In small circular motions, apply the wonder balsam to the exterior of the purse until the entire purse has been covered. I always err on the side of being light handed at first and doing another pass if more is needed. Martens wonder balsam comes with a sponge applicator! A little bit of the balsam goes a very long way. Step 2: Re-hydrate the leather with the wonder balsam
![vintage coach purse cloth vintage coach purse cloth](https://handbag.yournextshoes.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Coach-Detail-6.jpg)
I like to wait a couple hours, just to be safe. Allow the purse to dry off completely before moving on to the next step. This will help to remove any “crusted on” bits before restoring the leather. With some paper towels (or a reusable cloth rag) and a little bit of lukewarm water, wipe down the exterior of the bag. A little bit goes a long way and I’ve had this container for well over 2 years and it’s still not even halfway done! Step 1: Wipe the bag clean I originally purchased this to polish my leather booties with and have since started using it on all my leather accessories. It’s great to not have to worry about traditional leather polish (and dyes) getting onto surfaces that you’re working on because this wonder balsam is colourless. The second reason is the fact that you can use the same polish no matter what colour of leather you’re using it on. The biggest one is the fact that it’s all-natural (coconut oil, beeswax, and lanolin). Martens Wonder Balsam Shoe Polish (under $10!)
![vintage coach purse cloth vintage coach purse cloth](https://i.etsystatic.com/8363776/r/il/8acef3/1406078475/il_fullxfull.1406078475_2oqg.jpg)
Materials needed to revive my latest vintage purse find: Otherwise, there was no damage (holes or rips) in the leather bag itself or the strap. There were also some crusted on pieces of sauce (?). You can see that the leather looks really dry. My most recent vintage Coach purse looked like this when I found it:
![vintage coach purse cloth vintage coach purse cloth](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/4a/9b/85/4a9b85540bdd29b453a023c389013d44.jpg)
I will never pass up on a bag with minor scratches and slightly dried out leather, though! These are easy fixes that can be done in 2 steps. I never purchase bags that require hardware or straps replacement (those can get really pricey really quickly) or ones with holes in them. This reason isn’t related to style or colour of the bag, but rather the condition. I’ll start off by saying that I’m very picky with the type of vintage purses I buy. It desperately needed some TLC, so I thought I’d share how I brought this piece back to life! A vintage Coach bag can run over $100 depending on style and condition, but it’s pretty easy to find sub-$50 vintage pieces (like the one in this vintage purse restoration tutorial) in slightly less-than-mint condition that can be restored for under $10 and in 2 easy steps! I scored my most recent vintage Coach bag for $35. They’re pretty easy to come by ( Etsy has hundreds listed in all styles and sizes!) in terms of finding them, but it’s finding the right one that can hard.īuying vintage purses can be tricky because of the fact that they’re, well, vintage. These all-leather bags are my weakness! I absolutely adore everything about the timeless styles and neutral colours and have been collecting them for a few years now. Don’t worry– the purse restoration is still 2 steps! There are some new products that I have tried along the way that I’ve included below.įor the last decade, I’ve been obsessed with vintage Coach purses.
![vintage coach purse cloth vintage coach purse cloth](https://i.pinimg.com/736x/3b/ee/de/3beeded648ea407512ed7650914cc9aa.jpg)
This post was originally written in 2017 for my previous blog and has since been repinned on Pinterest over 550+ times! Since originally publishing this vintage purse restoration tutorial, there have been a few updates.