Dye a Leather Couch

A leather couch can offer you many things, including quality, comfort and style. Whether you have it in a formal living room or a casual family room, a leather couch provides a place to sit, lay and relax. Even the best leather does fade or discolor over time. Or, you might come across a perfect leather couch at a thrift store or a garage sale that is the wrong color, or stained and dirty. The best way to freshen up your leather couch without buying a new one is to dye it. Dye a leather couch by cleaning it with acetone and then applying the color that you want in large spaces across the entire piece of furniture.

Steps

1. Purchase leather dye in the color you want your couch to be. You can often find leather dye at a local tannery, a specialty leather shop or online at sites such as eBay and Leather Unlimited.
   • Combine colors if you cannot find a dye that is the exact shade you are looking for. For example, if you want a dark brown but the brown dye seems too light, mix a little black die into it. Use white dye to get a lighter color.
2. Carry the leather couch to a well ventilated work space. A basement, garage or even outdoor driveway will provide a good place to work.
3. Place the couch on top of drop cloths to protect the surface or floor you are working on.
4. Remove any dust or dirt that is on the leather by cleaning the entire couch with soap and water. Do not soak the couch. Instead, lightly rub it with a cloth that you dip in soapy water and ring out.
5. Apply acetone to the leather to get a deeper clean and prepare the leather for dying. Dip a clean cloth or rag into the acetone and rub it all over the couch.
6. Spray the leather couch with a water bottle. You want the leather to be wet so it absorbs the dye, but not soaked.
7. Apply the leather dye after you spray the area with water. Place some dye onto a clean rag or cloth and then rub it onto the couch. Make sure you wear gloves to protect your hands.
   • Work in small patches at a time. This will make the process easier and it will keep the leather looking more consistent as you color it. Spray one section, then apply the dye. Spray the next section and apply the dye and continue until the entire couch has been dyed.
8. Use a dry cloth to rub off excess dye after you treat each section of the leather couch.
9. Let the leather couch dry for about 1 to 2 hours and then apply another coat. You should put on as many coats as you need to get the right color you are looking for. Most leather couches will need between 3 and 6 coats.
   • Let the dye dry between each coat.
10. Apply a finisher to the leather couch once the last coat of dye has dried. This can be purchased wherever you get the leather dye. It may be called leather finisher or leather top coat. You can choose a glossy or satin finish.
    • Spray the finisher on the leather couch and rub it in with a damp, clean rag.

Tips

• Remember that you can easily dye a light leather to look darker, but making a dark leather couch look lighter might be a challenge.
• Take off any cushions before you begin so you can dye those separately from the couch itself.

Things You'll Need

• Drop clothes
• Leather dye
• Acetone
• Spray bottle of water
• Clothes or rags
• Gloves
• Leather finisher

Related Articles

• Dye Leather
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• Dye Leather Furniture
• Make Black Leather Dye
• Repair Scratches on Leather Furniture
• Paint Faux Leather
• Remove Red Wine Stains from Leather
• Remove Ink Stains from Leather

Sources and Citations

• http://www.keepingitsimplecrafts.com/2009/12/tutorial-tuesday-dyeing-leather.html
• http://reviews.ebay.com/How-to-Dye-Leather-For-all-smooth-leathers?ugid=10000000000877002

See also

• Dismantle a Recliner Sofa
• Weather Leather
• Stamp Leather
• Case Leather
• Dull Leather
• Clean Suede Couch Cushions
• Clean Colored Leather
• Clean Leather Naturally
• Clean a Microfiber Upholstered Sofa
• Cover a Sofa

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