Painting a leather jacket is a great way to personalize it and give it a new look. Paint is also a clever way to cover up any imperfections on the leather.

Not sure how to paint a leather jacket? In this post, I’ve gathered the best paints, techniques, and tips on how to paint your leather jacket. Using the right tools, painting on a leather jacket is super easy!

Without further ado, here’s how to paint on a leather jacket!

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Best Products For Painting A Leather Jacket

How To Paint A Leather Jacket

1. Leather Paint
2. Acrylic Paint
3. Paint Pens
4. Spray Paint

How To Prepare Leather For Painting

Looking for tips on how to paint a leather jacket? It is important to properly clean leather surfaces before painting. Remove any old coatings, dirt, and oils to help the paint better adhere to your jacket.

Before painting on leather jacket, I recommend using this Leather Preparer and De-glazer from Angelus. This all-purpose leather cleaner and stripper breaks down the original finish of leather surfaces. It also removes old dye and paint, giving your leather jacket a fresh surface to paint on.

Preparing leather surfaces is important to prevent the paint from cracking on your leather jacket. Note that this leather de-glazer does contain acetone and should be used with caution. Make sure to wear gloves and work in a well ventilated area when using this product.

How To Prepare Your Jacket With A Leather De-glazer

1. Work in a well-ventilated area. Wear gloves, protective eyewear, and a mask. Place newspapers under the leather jacket to catch any drips.
2. Wet a clean microfiber cloth and squeeze out any excess water. Wipe down the leather jacket to remove any surface dirt.
3. Apply a small amount of leather de-glazer on a cotton-wool pad or cloth. Brush the product over the leather surface until dirt, coatings, and old paint are removed. Allow the leather preparer to dry completely before painting.

1. Leather Paint

Not sure how to paint on leather jacket? For painting a leather jacket, I highly recommend using a leather paint. Leather paint is a type of water-based acrylic paint that is formulated specifically for painting on leather.

For painting your leather jacket, try using this Leather Paint Set from Angelus. This paint set contains 12 assorted paint colors, and is waterproof and scratch resistant after drying. When applied properly, the paints are flexible, designed to last, and will not crack or peel.

These leather paints are non-toxic, easy to clean up, and mixable. They also have a beautiful semi-gloss finish! For best results, make sure to remove any finishes from your leather jacket with a leather de-glazer before painting.

Here’s how to paint leather jacket with leather paint:

How To Paint A Leather Jacket With Leather Paint

1. Work in a well-ventilated area. Place newspapers under the leather jacket to catch any drips. Prep the leather surface with a leather de-glazer to remove any finishes.
2. Optional: use paint pens to outline your designs before painting.
3. Select your desired colors and mix paints as needed. Using a paint brush, apply thin, even coats of leather paint over your leather jacket. To prevent cracking, avoid applying thick coats. Allow each coat to dry completely before painting with a new color.
4. When you are done painting, clean off paint brushes with soap and warm water. Allow the leather paint to dry completely before using your leather jacket. Optional: apply an acrylic finisher to seal the leather paint.

2. Acrylic Paint

Acrylic paint is versatile, vibrant, and works well on leather surfaces. It is easy to use, applies smoothly on surfaces, and dries quickly. Acrylic paint is also easy to clean up with soap and water.

Want to make sparkly designs on your jacket? Learn how to make reflective paint here.

For painting on leather jacket, I highly recommend using this Acrylic Paint Set from Caliart. This paint set comes with 24 acrylic paint bottles and 12 paint brushes! The paints are thick, pigmented, and come with a large selection of amazing colors.

This is a high quality acrylic paint set with an affordable price! The paints blend well and the kit comes with everything you need to start painting your leather jacket! For best results, I recommend applying an acrylic finisher afterwards to seal and waterproof the acrylic paint.

Here’s how to paint a leather jacket with acrylic paint:

How To Paint Leather Jacket With Acrylic Paint

1. Work in a well-ventilated area. Place newspapers under the leather jacket to catch any drips. Prep the leather surface with a leather de-glazer to remove any finishes.
2. Optional: use paint pens to outline your designs before painting.
3. Select your desired colors and mix paints as needed. Using a paint brush, apply thin, even coats of acrylic paint over your leather jacket. To prevent cracking, avoid applying thick coats. Allow each coat to dry completely before painting with a new color.
4. When you are done painting, clean off paint brushes with soap and warm water. Allow the acrylic paint to dry completely. Then, apply an acrylic finisher to seal the paint.

3. Paint Pens

Looking for other methods on how to paint on leather jacket? Try painting a leather jacket with paint pens! Paint pens work like regular markers, are easy to use, and have little to no clean up.

There’s also no need to use paint brushes! Paint pens makes the painting process mess-free, effortless, and fast. However, unlike leather and acrylic paint, you won’t be able to mix and create custom colors.

For painting leather jackets, I highly recommend using this Acrylic Paint Markers set from Reaeon. This product comes with 12 vibrant colors, is fade resistant, dries quickly, and works great for both indoor and outdoor projects. These paints are high quality, and waterproof and permanent after drying.

Here’s how to “paint” leather jacket with paint pens:

How To Paint A Leather Jacket With Paint Pens

1. Work in a well-ventilated area. Prep your leather jacket with a leather de-glazer to remove any finishes.
2. For new paint pens, shake the marker and press the tip down on paper until the ink starts to flow.
3. Use paint pens to outline your designs before painting. Allow the ink to dry before filling the outlines with more paint. Wait for each coat to dry completely before painting with a new color or applying an additional coat.
4. Allow the paint to dry completely before using your leather jacket. Optional: apply an acrylic finisher to seal the paint.

4. Spray Paint

Spray paint is a quick and easy way to color to your entire leather jacket or paint stencil designs. Spray paints are inexpensive, have a smooth and even coverage, and paint large sections quickly. If you want to create intricate designs on your leather jacket, it is better to use leather paint, acrylic paint, or paint pens instead.

For painting on leather jacket, I highly recommend using Krylon’s COLORmaxx Spray Paint and Primer. This brand has a huge selection of amazing colors to choose from such as Pistachio, Rich Plum, Mambo Pink, Sweet Peach, and more! This spray paint and primer combo has excellent durability, is easy to use, and dries to the touch in 20 minutes or less.

To add designs to your leather jacket, purchase stencils or create your own with cardstock paper. For best results, I recommend applying an acrylic finisher to seal and waterproof the spray paint. Here’s how to paint a leather jacket with spray paint:

How To Paint On Leather Jacket With Spray Paint

1. Work in a well-ventilated area or outside. Wear protective eyewear and a mask. Place newspapers under the leather jacket to catch any drips. Prep the leather surface with a leather de-glazer to remove any finishes.
2. Optional: secure stencils on the leather jacket with painters tape.
3. Shake the spray can two minutes after the ball inside the can starts to rattle. Hold the spray can 6 to 8 inches away from the leather surface.
4. Press the spray button tip and spray a thin, even coat in a side-to-side motion. Don’t spray thick coats. Wait for the paint to dry completely before applying additional coats. Remove any stencils.
5. When the paint is dry, apply an acrylic finisher to seal the spray paint. Wait for the leather jacket to dry completely before using.

Summarized: How To Paint A Leather Jacket

In this post, I’ve gathered the best methods on how to paint a leather jacket. Here are all the recommended paint products in one convenient list:

• Angelus Leather Paint Set
• Caliart Acrylic Paint Set
• Reaeon Acrylic Paint Markers
• Krylon COLORmaxx Spray Paint and Primer

Conclusion

Not sure how to paint leather jacket? It is important to select the right paints when painting a leather jacket.

• RELATED: How To Paint On Jeans (Best Paints For Jeans)

All the recommended paints from this post are acrylic based paints (which work best for leather surfaces). For long lasting results, I highly recommend using a leather paint and then sealing it with an acrylic finisher. Before painting, you should also prep the leather with a leather de-glazer.

In this post, I’ve gathered the best hacks and techniques on how to paint a leather jacket. Using the right tools, painting on leather jacket is not too difficult.

I hope this post gave you some helpful tips on how to paint on leather jacket. Good luck!