Vivian De Winter
The Before
I've had this purse for at least fifteen years. I bought it at the Green Room, in Stratford, long before I moved here. Through the years, it has put up with quite a bit of rough and tumble handling. The leather exterior has been marked up so badly, I actually bought a new purse. After about two weeks, that new purse had parts of the exterior vinyl rubbing off. Time to donate it—so I did.
I'd held onto my marked-up original, just in case. Its design, size and colour are exactly what I've always wanted. I've tried using shoe polish to even-out the marks, but it never lasted for long and did not make much of a difference. I didn't know what else to try until I noticed a small red dot of acrylic paint near the top opening. I don't know how that ended up on there, but being an artist, it could have happened whenever I had a project going on.
I tried to scratch it off with my fingernail. It wouldn't budge.
That little accident gave me an idea…
* * *
The After
I decided to try applying acrylic craft paint, on purpose. I selected a shade called Cinnamon Brown and a one-inch-wide soft bristle brush. I tested a small area, a cloth at the ready in case of a terrible result. I could not believe the difference! As the paint went on, it even-out and eliminated all of the scratch marks. There is still a bit of subtle shading, but that makes it look all the more natural. One coat of paint did it. I applied it to all the leather surfaces of the purse PLUS the strap.
After allowing the paint to cure for four to five hours, I added a layer of petroleum jelly using a lint-free cloth. It went on really well, and did not take off any of the paint previously applied. I let that sit for another two hours and buffed with a clean cloth.
The next morning, I applied a second coat of petroleum jelly.
I cannot believe the difference. My purse looks brand new again!
NOTE: if you are going to try something like this, always test a small area before proceeding.
UPDATED March 1, 2026: After applying the petroleum jelly, I discovered that the product evaporated from the leather's surface very quickly. I then tried a thick ointment I already had, that is food-safe and designed to condition wooden cutting boards and utensils. That also had the same effect. I then found a thick moisturizing skin cream which contained coconut oil and beeswax. That has been better, but not the best option. I will keep trying…
UPDATED April 13, 2026: Bingo! I tried 100% coconut oil, in paste form, rubbing it on, then buffing with a clean cloth. It worked wonders, but I had to apply it five times—the leather had dried out that much.