Okay, here’s my attempt at a blog post, mimicking the style you described:
Alright, so, suede coat. Been wanting to try this for ages, finally got around to it. Here’s how it went down.
First off, snagged this old leather jacket from a thrift store. It was kinda beat up, you know? But the shape was good, and the price was right – like, seriously cheap. Figured if I messed it up, no biggie.
Then, the prep work. This was the most annoying part, tbh. Had to clean the jacket like crazy. Used some leather cleaner I found in the garage, scrubbed it down, let it dry. Took forever. Then, I roughed up the surface a bit with some sandpaper. Just a light sanding, nothing too crazy, just to give the suede paint something to grip onto.
Next up, the dyeing part. I bought this suede dye from a leather supply place. Followed the instructions on the bottle – basically, just applied it with a sponge brush in thin, even coats. Let it dry between coats. I think I ended up doing like three coats to get the color I wanted. It was a darker brown, aiming for a kinda vintage look.
After the last coat was dry – and I mean really dry, waited like a whole day – I brushed it with a suede brush. This helps to raise the nap and soften the leather. Made a huge difference in the texture.
The biggest problem? I’m gonna be real, I definitely made a mess. Dye got everywhere. My hands were brown for like a week. Wear gloves, seriously, learn from my mistakes. Also, ventilation is key. I did this in the garage with the door open, and it still smelled like chemicals for days.
Lessons learned?
- Prep is everything. Don’t skimp on the cleaning and sanding.
- Thin coats are better than one thick coat. Prevents streaks and unevenness.
- Patience! Let it dry properly between coats.
- Gloves, gloves, gloves!
All in all, I’m pretty happy with how it turned out. It’s not perfect, but it’s definitely a unique piece now. Plus, I saved a ton of money compared to buying a brand new suede coat. Would I do it again? Probably. But I’d definitely be more careful next time.
Oh, and one more thing: waterproofing spray is your friend. Seriously, spray the hell out of it after everything is dry. Suede and rain don’t mix.