Surprising Purse makeovers with Paint

‘Here’s another attempt of mine to keep your things out of the landfill – purses ( 3 different ones) & shoes. They may start a bit tired and ugly but behold these surprising Purse makeovers with Paint; some brush strokes and creativity. Come take a look…

The Old Coach Purse:

This is a REAL leather purse, which is not that common nowadays so I wanted to give it another life. I washed it with Murphy’s Oil soap and stuffed with newspaper to shape it till dry. The scuffs were not going to be a problem since the designs can cover them.

The investment was only a few bucks (less than a Starbucks coffee) so what do I have to lose?! As an illustrator and artist my biggest tip is to not set yourself up for disaster; that means do not try to be too perfect with your expectations. Pick a style or design that has a bit of acceptance of imperfection.

My acrylic paints of choice for leather are Angelus paints. Angelus can also be used as fabric paint on canvas shoes with the addition of a fabric medium.

That is why I chose this impressionistic version of roses. I want to have fun with my projects not feel pressured. In this digital age something hand done is precious, and this definitely looks hand-painted. The background color lighter color would also work well into the design. It also allowed a wide variety of colors to be incorporated.

Before starting to use the acrylic leather paint make sure you use the leather preparer ( I use pure acetone) to take the shiny or glossy finish off; Angelus deglazer. Since this is a very ‘loose’ design, I did not make specific drawings beforehand; it’s more fun that way… If there is areas that you wish to keep plain you can use some painter’s tape or masking tape to protect them. (see video for painting in action)

After a few coats of the very loose brush strokes of varying red and green paint colors I added some definition of black paint lines, not necessarily exact edges with a fine paint brush.

Shoes; why not?!

I’m a sucker for good quality leather shoes ( I hate faux leather shoes), even if they are not my choice of colour because I know I can change that. Make sure to deglaze before beginning.

I simplified these sneakers to be my own designs of graphic roses. (use reference images if need be) The Frixion pens will disappear with some heat (blow dryer) or a fine marker can be used.

After the first coat a few touch ups finish the red flowers. The coverage of Angelus leather paints is excellent compared to all the types of paints I’ve used over the years.

The larger areas are painted a darker color black. I plan on having a coordination of red things this fall.

So what do you think of my ‘New’ handbag? I’m giving you all a vote of confidence that you also can do a paint job of some type on your less favourite purse and then maybe even share it proudly on your facebook page or sell it in your online store (very popular)

‘And I have a pair of shoes to match as well. It’s a strong full grain leather so it will last well compared to vinyl.

Purse #2 Good Shape:

Another leather beauty, Michael Kors! I’m not a beige lover so here goes…

Each colour has design options, and working in the existing colours is key. The zipper and some tassel remained the original colour.

Instead of an image, as not everyone wants to wear a picture I decided to take some inspiration from nature – geode layers or abstract lines. Sometimes ‘less is more’!

The finish looks like the original. This Angelus paint is thin but covers well without filling detailsand being extra thick, I love that!

Purse #3 It’s that Tiffany Colour!

How could I really cover that colour?! It’s so rich and vibrant that I had some Typography fun. Such a throwback to Typography class in college – serif fonts! Subtle design can be just as amazing as bold design.

Have fun with fonts, use the computer to print them out or sketch as I did (Times Roman on the ‘brain’).

I may have a problem now… where will I keep these all organized? Maybe you can help me out if I put them in my shop (we will see) Let me know if you’d be interested.