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Vintage Purse Makeover

For those of you who may have missed my guest post over at Dream a Little Bigger last month, here it is in full…plus a new photo addition of my “Teenage Mutant Ninja Polka Dots.”  Intrigued?  I hope so!

Vintage Purse Makeover | The Thinking Closet

About Ruth

This purse holds great significance for me because it originally belonged to a beloved family friend named Ruth.  I can’t remember a holiday meal during my childhood when Ruth wasn’t at our table, warming us with her smiling eyes and clever quips.  I have fond memories of visiting her ivy-covered house; we would sit on her back patio, sipping juice from tiny aluminum cans, and then play croquet in her big backyard.  Ruth also made me feel special simply by the way she said my name.  She pronounced it “Loren” as in Sophia Loren, which always made me feel so elegant.

When I was in high school, Ruth passed away, and I took it extremely hard.  I couldn’t even get through reading my written tribute to her at the funeral, I was so broken up about it.  Ruth’s extended family invited my sister and me to her home to choose a few things to remember her by.  I chose a box of old stamps, a tiny hand-mirror, and a black vintage purse.  This black vintage purse.

Vintage Purse Makeover | The Thinking Closet

The purse is a Coblentz Original, probably from the 1950s or 60s.  It still opens and clasps shut with ease, but the exterior leather of the purse has seen better days.  In these photos, you can see some scuffs and cracks, especially on the strap.

Vintage Purse Makeover | The Thinking Closet

Vintage Purse Makeover | The Thinking ClosetI knew Ruth would be proud to know that I wanted to give her purse a new lease on life and use it even more than I already do…so, makeover time!

I decided to keep the gold and black color scheme, but knew the leather needed some serious help first.  I consulted Allison as to what she might recommend for treating the leather, and she suggested black leather dye.  So, although I had never before ventured into the leather dye aisle at Hobby Lobby, I decided to give it a go.  I mean, black dye on black leather?  It’s hard to mess that up!  I picked up a bottle of Eco-Flo All-in-One (dye and finish) for $5.99.  Throw in a 40% off coupon and it was only $3.60.  Score!

Tutorial

Step 1.  First, I stuffed the purse with some rags to help me get into the nooks and crannies on the sides.  I used some fine grit sandpaper (220) and lightly rubbed the entire surface of the purse to remove the shiny treatment on the leather.  This was also necessary to allow the dye to soak into the leather.

Vintage Purse Makeover | The Thinking Closet

Step 2.  After sanding, I used a damp cloth to clean off the dust.

Vintage Purse Makeover | The Thinking Closet

Step 3.  Next, it was dye time!  I donned my rubber kitchen gloves, grabbed a foam brush, and started applying the dye to the purse in thin coats.  There are NO directions on the bottle of the All-in-One, so I did some research online, and folks recommend using a rag or paper towel to massage the dye into the leather.  I decided to be a rebel and try a foam brush instead.  I just was sure to apply pressure to the brush as I went along, and it worked surprisingly well.

Vintage Purse Makeover | The Thinking Closet

The leather soaked up the dye, and quickly, the blemishes disappeared and the cracks were camouflaged.  I was so thrilled with the results, I was almost tempted to stop here and call it a crafty day!

Vintage Purse Makeover | The Thinking Closet

Step 4.  But, I eventually decided to the purse could use some gold polka dots on those main panels.  So, I used my Silhouette to create a quick stencil.  My first attempt looked a little too much like Swiss Cheese, so I went back to the drawing board and used the “snap to grid” feature in Silhouette Studio to create perfectly spaced dots!

Vintage Purse Makeover | The Thinking Closet

Step 5.  I secured the stencil to the purse with a rubber band, grabbed the same gold acrylic paint I used for my Punched Tin Christmas Ornament project, and painted in the polka-dots.

Vintage Purse Makeover | The Thinking Closet

TIP: After completing one side of polka dots, I learned that it’s VERY important to keep the stencil pressed flat against the purse and to use multiple thin coats.  If you apply too much at once, you risk the paint seeping outside the lines and creating mutant polka dots.  Where that happened, I just used some of the dye on a tiny brush to fix any blemishes.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Polka Dots | The Thinking Closet
“Turtle Power!”

And here you have it!  My newly made-over vintage purse!  Polka-dotted vintage purse, that is.

Vintage Purse Makeover | The Thinking Closet

Vintage Purse Makeover | The Thinking Closet

I think this calls for a backyard photo shoot!  Whad’ya say?

Vintage Purse Makeover | The Thinking Closet

And like any reputable photo shoot, I needed an obligatory “unrealistic scenario,” so here I am swinging with the purse.  {And yes, I am the proud owner of purple boots.}

Vintage Purse Makeover | The Thinking Closet

A perfect purse for an afternoon of sipping juice from tiny aluminum cans and playing croquet, if I do say so myself.

Thank you, dear reader, for following along.  I hope this inspires you to give some of those accessories collecting dust in the back of your closet a makeover of their own.

{Linking up here at at the Ditto D.I.Y. Link Party!}

This is Lauren, signing off.

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87 Comments

  1. I came across you blog my accident and all I have to say is that you’re a genius – lol – thats amazing that you restored that purse to useable state again. Ruth is proud I am sure 🙂

  2. Such a lovely story about your purse Lauren, and fantastic revamp! She is sure a stunner again now!! Love the gold polka dots – oh yeah, and thanks for putting the TMNT theme song into my head for probably the rest of the day. Thrilled you linked up at the Get Your DIY On Fall Challenge: Spray Paint! We hope to see you come on back over this evening (7pm EST) and bring along a chalkboard project!!
    ~Krista from the happy housie

    1. Ha ha, sorry about getting that song stuck in your head. It is a catchy little number, isn’t it?! And thanks for the invite to your party; I wouldn’t miss it! It’s one of my favorite parties this fall, and y’all are truly hostesses of the mostess! Thanks for being so awesome, Krista!

    1. Aw, you make me blush, Abby! It was so meaningful to honor Ruth’s life with that D.I.Y. Thanks for revisiting it, and for your fantabulous linky party. It has been fun to sift through the vault for posts that apply to your weekly themes. Such a brilliant idea on y’all’s parts.

  3. Maybe it’s the nostalgic music playing right now along with your sweet post, but I just started missing Ruth a lot. I remember that day when we had free reign to explore the house and take a memento of hers. I’m so glad you kept yours and that you gave it an amazing tune-up! I took a little black notebook of hers and remember that I put it in my “church box” of precious things. I wonder if it’s still there in my room…I’ll have to check. I loved looking at this post the first time, and loved it even more the second time round! Thanks for honoring Ruth in this way, Laur!

    1. I’m so glad I had you by my side that day when we visited Ruth’s house to pick out a few things…I probably would have crumbled without you there. I love that you remember what treasure you got, too. Yes, do check for it! Are any of Ruth’s iconic scribbles inside? (Remember her handwriting? So distinct and immediately recognizable as hers!) Thanks for taking a walk down memory lane with me on this one.

      1. I do remember her scribblly handwriting! I must check for that notebook. And just last Sunday, while bikeriding, Mom, Dad, and I were remembering Ruth’s house (inspired by looking at the grand houses of Deal). It was neat to hear more from them, since my memories of her house seem foggy. I had forgotten that there great paintings actually painted on the walls, dusty though they were. Also, was said to hear (or re-member) that they tore the house down to build another one.

        1. I had forgotten that about the paintings, too! Thanks for jogging my memory with that tid-bit. And even though I knew in the back of my mind that the house was torn down, I still think of it like it was. It my memory, that house stands strong!

  4. Not sure how I missed this post before, but how fun! Thank you for sharing your TMNT dots! (Notice I know the ninja turtles well enough to use abbreviations for them – that comes from living with an almost 6 year old boy who likes to wear a Michelangelo costume whenever possible). Seriously though, the dots were way less mutant than my imagination had determined them to be. The purse is adorable; I love the random photo shoot and I appreciate your honesty in the creative process.

    1. Ha ha, I’m glad you caught the mutant polka dot addition…it was just for you, girl! (I appreciated the reminder to share all steps of the process…especially the mistakes, messes, and mutations.) I’m also delighted to know that the TMNT are still goin’ strong, especially in your household. I can just picture a mini-Michelangelo running about the place!

  5. I just wanted to let you know that I featured your amazing project on my new blog DETAILS. DETAILS is the sister-site to my main blog Homework.
    On DETAILS I feature projects that have those little details that make them extraordinary. I’d love for you to stop by and visit and follow along on my new journey.
    http://carolynsdetails.blogspot.com/

    xxoo
    carolyn
    homework &
    DETAILS

    1. Thanks so much for the feature, Carolyn! I’m honored that you saw details in my vintage purse makeover that made it something special.

  6. Hi There
    I just read your article about your poke a dot purse, I love that idea

    I have a purse I am thinking of doing something to it similar to yours, mine is an alligator bag shaped almost like yours , it was a friends Grandmothers bag, she had it in a yard sale I had to rescue it

    Janice

    1. I love that you rescued that alligator purse from your friend’s yard sale. Sounds like too much of a treasure to pass up! Have you been able to use it or does it need a little makeover of its own first?

  7. This tutorial reminds me of the first episode of the “Carrie Diaries” when she re-made her mother’s old purse after her sister spilled nail polish on it! Great job honey!

    1. I had to google “Carrie Diaries” as I hadn’t heard of it…and for some reason I was expecting a show from the 80s, but realized it’s a contemporary show about Carrie Bradshaw as a 16-year-old! Cute! Now I’m tempted to watch that first episode….

  8. Wow, I’m totally blown away! Three of my favourite things in one project: polka dots, gold and vintage! Pinning this immediately to my ‘to do’ board!!

    1. We obviously share some of the same favorite things, then, Elria! And my purse wanted to thank you for adding her to your special “To Do” board. She’s honored!

    1. Thanks, Amy! You’re quite the queen of makeovers yourself with that shoe refashion you did. Super cute!

    1. Heartiest thanks, Christina! It makes me smile to know you’re a fan. And thanks for being such a wonderful Wildly Original Hostess!

    1. Tidy Mom is one of my absolute favorite places to party, so this is quite a wonderful surprise. Thank you so much, Cheryl! And yes, it was a great weekend. Hope yours was, as well!

  9. I am SOOO impressed with the change in that purse… it looks incredible and I love your photoshoot with it :o) Thanks SO much for linking up to tasteful tuesdays at nap-timecreations.com. I’m featuring this project RIGHT NOW :o) Come on over and check it out…. I would LOVE for you to put a featured button in this post (or at least somewhere on your site) Oh, and don’t forget to enter the giveaways going on now $25 to cafepress and $50 to cutting edge stencils…
    ~Emily

    1. Wow! Thank you so much for your kind words and for the feature, Emily! I’ll definitely be by to visit and grab a featured button. Hooray!

    1. Thanks, Jenna! I know, I was kinda amazed myself with how transformative the 2-in-1 dye was. I would have never thought that dye could do that!

    1. That’s so sweet of you to say, Emily! Thank you for your thoughtful comments…and of course I’ll be back!

    1. Thanks, Carol! And I encourage you to make a thrift store or garage sale weekend run this weekend. You’re bound to come out with some old purses just itching for a re-do!

  10. wow! i love it! found you at sew darn crafty. i re-did a vintage train case, so your project is of course one of my new faves 🙂 party at my place if you feel like sharing!

    1. Just checked out your vintage train case re-do and it was AMAZING! I’m so impressed that you persevered despite all {stinky} obstacles. It was definitely well worth it. And thanks for the pin!

  11. Love love love this idea! It is Polka Dot Week over at my blog and I have a post of fun polka dot ideas coming up tomorrow. I will be including this post if thats ok! I will link back to your blog as well. 🙂

    Rachel @ R & R Workshop
    randrworkshop.blogspot.com

    1. Polka Dot Week?! How cool is that?! I would be honored for you to include my vintage purse makeover project in the mix…can’t wait to stop by and see the round-up of ideas you have compiled. (I am a polka dot fanatic these days.) Thanks for letting me know!

    1. Wow! Thanks for the feature, Nessy, and for letting me know! And what a fun idea to do a round-up of vintage projects. Will be back to check it out in more detail later.

  12. Beautiful! Love the purple boots, too!!! I have some of my Grandmother’s old purses and this may come in handy, if I try it I will send you a photo.

  13. I agree with Christine. Loved seeing this project both times.

    Enjoyed the Teenage Ninja dots picture, too!!

    Thanks for reminding me of dear Ruth! She would LOVE what you’ve done to her purse!!

    1. Thanks, Mom! I’d like to think Ruth would enjoy it…and maybe even rock the gold polka dots herself. 😉 And I’m glad you appreciated the addition of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Polka Dots. Further evidence that creative projects rarely turn out perfectly on the first try.

      1. That’s fun that you shared the “back-story” of the Mutant Ninja Polka Dots with us on your blog!! Makes us feel like true insiders and also that we don’t have to be perfect to do a project.
        Yes, I agree, Ruth would rock that purse herself.
        Sending much love!!

    1. Thank you kindly, Christine! Reposting this tutorial has been a great reminder to me to plan a few outfits where I can rock this purse and give it a “night on the town”…which might just mean a run to the grocery store…ha ha.

  14. Wow! It is indeed a makeover. Who would think that this purse is already used and old?
    I am sure Ruth will be very proud of what you did. 🙂

    1. Thanks for your kind words, Mel! I know…I love that this purse carries with it such deep history, which might not be apparent from first glance. Things aren’t always what they seem, are they? 🙂

  15. Loving that purse re-do! It looks super, and so do those purple boots…thanks for a great idea, I have just the purse to use it on. 🙂

  16. Hi Lauren, I saw your fabulous purse at Cheerios and Lattes – what a fabulous idea! How wonderful that you could transform something significant to you into this lovely creation. Ok, I’m digging the box of purses from my grandmother to see what i can do with them! 🙂 Thanks so much for sharing and have a wonderful weekend!

    1. Yay! I’m so glad this has inspired you to see old purses anew. I feel like we should start a RESCUE THE OLD PURSES campaign! 😉 Thanks for popping by (and so quickly after I linked up) and happy weekend to you, as well, Cindy.

  17. Lauren, I love this!!!!!!! It’s so my style! I would rock this purse everywhere. First, I love that it holds sentimental value to you and secondly, I love how you took your time and made it beautiful again. And the polka dots….so cute!!! I just can’t express how cute this is…I would love to feature it on my blog!, if that’s okay?

    1. Oh my goodness, Stephanie, way to make my night with this comment. Of course you can feature my purse project on your blog. It would be an honor! Wow. Thank you, my friend.

      Also, I love discovering more and more things we share in common – – including our style! 😉 It warms my heart to no end that this project resonated with you so deeply. THIS IS WHY WE BLOG!

  18. This is such a cute idea! I love the story about how you got the purse. That makes it even more special! Makes me want to go dig through my grandma’s stuff to find a new crafty project! 🙂

  19. I love this project! Not only did the purse turn out super cute…but it’s such a fun and funny post! Always be elegant like Sophia Loren and not like swiss cheese! 😉
    Kenley

    1. Ha ha. Now I’m picturing a bunch of memes popping up on Pinterest with that quote, “Always be elegant like Sophia Loren and not like Swiss Cheese.” With perhaps a photo of Sophia Loren stamping a high-heeled foot on a wedge of cheese. The mantra of elegant ladies (like yourself) everywhere. 😉

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