How to Choose Leather Paint

A colorful painted design would transform these leather boots.

Leather paint can mask a variety of leather problems. For example, if you have an old leather jacket or couch that is scratched or worn, leather paint will conceal many or all of those flaws in a single coat. You can use leather paint to smarten up a pair of old boots or experiment with bold colors and patterns. Choosing leather paint depends largely on your needs and the item in question.

Instructions

1. Examine the leather item you need to paint and assess its size. If you're going to paint something like a couch or armchair, you'll need a leather paint in a spray form; this allows you to cover a lot of surface area easily without showing brush strokes. For smaller items, like a purse or shoes, you can go with leather spray paint if you want the object to be all one color, or acrylic bottled paint designed for leather if you need to do detailed work. The key is to always select paint designed for use on leather.

2. Purchase leather paint made specifically for your type of item. For example, certain leather paints are really just for shoes or accessories, while others are better suited for upholstery.

3. Pick a color that will either match your existing leather item or transform it into something different. For example, if you just need to touch up a pair of leather tennis shoes, white will be your color of choice. However, if you're looking to turn your leather item into something radically new, experiment with bolder, darker colors.

Tips & Warnings

• Talk to people in the craft or paint store. Ask for personal recommendations.

• You can find leather paint at comprehensive crafts stores or online.

References

• "Making Leather Purses & Totes"; Lisa Galvin; 2005
• Step Out: Painting Leather & Synthetic Shoes
• Lyric Kinard; Angelus Leather Paint for Shoes; November 2010