Hey look! It's a work-in-progress not made of yarn!
It is yarn-related, though, so I'm not that far from the norm (heh). This week I'm repainting crochet hook cases!
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The Cases
I have a couple sets of the Furls hook cases and pouches that came free with my recent hook orders. (not sponsored or affiliated) On a recent livestream, Furls announced that they were redesigning their cases so they'd be the same texture across the board. Right now, their single hook cases have a lot more dimpling than the pouches, which have a smooth, soft leather finish. I believe they are also considering vegan options as their line right now is 100% genuine leather. I'm not completely sure on that, though. While I don't mind the real leather, I can see how it's not inclusive to those who prefer the non-animal alternative.
Because of this upcoming change, they've been offering free cases and pouches to clear inventory with every order over a certain price. I bought a couple full sets of hooks, so I qualified for both pieces. There's nothing really wrong with them in my eyes, except they're only offered in tan and black. I need a little more color than that in my life, so of course, my thoughts immediately went to: I can paint them!
And that's where we are now: one crochet hook case and pouch ready to be thrown to the paint tubes for experimental recoloring. I have another set, but we'll start with these two and see how it goes.
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The Paint
Leather Studio
When it comes to leather painting, Angelus is the most well-known. My brother used it on his fire helmet and it's holding up swimmingly. I've also seen Moriah Elizabeth on YouTube use it for fabric projects with great success. The downside is that if the paint freezes at any point, it becomes unusable. When you live in a frosty climate like Vermont and want to place an order in winter, chances are the paint won't survive transit. So I have to improvise.
Enter Michael's Craft Store and Leather Studio paint. (not sponsored or affiliated)
I've used the Leather Studio paints from Michael's before on a pair of beaten up leather boots, and they've held up for the past few years. The paint is sold in-store where I am, so there's no risk of freezing during shipment or delivery.
Leather Studio's color selection isn't great, though. Angelus wins with an amazing array of colors to choose from, while Leather Studio has more colors for mixing custom than using straight from the tube in my opinion. I got a neutral linen color from Leather Studio since it was the best color for my project. If you live somewhere warm or are ordering your paints at a warmer time, have at it with Angelus!
**It's cheaper to order their paint straight from the Angelus company site, so go there instead of any other retailers. (not sponsored or affiliated!)**
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Fabric Creations Soft Fabric Ink by Plaid
I bought a couple colors from Fabric Creations as well. While not labeled for use on leather, I couldn't pass up the vibrant Grapefruit or Aqua! It says the paint can be used on most fabric items, so I'm curious how it'll fare on leather. I am prepping the pieces with an all-purpose sealer, so we'll see how it goes!
The unfortunate part right now is waiting for the prep medium to dry. I'm doing two layers per surface per piece, and the last coat needs to cure for 24 hours. The pouch and case have a lot of surface area to cover, too; I have to wait for one side to dry before I can flip and continue. It's going to take a few days of prep before I can paint, especially for the multi-hook pouch. There are a lot of nooks and crannies on it, but if I don't prep well now, it won't turn out as good as it could later.
Current Progress
The single crochet hook case is done with prep and is now curing. The multi-hook pouch has one coast of prep on the backside and flap and nowhere else. I'll be working on that tonight in between my Valentine Sweater crocheting.
I wish I had exciting photos of the cases so far, but the only difference is how shiny they look with the prep medium on them. Next week will be more colorful!
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Have you ever repainted something to better match your personality? Let me know in the comments!
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