Using acrylic paint to camouflage damaged metallic leather – Pics!

[Shoebaglady]

That looks incredible! Amazing job!

 

[whateve]

I have read an read on TPF about metallic leathers and peeling or rubbing off. I am starting to realize that it is just about inevitable My question is what do you ladies do once your bag or in my case a wallet rubs off? I am having surgery next week and will not be shopping anytime soon so my husband surprised me this evening with a beautiful Madison bronze metallic leather zip around wallet. Instant love!! Upon a closer look I saw the bottom corners already starting to rub off. He did get it at the outlet but it is not a MFF wallet and it was the last one they had. Thank you ladies for any of your ideas I really appreciate your time. Sorry if I put this in the wrong thread I am new to the forum.

I am interested in this too. I have a signature wallet with patent trim and the color has worn off the patent trim. I am sure that nail polish won't work but I am thinking that paint will just rub off, so I don't know what I should use.

 

[katev]

That looks incredible! Amazing job!

Thank you, it was the only think else that I could think of doing before giving up all hope of keeping the bag!

 

[katev]

Oh also if I apply Apple Guarde to the wallet will that stop anymore rub off? It will be used a lot. Thank you again for your time

I don't know if apple garde will stop the leather from rubbing off. I do know that it helps protect the bag from rain or dirt and that it may help to prevent color transfer. I wish I had remembered to use it on my Copper Zoe before she was damaged!

So far it hasn't hurt any of my bags but it is always wise to spot test products in a small, obscure area before widespread application.

 

[katev]

I have read an read on TPF about metallic leathers and peeling or rubbing off. I am starting to realize that it is just about inevitable My question is what do you ladies do once your bag or in my case a wallet rubs off? I am having surgery next week and will not be shopping anytime soon so my husband surprised me this evening with a beautiful Madison bronze metallic leather zip around wallet. Instant love!! Upon a closer look I saw the bottom corners already starting to rub off. He did get it at the outlet but it is not a MFF wallet and it was the last one they had. Thank you ladies for any of your ideas I really appreciate your time. Sorry if I put this in the wrong thread I am new to the forum.

I am interested in this too. I have a signature wallet with patent trim and the color has worn off the patent trim. I am sure that nail polish won't work but I am thinking that paint will just rub off, so I don't know what I should use.

Here's an update on the Copper Zoe I repaired using metallic acrylic paints. I waited a week or so after applying the paint and then put leather conditioner on the bag, including over the painted areas. I think I used Leather CPR but may have been Apple Conditioner. The conditioner didn't hurt the bag or the paint.

I then put it in the dustbag and stored it in my closet for a few weeks and I just took it out and looked at it and the bag still looks fine, no obvious change.

I did some research on preparing the leather surface and sealing the paint and perhaps I should have done those things, but I have also read that they changed the appearance of the final product and right now my Zoe is looking pretty darn good so I am going to leave her alone.

My plan is to take her out next fall and if she still looks good I will carry her on special occassions - but not as an everyday bag. I will just be happy if I can still carry her sometimes. I will let you know if I have any problems with the paint or if the repair doesn't hold up.

When I was researching sealing (or finishing) the paint, I traded PMs with dstalksalot. She is an artist and she painted a beautiful still life to hide the damage on a vintage bag. Here is what she had to say about acrylics and sealing/finishing:

"There are paint sealers for leather that you can use for large area paintings. There are a ton of different ones at Tandy Leather. It depends on the gloss finish you want. From the research that I have done, the paint holds up very well when many thinned layers are used during the application. The water in the acrylic paint helps the paint absorb into the pores of the leather. This is what I did in my one painting excursion. I have been meaning to apply the finish, but just have not gotten around to it. The bag has been sitting waiting for me to finish it. One thing to note is that once you add your finish, the leather will not be able to breathe....but adding paint kind of does that too....it you are adding paint, it is kind of a last resort as we have discussed in the past.

I am not sure if I would apply finish to a metalic. I would think the metalic look of the bag may be compromised if you added a clear paint finish over it. could be wrong though."

 

[cozyc]

I don't know if apple garde will stop the leather from rubbing off. I do know that it helps protect the bag from rain or dirt and that it may help to prevent color transfer. I wish I had remembered to use it on my Copper Zoe before she was damaged!

So far it hasn't hurt any of my bags but it is always wise to spot test products in a small, obscure area before widespread application.

Thank you for taking the time to reply to my question. Your bag looks perfect in the pictures! Very brave on your part and it turned out fantastic! I am somewhat of a chicken I am drawn to metallic bags like crazy, just love them.

 

[cozyc]

Here's an update on the Copper Zoe I repaired using metallic acrylic paints. I waited a week or so after applying the paint and then put leather conditioner on the bag, including over the painted areas. I think I used Leather CPR but may have been Apple Conditioner. The conditioner didn't hurt the bag or the paint.

I then put it in the dustbag and stored it in my closet for a few weeks and I just took it out and looked at it and the bag still looks fine, no obvious change.

I did some research on preparing the leather surface and sealing the paint and perhaps I should have done those things, but I have also read that they changed the appearance of the final product and right now my Zoe is looking pretty darn good so I am going to leave her alone.

My plan is to take her out next fall and if she still looks good I will carry her on special occassions - but not as an everyday bag. I will just be happy if I can still carry her sometimes. I will let you know if I have any problems with the paint or if the repair doesn't hold up.

When I was researching sealing (or finishing) the paint, I traded PMs with dstalksalot. She is an artist and she painted a beautiful still life to hide the damage on a vintage bag. Here is what she had to say about acrylics and sealing/finishing:

"There are paint sealers for leather that you can use for large area paintings. There are a ton of different ones at Tandy Leather. It depends on the gloss finish you want. From the research that I have done, the paint holds up very well when many thinned layers are used during the application. The water in the acrylic paint helps the paint absorb into the pores of the leather. This is what I did in my one painting excursion. I have been meaning to apply the finish, but just have not gotten around to it. The bag has been sitting waiting for me to finish it. One thing to note is that once you add your finish, the leather will not be able to breathe....but adding paint kind of does that too....it you are adding paint, it is kind of a last resort as we have discussed in the past.

I am not sure if I would apply finish to a metalic. I would think the metalic look of the bag may be compromised if you added a clear paint finish over it. could be wrong though."

Thank you for the update on your Copper Zoe. I am learning so much from you ladies, so glad I joined this forum.

 

[katev]

Thank you for taking the time to reply to my question. Your bag looks perfect in the pictures! Very brave on your part and it turned out fantastic! I am somewhat of a chicken I am drawn to metallic bags like crazy, just love them.

Thank you, it was just that I was out of options. I had tried the cobbler and the boutique and even sent it back to Coach Jacksonville for repair and they all said that nothing could be done.

I didn't want to carry her damaged and I didn't want to get rid of her, so I figured "what the heck, I'll try this and see what happens."

So far so good but no guarantees that it will hold up - but I hope that it does!

 

[Schientist]

I LOVE my copper Zoe- amazing work! Congrats!

 

[sesamite]

Here's an update on the Copper Zoe I repaired using metallic acrylic paints. I waited a week or so after applying the paint and then put leather conditioner on the bag, including over the painted areas. I think I used Leather CPR but may have been Apple Conditioner. The conditioner didn't hurt the bag or the paint.

I then put it in the dustbag and stored it in my closet for a few weeks and I just took it out and looked at it and the bag still looks fine, no obvious change.

I did some research on preparing the leather surface and sealing the paint and perhaps I should have done those things, but I have also read that they changed the appearance of the final product and right now my Zoe is looking pretty darn good so I am going to leave her alone.

My plan is to take her out next fall and if she still looks good I will carry her on special occassions - but not as an everyday bag. I will just be happy if I can still carry her sometimes. I will let you know if I have any problems with the paint or if the repair doesn't hold up.

When I was researching sealing (or finishing) the paint, I traded PMs with dstalksalot. She is an artist and she painted a beautiful still life to hide the damage on a vintage bag. Here is what she had to say about acrylics and sealing/finishing:

"There are paint sealers for leather that you can use for large area paintings. There are a ton of different ones at Tandy Leather. It depends on the gloss finish you want. From the research that I have done, the paint holds up very well when many thinned layers are used during the application. The water in the acrylic paint helps the paint absorb into the pores of the leather. This is what I did in my one painting excursion. I have been meaning to apply the finish, but just have not gotten around to it. The bag has been sitting waiting for me to finish it. One thing to note is that once you add your finish, the leather will not be able to breathe....but adding paint kind of does that too....it you are adding paint, it is kind of a last resort as we have discussed in the past.

I am not sure if I would apply finish to a metalic. I would think the metalic look of the bag may be compromised if you added a clear paint finish over it. could be wrong though."

When I painted my platinum metallic carly I liberally brushed paint (i had to mix 2 shades to get the right color) all over her & then I used a soft cloth to rub & blend the paint in.

I recently posted my appreciation to katev for the suggestion and boasted about how great she looks. Here's my update: I used her for about 2 weeks straight and she looks amazing. No cracking or anything...I think it's because the coat of paint on it is actually very thin. I have no regrets for doing this and honestly, if for some reason it shows some wear in the future I would just treat it again. I haven't used any kind of conditioner or sealant on her.....I wonder if I should?

 

[2n2]

So glad to read of the good results and thank you so much for all the great information on how to do this. I just noticed awful rubbing on my beautiful bronze marielle I now have a weekend project to give her back her luster. Keep your fingers crossed!

 

[katev]

When I painted my platinum metallic carly I liberally brushed paint (i had to mix 2 shades to get the right color) all over her & then I used a soft cloth to rub & blend the paint in.

I recently posted my appreciation to katev for the suggestion and boasted about how great she looks. Here's my update: I used her for about 2 weeks straight and she looks amazing. No cracking or anything...I think it's because the coat of paint on it is actually very thin. I have no regrets for doing this and honestly, if for some reason it shows some wear in the future I would just treat it again. I haven't used any kind of conditioner or sealant on her.....I wonder if I should?

I was thinking of using a sealant but then I learned that it will probably change the appearance, so I am planning just to leave well-enough alone and see how it works.

 

[katev]

So glad to read of the good results and thank you so much for all the great information on how to do this. I just noticed awful rubbing on my beautiful bronze marielle I now have a weekend project to give her back her luster. Keep your fingers crossed!

Good luck and let us know how it comes out! It is easy to clean off acryllic paints with water (or mild soap and water) before they dry completely if you are not satisfied with the results. I started working on the bottom of my Zoe where it wouldn't show so much if the repair wasn't successful.

 

[berlander]

Here are the after pics, I had to use two coats to cover the damage, but Zoe is now looking much better! It looks like there are some spots of damage on the upper left part of the bag, but that that is just the light.

Looks great! Shouldn't this be a defect in the bag? Did you contact Coach?

 

[katev]

Looks great! Shouldn't this be a defect in the bag? Did you contact Coach?

I took it to the boutique and they sent it in for evaluation/repair but it came back as non-repairable, but they included a letter for 40% one retail item, so that was nice!