How Do You Dye Leather With Food Coloring?
Dyeing leather is one way to make it pop. Professional leather dyes are expensive and can be difficult to use. They also stain nearly everything they touch, making them hard to clean up. Food coloring and vinegar are inexpensive and easy to clean up, and food coloring won’t stain your skin as badly as other dyes and it will set into leather just as well as professional dye. Start with untreated leather. If your leather is already oiled, most dyes will slide right off the surface. Leathers with a soft, “fuzzy” texture take dyes very well. Choose a color for your leather and mix a dozen drops of the appropriate color with a cup of vinegar. Vinegar will make the color brighter and help it set. Don’t be afraid to mix colors to get orange, green or purple. Only add one drop of each color at a time until you get the color you want. The more food dye you add, the darker the color will be. Lay your leather out on a clean, flat surface. If you want a trendy, mottled look, dip folded cheesecloth
