Dull Leather

Leather is the perfect material for bags, shoes, jackets, and even watch straps. Leather lasts for years, and the older it gets, the more character it has! Unfortunately, when you buy new leather products, they can sometimes look overly glossy or even cheap. You can use household products and simple techniques to age, distress, and dull your leather without damaging it.

Steps

Altering Your Leather’s Color or Shine

  1. Apply rubbing alcohol to remove your leather’s shine. Put some rubbing alcohol in an empty spray bottle. Use the bottle to spray a light layer of alcohol all over your leather piece. You want the item to be damp but not drenched. Allow the alcohol to dry to give your leather a duller, weathered look.[1]
    • You can use a toothbrush dipped in rubbing alcohol to apply it to hard-to-reach spots.
  2. Apply acetone nail polish remover to remove dye. Acetone can lighten or even remove dyes that have been used to color your leather. Pour a small amount of acetone nail polish remover on a soft cloth, and rub the cloth over any spots you want lightened. Focus on areas that would naturally fade in color, such as the bottom corners of bags or the elbow creases of jackets.[2]
    • This technique will work differently depending on the quality and color of the dye. If your piece has been heavily dyed rather than just receiving a surface dye, you may not be able to completely remove the color. Darker colors may not fade as well as lighter ones.
  3. Use powered cleaners to get a faded look. Dampen the leather with a slightly wet cloth. Then put enough powder on the piece to create a paste. Scrub it into the leather using a soft-bristled brush, and then leave it on for about an hour. Remove the paste with a damp cloth and dry the leather.[3]
    • Powdered cleaners with bleach are best. These will remove layers of both dye and gloss from your leather. Don’t apply pure bleach to your leather, as it’s too strong in its undiluted form.
    • If you want to scratch up your leather as you do this, use a wire brush instead.
    • To darken your leather back up, apply some shoe polish. This will let you keep the aged quality while also restoring some of the color you’ve removed.

Scratching and Beating up Your Leather

  1. Rub your leather with steel wool or fine-grit sandpaper. The longer you have your leather, the more scratched up it gets. In order to give new leather this appearance, rub it gently with steel wool or sandpaper. Go in back-and-forth motions instead of circles, as this will create more natural-looking scratches.[1]
    • Sandpaper may be too coarse for some leather. Try starting with steel wool and moving up to sandpaper if you need it. You can move up to even coarser sandpaper if you want to create deeper scratches.[4]
  2. Use a wire brush to make naturally worn spots. Wire brushes can scuff up new leather. This is perfect for spots that will naturally wear down over time. Rub the wire brush in back-and-forth and circular motions in the spot you’d like to age. Go slowly and monitor the amount of distress you’re creating in the leather.[1]
    • For shoes and boots, focus on the top part of toe. For bags, scuff up the bottom corners. For jackets, spend some time on the elbow creases.
  3. Hit your leather with a small, rough rock. Strike the leather with the rock in downward motions either head-on or on a diagonal. The rock will create scratches and small marks while also softening your leather. Don’t hit the leather too hard, as you don’t want to tear or put holes in it.[5]
  4. Drive over leather on a pebbled surface. Position your leather under your tires on top of an uneven surface. Roll your car over the item to mark it with the rocks and your tires. You can repeat this process a few times, but check the piece before each round.[5]
    • Don’t drive over leather straps, buckles, zippers, or the soles of shoes, as the weight of the car will break them.
    • You can also tie your leather to the back of your bumper and drive down a gravel road. Drive slowly and go only a short distance before checking on the item.[1]
  5. Kick your leather around in a sandbox. Take your piece to the park and find an empty sandbox or baseball diamond. Put your item down and kick it around a little, making sure that it gets dirty all over. The sand or dirt will make tiny marks and scratches in your leather, giving it a dull and weathered look.[1]
    • You’ll need to brush your leather off after taking it on its outing. Start by wiping it down with a soft, dampened cloth and then drying it off with a fresh rag. Clean the item with leather cleaner if it’s still dirty.

Breaking in Your Leather

  1. Wear and use your leather often to break it in naturally. The best way to dull leather and make it looked aged is to wear and use it. Leather will continue to look duller and more beat up over the years. Speed up this slow aging process by using your leather items as often as you can.[1]
  2. Soften and de-shine your leather by washing and drying it. Put your leather item by itself in the washing machine and run it on the gentle cycle in cold water. Use a small amount (about one tablespoon or 14.79 mL) of regular laundry detergent. Wring it out when it’s finished, as the washing machine won’t be able to get out all the excess water. Transfer it to the dryer and run it on medium heat.[6]
    • Leather will shrink in the dryer. For items that you don’t want to get any smaller, use the no-heat tumble dry cycle.
  3. Get caught in the rain to weather your leather. This may alter the color or add a few rain spots to the item once the leather dries. It will also naturally soften stiff leather. If you’re wearing a leather jacket or boots, the dampness will make the leather mold to your body.[4]
  4. Hit hard spots with a hammer. Stretch and soften particularly stiff spots on your leather items by striking them head-on with a hammer. This may be especially useful for leather shoes and boots, which often come with tough heels and toes. Don’t hit the items too hard, and check on your progress frequently.[5]

Warnings

  • Go slowly with each new approach you try on your leather. This will allow you to check on your leather item’s response to different methods without damaging the piece.


Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 http://www.modernmanbags.com/how-to-make-your-leather-bag-look-aged-distressed-and-worn/
  2. ↑ https://www.hunker.com/12536081/how-to-take-the-shininess-out-of-faux-leather
  3. ↑ http://www.ebay.com/gds/How-to-Distress-Leather-Watch-Straps-/10000000178706000/g.html
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 http://www.artofmanliness.com/2009/12/08/tips-for-breaking-in-a-leather-jacket-the-schott-nyc-jacket-giveaway/
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 http://blog.freepeople.com/2014/06/distress-boots-free-people/
  6. ↑ http://www.glamour.com/story/style-secret-toss-your-old-lea

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