How to Dye Handbags
Love the shape of a bag, but hate the color? Perhaps you found a great bag at a thrift store and want to renew it at home. Make an old handbag new again by changing its color. Dying handbags isn't just for professionals anymore. Use home dye kits for leather and canvas to dye your handbag.
Things You'll Need
- Acetone or deglazer solution
- 2 sponges
- Painters tape
- Leather dye
- Glass bowl
- Ceiling hook
- 1 ½ cups sodium carbonate or soda ash
- 2-gallons water
- 2 large plastic tubs or buckets
- Fabric dye
- Plastic bag
- Hose
Instructions
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Leather Dye
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1
Apply a thin layer of acetone or deglazing solution to your leather handbag with a sponge. Allow it to dry. This helps open the pores of the leather to take the dye. Find acetone available at beauty supply stores and leather deglazing solution online, or you may be able to find it in a craft store.
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2
Tape any metal findings or decorations you don't want the dye to touch. Painters tape works for this because it doesn't leave a sticky residue behind after you remove it.
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3
Pour a small amount of leather dye in a glass bowl to make dipping the sponge easier. Dip the corner of the sponge in the dye and dab it on the handbag.
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4
Dab on small amounts of dye at a time to the entire bag and top side of the handle, if there is a handle.
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5
Screw a hook into the ceiling and hang the bag to dry. Follow the drying time for the dye you used.
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6
Dye the underside of the handle with the sponge once the bag is dry. Hang it inside out to set the dye on the handle.
Fabric Dye for Canvas or Cotton
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Wash the handbag in the washing machine before dying. It doesn't need to be dry to soak in the fixative solution.
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Prepare a fixative solution for your canvas or cotton handbag by mixing the sodium carbonate and water in a large plastic tub. Find sodium carbonate in the laundry section of department stores. It is sometimes called washing soda or soda ash. The soda ash opens the pores of the fabric so that dye takes well.
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Soak the handbag for at least five minutes. Remove it and wring it out as much as you can. Wetter fabric makes the dye spread unevenly.
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Mix the fabric dye in the other large plastic tub according to the manufacturer instructions. Soak the handbag in the fabric dye for 30 minutes or the time listed by the manufacturer. Remove it from the dye and place it in a plastic bag to set for 24 hours.
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Remove it from the plastic bag outside and rinse it with a hose until the water runs clear. Alternately, you can put it in your washing machine on the rinse cycle. Let it dry completely after rinsing to ensure the dye sets well. Once dry, the handbag is ready to wash with soap. Wash it by itself the first time to prevent the dye from bleeding into other garments. Hang it to dry.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Hemera Technologies/Photos.com/Getty Images
