to Dye Leather and Suede

A couple of years ago my sister Andrea gave me this couple of brown boots that weren’t the right size on her behalf. They can fit me perfectly, but I didn’t wear them much because when given the decision between black and brown, we go for black. So we made a decision to dye them.

Tips for how to dye leather and suede

Here are some things we learned about how exactly to dye leather and suede dye:

Ask for help from experts. If you’re buying your dye in a store, ask the staff for their recommendations. we would buy an alternative product until we described my project to a store employee and asked what she’d use for the work. She showed me the dye designed for suede and suggested some other leather dye than the one we had found. we really was glad that we bothered to require advice.

Proper prep is key! For your dye to adhere correctly, you will need to prepare the leather. The bottles of dye we got using recommended their make of “de-glazer” to remove the prevailing leather finish and prepare it for the dye. However the lady working in the leather shop who was simply helping me explained I possibly could use acetone to eliminate the finish, which was perfect because we have a huge bottle of 100% acetone nail polish remover.

Approaches for how to dye leather and suede

Utilize the right tools and dyes for the work. Because of this project we used Fiebings black oil dye, which is harder to find than the standard Fiebings leather dye. The store we used to be buying them at had both, though, and the girl recommended the oil dye over the normal dye. Tandy Leather also offers a wide range of leather dyes. For the suede I used Lincoln Suede Dye and Dressing. In the event that you don’t have an area leather store, you may also have the ability to find leather dyes at shoe repair shops or large craft stores. Don’t try to use leather dye on suede. They behave very differently, and you almost certainly won’t enjoy a the results. If you don’t want dyed hands, wear gloves (in the end, leather is skin….) A wool dauber works effectively for applying dye. In several areas we put to use a Q-tip to use the dye, and it will be didn’t get the job done as well as the dauber.

Be prepared to lose contrast stitching. The contrast stitching on my boots was a light tan, and on the part which i dyed with the leather dye, the contrast stitching is now black and for that reason invisible (which is fine with me). Interestingly, for the boots dyed with the suede dye, the contrast stitching turned more of a light gray. Your results will be based upon the exact type of dye you’re using, but it’s a safe guess that the colour of any contrast stitching will be altered at least somewhat.

Techniques for how to dye leather and suede

Take into account the hardware. If the pieces you’re dyeing have metal hardware or zippers, consider whether they’ll look good with your new color. Zipper tape (the cloth part of the zipper) might take dye, but plastic or metal teeth won’t. My boots have a brown zipper, and its teeth remain brown. It doesn’t bother me because it’s barely noticeable, but it’s something to bear in mind.

Suede soaks up dye. As opposed to the leather dye, I had formed barely enough suede dye to finish my boots. I did two coats, and there are always a handful of areas that are a bit uneven. I’ll probably buy another bottle and present the suede another coat. The suede is also more stiff than it was originally, and the interior of the boots is still brown. I’m fine with both of these things, nevertheless, you might want to keep them at heart.

Test thoroughly your color. If you have a specific shade at heart, make sure you test somewhat in an inconspicuous spot. It might not be the color you were hoping for. My housemate wished to dye a beige jacket navy, but what she thought was navy dye showed up as a brilliant bright blue on the light leather. She’s going to try mixing it with black to attain the shade she wants, but it was a very important thing she tested before spreading everything over.

Finish your leather to safeguard it. You removed the finish in order to add the dye, and now you will need to re-finish the leather to safeguard it from the elements. I used Frye Leather Conditioning Cream, which is in fact great stuff to acquire on hand to safeguard all of your leather shoes or boots. There’s also a spray version. For the suede, I intend to use a spray suede protector, such as this one.

Techniques for how to dye leather and suede