A classic leather Harley Davison bag is the ideal companion for school, work, or a night out on the town. If your Harley Davidson purse, on the other hand, is feeling a little too simple, adding some decorations can really help you stand out. To make an old leather purse feel like new again, try one (or more!) of these DIY solutions.
1. A couple of metal chains will add some glitz to the front of your Harley Davidson purse
Attach a few gold or silver metal chains to the buckles of your Harley-Davidson leather handbag. If your bag lacks buckles, link the chain to the hardware of the straps instead.
This is a fantastic method to repurpose outdated or unused necklaces.
Unhook your bag's removable straps and thread the chain around them for a creative way to dress up your handles.
2. Replace the strap on your purse with a feminine grosgrain ribbon
Unclip or tuck the existing strap inside the bag, then knot the ribbon to whatever bag hardware is attached. A single knot will look much nicer than a double knot, but you may wish to secure it with a few stitches with a needle and matching thread.
Trim the leftover ribbon and paint a small strip of super glue along the edge to avoid fraying. Because it's possible to overdo it, it's preferable not to apply the glue directly to the ribbon. Paint it on with a little brush or smear a dab of glue over some scrap cardboard and delicately glide the clipped edge of the ribbon across it.
Finally, adorn one side of the bag with some cute small bag charms. Just for the sake of it.
3. For a vintage vibe, add patches to your Harley Davison bag
Apply a thin layer of leather and suede glue to the back of the patch. Before you use your Harley Davidson bag again, press the leather into it and let the glue set for around 30 minutes. For a subtle effect, add one or two patches, or go all out with a bag covered in them.
Most craft stores sell leather and suede glue. Patch adhesive is tough to remove, so only use it if you intend to keep the patches on your bag long.
4. Wrap a printed scarf around the handles of the purse
Secure the corner of your scarf to the base of the handle with a knot, then begin wrapping. Make a mental note of the scarf's center so you know how much you'll need by the time you get to the handle's center.
Wrap the scarf tightly and evenly around the Harley Davidson bag to improve its appearance. If you measure it right, you should have just enough to tie a second knot at the other end. You may either tuck the loose ends away or leave them out as part of the pattern.
5. Give the straps on Harley Davison's purse
Removable straps make this easier, but you can alternatively cut the straps off your bag and put them back together once the chain is attached. Before you cut the chain, make sure it's big enough to thread the strap through.
Acrylic chains are simple to adjust, but metal chains look to be more expensive; thus, if you pick metal, make sure you have pliers and a technique to cut the chain. Regardless of the option you use, remember to thread the chain before cutting it. This manner, you won't end up with inadequate chain to wrap around the entire strap.
6. Decorate your Harley Davison luggage with a bandana
It doesn't get any easier than this. Tie it in whatever way that appeals to you. Bandanas are popular right now, but silk scarves are also suitable.
7. Trompe l'oeil, or the French art of imitating reality by sketching artificial objects on actual ones
Make no attempt to perfect it. The scrawled irregularity of the lines adds to the attraction. Draw pockets, embroidery, chains, ribbons, medallions, or a completely new bag. If you're anxious about making a mistake, design your pattern in pencil on tissue paper, then transfer it to the bag and trace it with your paint pen.
The ink will leak through the paper, leaving you with a blurry connect-the-dots facsimile of your original sketch. Wait for the ink to completely dry before tracing over the entire image with your paint pen to avoid smudging.
8. Draw your own design on your bag
Acrylic craft paint works well on a variety of materials, including leather, cotton, and synthetics. Painter's tape can be used to block out any geometric patterns or forms you wish to make, as well as to protect your hardware and other portions of the bag that you don't want to get painted. Painter's tape is fantastic since it is gentle on surfaces, but you may not obtain a perfectly sharp line, especially if your Harley Davidson purse has a texture, so make careful to apply it in small coats to avoid the paint leaking under the tape's edge.
Pull up the tape once your Harley Davidson purse is dry to see what you've acquired. If the colors have spilled a bit, it's not the end of the world. That's exactly what occurred with this bag, and I just went with it, adding the wispy blue stripes and freehanding the light yellow lines, and I think it ended out much better.
However, there is one word of caution. Avoid painting the entire bag. Instead, only paint a single panel on the front of the bag. Believe in me. If you merely use the paint as an accent, your bag will seem much more costly and sophisticated. Also, avoid painting the bag's flap or straps since they move too much and will cause the paint to chip.
9. Make a Harley Davison bag for urban glamping
This has all the makings of a summer music festival! Cover your bag with modern camping patches or, better yet, dig out your old Girl Scout uniform and get some merit badges. Replace standard zipper pulls with colorful friendship bracelets and add utilitarian charms like a compass, whistle, or even an adorable bottle opener.
10. Add a traditional guitar strap to Harley Davison's luggage for a rock 'n' roll look
Sew the strap on, or use carabiners, key rings, or anything else you want to experiment with to make it less permanent. Guitar straps look great on larger purses like this one, but they also look great on tiny crossbody bags.
11. Your Harley Davidson purse has rhinestones on it
Bedazzle the entire bag to make it stand out even more. Using a bottle of gem glue, apply a thin coating of gem glue where you want your jewels to go. Cover the entire purse with craft shop imitation rhinestones and diamonds for a charming, feminine appearance.
Allow at least an hour for the glue to dry before using your bag to avoid losing gemstones.
If you don't like the color or design of your bag, this is a fun method to hide it.
Make a monogram with your initials instead of covering your full bag if you don't want to cover it all.
12. Swap out your bag drawstrings for something brighter and more exciting
You might have to cut the original drawstrings to free your Harley Davidson bag, but those are the breaks! Once you've gotten those out of the way, measure them to figure out how much cable (or ribbon, chain, or whatever you need) you'll need, and buy a little extra just in case - you can always take away the excess, but you can't add on.
Reusing the bag's original drawstring toggles adds a sophisticated aesthetic to the finished product, but make sure your new cord isn't too thick to fit through or too thin to hold the toggles in place.
After threading your cable through the toggles, trim it to the appropriate length, then add a little amount of superglue to the end and attach a cord end. Don't sever the cable at the end. Yes, it's an extra step, and finding the right size might be difficult, but your bag will look 10 times better with them than without, and you'll never have to worry about frayed cords again.
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