If you’re looking to paint your favorite faux leather shoes, bag, or jacket and you’re wondering if you can use leather paint, then this article will answer your questions.
Can you use leather paint on faux leather? Leather paint is an acrylic-based paint that can adhere to faux leather surfaces if applied as thinly as possible. You also want to decrease the faux leather surface using rubbing alcohol to remove grease, dirt, finishes on the faux leather before applying the leather paint for best results.
To learn more about using leather paint on faux leather items like shoes, jackets, bags, wallets, book covers, to mention a few, keep reading.
What is Faux Leather?
Before we talk about can you use leather paint on faux leather, let’s first define what faux leather is.
Faux leather is a synthetic material that mimics the look and feel of real leather, but it’s made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC).
It is sometimes called vegan leather as it’s cruelty-free and made from non-animal materials.
Faux Leather Uses
You can find faux leather in a wide range of items including:
- Shoes,
- Jackets
- Bags
- Wallets
- Belts
- Book covers.
Faux Leather Advantages
What faux leather has going for it is that;
- The material looks
- Feels like real leather
- Costs a fraction of the price.
Now let’s briefly take a look at what leather paint is.
What Is Leather Paint?
So, leather paint is an acrylic based paint that is made to be water-resistant. It’s meant to adhere well onto natural leather surfaces, though it can also be used on synthetic leather surfaces.
When using this paint, you want to make sure the faux leather surface or real leather surface is degreased and clean before applying the leather paint for the best results.
To learn more about using this type of paint on faux leather items like shoes, jackets, bags, wallets, and others, keep reading.
What Can You Use Leather Paint To Do On Faux Leather?
There are a few things you can use leather paint to do on your faux leather items. Below are some of them so you’re inspired on what you could use leather paint to do for your faux leather items.
Cover Cracks, Marks, And Scratches
Leather paint can be used to cover up small marks and scratches on faux leather – just like you would with real leather. It can also be used to cover up small rips and tears in faux leather.
Using leather paint on your faux leather items can be super beneficial. This is because if you have some stubborn stains, scratches, or cracks on your faux leather items, then you can use the paint to cover up these marks.
You could even get creative with painting designs or words on your faux leather items that have blemishes on them.
Give Faux Leather Items A New Look And Feel
Leather paint is great to use on faux leather because it can totally transform your items. This is the case whether you want your faux leather items to look like leather or you want them to feel like it.
Leather paint will make your items look and feel much smoother than they usually do. This will give you a whole new experience for your faux leather items, and it can even adjust the look of how they sit on your body.
Leather paint is great to use on faux leather because it really brightens up your items if they are looking old and worn out.
You can also use leather paint to give your faux leather items beautiful unique patterns and designs.
Leather paint is an awesome way to give faux leather items a new look and hopefully, it will also make them feel like they’re real leather too.
You Can Use Leather Paint Make Faux Leather Look Like Real Leather
Another thing you can use leather paint for on your faux leather is to make it look like real leather. This is great because leather paint can really give your faux items the same color, shine, and texture as real leather.
But you will have to be good at creating the effects that would make your faux leather items look like real leather. This is because if you’re not good at painting, then it might be hard to create the effects that make your faux items look like real leather.
But if you’re good at painting, then this is a great thing to use leather paint for on your faux items.
Give Your Faux Leather A Custom Paint Job
Apart from using leather paint to make your faux leather look like real leather, you can also use it to customize your faux leather goods like shoes, jackets, and bags.
There’s simply no limit to what you can do with leather paint on your faux leather items as acrylic-based paints are one of the most versatile and easy to work with.
And since customizations are what most people would want to use leather paint to do, I’m going to show you a step-by-step guide on how to use leather paint on faux leather surfaces.
How To Use Leather Paint On Faux Leather
Using leather paint on faux leather is just like using any other type of paint. So follow the steps below to give your faux leather goods the best of the best look.
Things Needed:
- Rubbing Alcohol
- A Set of Leather Paint
- Soft Bristled Brush
- Microfiber Cloth
Procedure:
Step 1: Prepare Your Faux Leather Surface
- After you have gathered all the tools and materials you need, start by prepping the surface of the faux leather item you want to paint.
- Prepare the surface of the faux leather by dampening a clean microfiber cloth with rubbing alcohol.
- This will help to remove any coating, finishes, dirt, stains, or grease that can interfere with the leather paint.
- Doing this is important because leather paints are acrylic based and because of this they are thermoplastics that tend to respond to temperature changes.
- So it is important you treat your faux leather before you apply the leather paint so that the paint application lasts long.
- In instances where the faux leather item has some serious tears, cracks, etc, it is important to have them repaired before proceeding to prep the faux leather.
Step 2: Testing
- Start by testing the leather paint on a small part of the faux leather item (where you have wiped with the rubbing alcohol).
- It’s possible that the leather or fake leather was treated with a silicone coating if you find that the leather paint isn’t sticking to the faux leather.
- A leather deglazer can be used to help clean this layer off before attempting another, but alcohol usually works.
Step 3: Start Painting
- When you’re confident that the surface is clean and dry, it’s time to start painting.
- Start by applying a thin coat of leather paint to the faux leather surface.
- When you’re done, let it dry for a couple of hours then apply another layer and repeat until you’ve achieved the desired result.
- Applying leather paint thickly means the paint will begin to crack when the faux leather item is flexed during use.
- Repeat this process until you achieve the desired result and then let your faux leather item dry for a couple of hours.
Step 4: Seal
- Once you’ve painted your faux leather, you’ll need to seal the leather paint to ensure the leather paint application lasts long.
The Pros Of Using Leather Paint On Faux Leather
Leather paint is a great way to give your faux leather goods that real look, but there are other benefits too.
Some of the pros of using leather paint on faux leather goods include:
- Leather Paints Are Easy To Work With On Faux Leather
- Leather Paint Dries Fast On Faux Leather
- Leather Paints Are Versatile
- Leather Paints Come In A Variety Of Colors
- Acrylic Based Leather Paint Allows For Customization
- Leather Paints Are Non Toxic
- Leather Paints Are Waterproof When Dry
The Cons Of Using Leather Paint On Faux Leather:
- Leather Paint Will Crack and Peel If Applied Too Thickly on Faux Leather.
- Acrylic Based Leather Paint Can Chip Off Easily
- Leather Paints Can Be Difficult To Apply Smoothly Especially For Beginners
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, leather paint is versatile and can be used on faux leather without any problems if you ensure the best practices.
I like the fact that this type of paint offers you a way to give your faux leather goods a facelift among other important benefits.
So if you have some leather paint in your home, give this article a quick read and you will be on your way to giving your faux leather goods the best of the best look.
