Perhaps your cat used the leather chair arm as scratching posts. Your treasured recliner may have been damaged by the leather, leaving a nice slit that could expand. Don’t worry if the price of replacing leather furniture is too high. You can fix it yourself, and no one will notice.
Before you start, ensure that your furniture is made of genuine leather. Genuine leather is made from the entire skin of an animal. By joining scraps of leather together to create bonded leather, you can make a seamless piece. Bonded leather is not compatible with these repair methods.
Contents
How to determine if your furniture has genuine leather
- If there is one, read it. If it is, it will say “Genuine Leather”.
- You should look out for any imperfections in the grain. Bonded leather has a repeating pattern that is used to create its texture.
- As much as possible, feel the material between your fingers. Genuine leather becomes lighter when it is folded over.
- Is it natural leather-like? Synthetic materials may have a slight chemical odor.
- Also, be sure to look at the material’s underside and edges. It is bonded if you can see a layer of fabric in the middle or as backing.
Gather the following materials or purchase a complete leather repair kit to fix a hole or cut that is full thickness.
- Vinyl or fabric adhesive that dries flexible
- Soft leather filler
- Denatured alcohol
- Iron-on denim patch for substrate
- Palette knife
- Toothpick
- Smoothing card
- Tweezers
- Scissors
- Gloves for texturing
- One sheet of 220-, 320 -, 500-grit dry sandpaper
- Cellulose sponge
- Use scrap cardboard as a palette
- You can match leather dyes to your piece
How to repair minor scratches or small tears in a leather chair
- Use a quality leather cleaner to clean the chair from any minor scratches or tears.
- After drying, apply a thin coat of leather conditioner to the leather and rub it in with a circular motion.
- Apply the conditioner to the leather until it no longer absorbs it. Let the final coat sit for a while before you rub it in.
- This method of conditioning and cleaning leather removes many scratches.
How to fix punctures and cuts in a leather chair
These steps will repair leather that has been cut to the bone.
- A denim patch should be cut a little bigger than its opening.
- To make sure they lie flat, trim the edges.
- Use tweezers to insert the shiny denim piece, shiny-side up, into the opening. This is the substrate for the filler. Make sure the filler is flat.
- Apply a little glue to the cardboard. Apply glue with a toothpick along the edges of your hole. Then, attach the patch to the leather. Use your fingers to gently press it down. Use glue that is flexible. Use Super Glue only.
- Apply firm pressure immediately with a 2×4 or other hard, flat object. For a few seconds, hold the position.
- After the filler has dried, wipe the surface clean with denatured alcohol.
- The soft filler can be used to fill the gap with a palette knife. In case the glue didn’t reach certain areas, work the soft filler along the edges of the tear. To smoothen the fill, hold the smoothing board at an angle. Use your fingers to smoothen the edges.
- Allow to dry for between 20-40 minutes. You can speed up the drying process by suspending an incandescent bulb near enough to heat the area, but not too close that it could burn your hands. The filler can bubble up and shrink if it gets too hot. This will require a redo. The color will become translucent once it dries. It will feel solid when you touch it with your finger.
- Use 220-grit sandpaper to smoothen any rough or uneven areas. Use a damp cloth to clean up any dust.
- Add another layer of filler. Swipe the smoothing board and let dry. For a good fill, apply as many layers as necessary. Allow each layer to dry completely before you add the next. Sand the surface one last time, then wipe it with a damp cloth.
Leather that is worn-out and rough to touch
These steps can be used to restore leather that is damaged.
- Spread the filler on a large section of worn or rough leather. Then, use a card to smoothen it. Finally, place your hand in a glove and pat the filler to texture it.
- After drying, sand gently with 500-grit sandpaper. Before applying dye, wipe the surface with a damp cloth.
- Apply the leather dye using a damp sponge. Let dry. Repeat the steps until you get the desired color.
- Apply more filler if the dye is causing the area to be too rough.
Final Leather Repair Results
The area that has been repaired should feel soft and flexible and not noticeable to casual observers. Congratulations! Congratulations!
