ET Speaks From Home

Cuisine & Culture the Chinese Family Way

  • Chinese Culture & Festivals
    • Chinese Culture & Superstitions
    • Chinese Cuisine
    • Chinese Festivals
    • Chinese Wedding
    • Feng Shui
  • Craft
    • Adult Craft
    • Children Art and Craft
    • Chinese New Year Craft
    • Origami
  • Family Life
    • Collaboration
    • Home Improvement
    • Life & Parenting
    • Modelling
    • Printable
    • Sensory Play
    • STEM
    • Summer Activities
    • Tutorial
    • Lichfield Mandarin Club
  • Food & Drink
    • Bake Recipes
    • Cookbook
    • Dessert
    • Drink
    • Food Products
    • Meal Recipes
    • Restaurant
  • Review
    • App
    • Beauty & Health
    • Book
    • Drama, Movie, Theatre
    • DVD & Blu Ray
    • Fashion
    • Game & Board Game
    • General Products
    • Household Products
    • LEGO
    • Nintendo
    • Puzzle
    • Technology & Gadgets
    • Toy
    • Travel
    • Twitter Party / Party
    • Stationery
    • Vlog
  • Giveaway

Can you use coffee to dye leather

14 July 2022 by Eileen

Leather is a fantastic material that can be used in lots of different ways. A leather piece in a room can bring the whole look together, and a leather item of clothing can really elevate a look. But sometimes our leather loses colour, or we decide that we aren’t the same person that we were when we bought the bright yellow leather jacket. At that point, there’s only one thing to do: dye the leather.

You can dye leather in a number of ways, including using oil-based dyes, leather dyes, and acrylic paint. But all of these involve using chemicals that you can often get away without using. There are plenty of natural dyes out there that provide anything from a subtle colour to a big change.

Can you use coffee to dye leather

One of the most popular natural dyes, and the one which is asked about the most, is coffee dye. So, can you use coffee to dye your leather? And if so, how?

How to use coffee as a leather dye

First of all, yes, you can use coffee as a leather dye. It works best on vegetable-tanned leather, and you must have sufficient leather conditioner around in order to dye your leather without ruining it, but you can very easily use coffee dye instead of a brown dye manufactured somewhere. The same methods can be used on sofas to make them look new.

To use coffee dye, follow these instructions:

  1. Clean your leather. Remove any dirt or dust from the leather using a warm water and soap mix and a soft microfiber cloth.
  2. Sand your leather to ensure that there is no protective coating or anything that might cause an inconsistent colour on your leather.
  3. Fill any cracks in your leather using liquid leather or leather filler. Apply this in thin coats using a palette knife, and then let it dry completely.
  4. You can either use instant coffee or coffee brew for this coffee dye, but both must be strong coffee such as a dark roast coffee. Make your coffee, ensuring that there is enough to cover the leather you wish to dye.
  5. Pour the coffee into a container such as a bathtub or large paddling pool, and submerge your leather into the coffee.
  6. Leave the leather in the coffee for 4 to 8 hours.
  7. Check on your leather at the 4, 5, 6 and 7-hour mark to see if it is dark enough. When satisfied, pull out the leather and remove any coffee dye residue from the surface.
  8. Use a generous amount of leather conditioner on the leather to bring back all of the moisture it will inevitably have lost. Neatsfoot oil is a very good conditioner for dry leather.

It is important that once you have dyed the leather, you must continue to condition and take care of it for the weeks that follow. Using coffee dye really dries out the leather, so to keep it flexible and prevent cracks forming, conditioning is essential.

If you are looking for a more subtle colour from your coffee dye, you can experiment with shorter timings in the dyeing process, likewise, longer will lead to darker colouring. However, longer will also result in dryer leather.

Other dyes that you can use for dyeing leather

Dyeing leather is by no means a new idea. It has been done for as long as leather has been about, and so there are plenty of ways to dye leather without having to rely on heavily manufactured and processed dyes. Some of the most popular natural dyes include:

Crushed Berries

Berries are incredibly colourful parts of nature, so it should come as no surprise that they are used to dye leather and not just berrie smoothies. To use crushed berries for dying leather, simply hand wash your leather items and wipe off any excess water. Then crush your berries (black berries and elderberries work the best!) into a large basin with some water. Place your leather in the dye bath and soak overnight in your natural leather dye!

When you come back in the morning, you will have freshly dyed leather. Simply wipe the excess off and condition, and your leather will be ready for use.

Acorns

Acorns are great if you’re looking to dye leather. They have been used for a long time as a natural leather dye and are very easy to use. All you need to do is clean your leather, and then collect the following ingredients:

  • 15 large acorns
  • Water
  • A cup of lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp rust water

Grind your acorns up into a powder and mix with just enough water to create a dye bath. Place your clean leather into the dye bath and leave to soak. In the meantime, mix the lemon juice with the rust water, and after a few hours, take your leather out and bathe it in the second mixture.

This will cause a chemical reaction that will allow the acorn powder to work as a leather dye, creating a dark almost black colour on your leather.

Henna

Henna is a leather dye that is still used commonly around the world. It can be bought in most cosmetic stores and can be used to dye eyebrows, eyelashes, and even as a temporary tattoo. To use henna as a leather dye, you should simply follow the instructions on the henna and ensure that you condition your leather afterwards.

Wood stain

Bizarrely, wood stain works wonders as a leather dye. It is a great and easy, inexpensive way to get a lovely colour onto your leather. Simply brush the stain onto clean leather, keep it wet for around 5 minutes and then wipe off.

Steel wool and vinegar

In a process called vinegaroon, you can use steel wool and vinegar in order to activate a chemical reaction that works as a leather dye. Leave some steel wool in water and allow it to rust over days or weeks. Once rusted, pour boiling vinegar over the steel wool in a glass container. Cover the container and leave to stand for a few days. When you return, dip items into the mixture for at least five minutes in order to dye them.

Disclosure: This is a featured post.

Related

Filed Under: Collaboration

« How to build a clay oven
Why does my toilet keep blocking and then spill out of the drain? »

Search

Hello!

Welcome to ET Speaks From Home!
I'm Eileen, a proud mum of two teenagers (aged 17 and 16), my daughter is living with visual impairment. Since launching this blog in May 2012, we’ve continued to grow and evolve, sharing our family’s journey and passions.

I love cooking, crafting, DIY projects, writing about Chinese culture, and creating YouTube reviews.

**Achievements & Recognition:**

* Top 20 UK Parent Blogs (2020)
* Tots100 Top 20 Blog on Twitter (2014)
* Tots100 Top Mummy Vloggers (2015)
* Tots100 Top 20 Vloggers (2016)
* Shortlisted for BritMums Brilliance in Blogging Awards (BiBs), Video Category (2014) Read More…

  • E-mail
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • TikTok
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter

Click here to get in touch!

Contact Me here!

Click here for Media Pack!

pr media pack

Archives

Recent Posts

  • 5 Places To Get The Best Kids Beds
  • Easy Bedroom Upgrades That Make a Big Difference
  • Where to Buy Organic Meat Online: What Matters Most
  • How to Choose a Surveyor for a London Property: 6 Smart Tips
  • Clean Label Supplements: Are They Worth It? What to Look For
  • Checklist for Your First Airplane Trip
  • Luxear Cooling Air Mesh Duvet Review
  • This One Home Addition Could Add Thousands to Your Property Value
  • The Secret Perks of Loyalty Cards You Might Not Know About
  • How to Handle Injury Claims After a Family Holiday

Amazon Affiliate

“We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.co.uk and affiliated sites.”

AWIN & ShareASale Affiliate

“We are a participant in the AWIN Program and ShareASale, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to their clients and affiliated sites.”

Google Privacy Policy

By continuing to use this website, you agreed to be bound by the Google Terms of Service. To find out more, see here: Google Privacy Policy

YouTube API Terms & Conditions

By continuing to use this website, you agreed to be bound by the YouTube Terms of Service. To find out more, see here: YouTube API Term & Condition For Handling YouTube Data and Content Policy : to store the public data temporarily, but not more than 30 days and the stored data will be either be refreshed or deleted after 30 days.

Copyright

©2012-2025 Eileen Teo unless otherwise stated. All rights reserved. You may not reproduce text excerpts or images without my prior permission.

Disclaimer

To find out more, see here: Disclaimer

Privacy Policy

To find out more, see here: Privacy Policy
Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy

Copyright © 2025 · Foodie Pro Theme by Shay Bocks · Built on the Genesis Framework · Powered by WordPress