Painting a Handbag Mint Green
I purchased a burgundy colored vintage handbag online.
It definitely showed signs of wear and tear.
The leather was faded, and the chrome fixtures had lost their sparkle.
I looked forward to rolling up my sleeves. and getting started with painting.
I used leather paint to restore its appearance.
A fresh coat of paint always refreshes a surface.
The front of the handbag before being painted.
The back of the handbag before being painted.
The inside of the handbag before being painted.Painting a Handbag Mint Green - The Process
I toiled over the color that I wanted to paint the handbag, and finally settled on mint green.
This is a unique color that is not found in many handbags, and it has caught the attention of an eye or two.
I began by wiping the handbag with white vinegar to remove any dust particles.
As I did this, I noticed that the surface of the handbag was not smooth.
Very small sections of paint were uplifted in several spots on both sides of the bag.
It was as if someone had taken a straight pin, and punched holes throughout the bag, while uplifting the paint.
After painting a coat of paint on both sides, I spent time scraping the small pieces of leather protruding from the handbag until the surface was smooth.
I then gave each side two more coats of paint.
Because the metal rim was tarnished, I refreshed it with a chrome gold ink marker.
I also painted the inside lining with magenta fabric paint.
The fronton the handbag after being painted.
The back of the handbag after being painted.
The inside of the handbag after being painted.Painting a Handbag Mint Green - I Carried the Handbag to Church
Last Sunday, I carried the mint green handbag to church.
I was wearing a black dress, black boots, and a jean jacket.
Afterward, when I was walking back to my car, someone complimented me on the handbag.
In the past, I have been overly modest in letting people know that I have painted an item.
When I have received compliments on things that I have made, or painted, I have simply said, Thank you."
Most recently, I have decided to say, "Thank you. I made this.", or Thank you. I painted this."
It still feels uncomfortable to me, but I am trying to be more forthright with what I do.
And, in return, it opens up conversation.
It's a nice ice breaker when you don't otherwise know exactly what to say.