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Painting a Monogram on Leather (A Tutorial)

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No leather is safe in my house now that I have a full set of Angelus leather paints!

I’ve always loved the look of the custom Louis Vuitton monograms…a pricy luxury, right?

(photo source)

I found a $5 leather purse at the thrift store and made Boo her own Louis Vuitton-inspired purse….a “Boo-tton” (thanks for naming it Melissa!). I have a VERY shaky and unsteady hand so if I was able to paint this….anyone can!


Here’s how you can create your own:

Step 1: Make sure the purse is clean and free of oils:


Step 2: Print out a sample monogram using a text or word program. The font shown below is Academy Engraved LET. Draw lines to block off each letter:

Step 3: Using a light colored pencil mark where you want the monogram to be painted:


Measure and mark the other guide lines:


Step 4: Start painting! You will need small tiny detail brushes. For my smallest brush I cut off half of the bristles (see the photo of this brush in my painted headband tutorial).


Step 5: The key to painting very detailed letters is to start very skinny…it’s easier to widen the letters as you go. Add additional guide lines if you think you need them!

Step 6: Use adhesive contact paper or painters tape to block off any stripes or additional blocks you want to paint:


Paint just a very thin layer to use as your guide….paint will seep under the tape just a bit but you will be able to see your lines to work with and touch up the edges as you go. You can keep a clean damp paintbrush nearby to quickly clean up any mistakes.


Step 7: Slowly paint the lines with your smallest brush rotating around to different parts of the purse to allow other areas to dry. You will probably need several thin coats on each area:


It will take several tries and touch ups to get everything just right:


A finished monogram with stripes!


….and it looks detailed and professional!


Boo approved….not that she needs a hand painted purse at this age….but I think it’s something she’ll appreciate when she’s a little older!


It’s going to be in the mid 90’s here today! Boo is testing out our new Lil Blue Boo nautical shorts and a tunic we are offering soon for summer:

Make sure to check out these “painting on leather” tutorials too!

The Toddler Tie (Free Pattern Download)

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I finally managed to get my Toddler Tie pattern I made for Boo’s “Annie Hall” look during Project Run and Play into digital format! It’s available through my Facebook Downloads for a limited time! Just click the image below to download the 10 page PDF pattern and tutorial. There are options for an easy elastic option and a regular necktie option!

Hand Painted Leather Headband (A Tutorial)

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I ordered a bunch of Angelus leather paints from Dharma Trading recently and nothing made of leather in my house is safe now!

I found these little hair clips recently that my mother made for me when I was little…and loved the hand painted details she added.


I was inspired to try and hand paint something of my own for Boo.

Step 1: I took some scrap leather (you can find pieces at fabric stores and craft stores…or you can cut up an old purse/shoes/jacket etc to salvage pieces)……


……and cut the leather into several strips:


I also cut out 2 leather flowers….the largest one is about 1.25″ at its widest point:

Step 2: I took a small paint brush and cut off most of the bristles so it would paint small details easily:


Step 4: I painted some small “swoops” to resemble vines:


Step 5: I added small details like little leaves and little dots for small flowers….


…until I felt it was finished:

Step 6: I allowed the paint to dry thoroughly. To darken and soften the leather I used a technique that I used to break in all my horse bridles and saddles and to keep them clean and supple. I took some olive oil…..


…..and brushed the leather with a light coat.


Step 7: Once the oil had a chance to soak in, I put some Murphy’s Oil Soap onto a wet rag and wiped down the leather to remove any excess oil residue:


Step 8: I let the leather dry completely and then used a tiny hole punch to add holes at the end of the pieces:


Step 9: Using DMC thread, I stitched the pieces together end to end….


….in a simple “X” pattern:


Step 10: I stitched the flowers using the same type of thread:


Step 11: I stitched 1/4″ elastic (I would have used black but all I had was white) to the bottom of each end of the headband. I wrapped thread around the stitches to cover them:



The finished headband!


Now to find something else to paint 🙂

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