How to Coffee Dye Shoes
Coffee dyeing is a great alternative to traditional shoe dyeing techniques. It’s cheap, easy to find materials, and results in a rustic and unique finish. Here’s what you need to know to get started.
Preparing the Shoes
Before you start dyeing your shoes, you’ll need to strip the finish off them. If your shoes are already leather, you can skip this step. If not, you’ll need to remove the existing finish. This can be done with sandpaper, acetone, or an sos pad. Once the finish is removed, it’s time to prepare for the dyeing.
Applying the Dye
You’ll need to use instant coffee for this technique. Brew one cup of your favorite instant coffee and pour it into a shallow pan. For best results, use a saturated solution of coffee—the more the better. Now, dip your shoes into the coffee and let it soak for around 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, take them out of the solution and let them air dry.
Finishing Touches
After your shoes have dried, you can add some extra protection by applying a leather conditioner. This will help preserve the color and keep your shoes from cracking or deteriorating in the future. Alternatively, you can seal them with a tin of shoe polish. This will help to bring out some extra shine and also protect them from day to day wear and tear.
Tips
- Test the color – Before you embark on the full process, try testing the color first on a scrap piece of leather to make sure you’re happy with the result.
- Topcoat – You can also apply a topcoat of lacquer to your shoes to keep the color from fading.
- Experiment – There are countless combinations of coffees and leathers that you can experiment with to get different results.
