How to Paint Leather Furniture

There are certain preparations that must be made before you begin to paint leather furniture. This is mostly due to the fact that without these preparations, paint has trouble adhering to leather. As a result, the leather must be treated a certain way before painting to allow the paint to stick to and remain on the surface.

Step One - Clean The Leather

The first step is to clean the leather. To do this, mix the leather bleach with one pint of water to make a cleanser that's gentle enough to not damage the leather. Use the soft-bristled brush to scrub the leather thoroughly, making sure every nook and cranny is cleaned. When finished, dry it with a hand towel.

Step Two - Take The Shine Off

Whilst suede leather can hold paint relatively well, the smoother, shinier types of leather are covered in layers of surface oils, wax and other protective coatings, and in order to make the paint stick, these will have to be removed. In order to remove these and allow the paint to bind, apply rubbing alcohol to a washcloth and thoroughly scrub the area of leather that will be painted. This will strip away the majority of the protective layers. After this is done, take the sandpaper and gently sand the leather once over to make sure all of the protection is removed. This has the added bonus of wearing the leather slightly, giving the paint a greater chance of binding with the material.

Step Three - Prime The Leather

Once the leather has been prepared to accept the paint, you will need to prime the material using a solution made up of one part acrylic paint to one part water. This is to provide a base coat of paint for the leather so that the later, undiluted paint has something to take hold of. If the leather surface is relatively small, use a wool dauber to apply the solution across the material. If the leather surface is quite big, such as a leather sofa, use a flat paint brush and apply the solution with long, even strokes. Apply one layer of this, and then flex the material to ensure the paint doesn't crack when drying. After flexing, apply a second layer, making sure the solution is absorbed into the fabric beforehand. If it isn't being absorbed, simply add more water. Flex it once more.

Step Four - Paint It On

Finally, once the second layer of solution is almost dry, apply a thin layer of undiluted acrylic paint across the entire surface. As before, take care to flex and stretch the leather afterwards to ensure the paint doesn't crack during the drying phase. Then, apply as many coats as necessary, keeping in mind that several thin coats last longer than one thick coat.