How to Stretch a Leather Bag

Co-authored by Mallika Sharma and Eric McClure

Last Updated: April 27, 2021 References

A professional leather repair shop should have no problem stretching your bag out. This is the safest way to make a leather bag bigger, but you can certainly save some money stretching it at home! Realistically, the solutions here may expand the leather ¹⁄₈–1 in (0.32–2.54 cm), but you aren’t going to double the size of the bag or anything like that. Keep in mind, since the process for stretching leather does not stretch out other fabrics the same way, these solutions will not make the inside of your bag bigger if there’s a tight fabric lining inside.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Filling the Bag to Stretch it Out

1
Find a pillow that is slightly larger than the inside of your bag. Look around your home for a throw pillow, couch pillow, or some small cushion that is roughly 1–4 inches (2.5–10.2 cm) bigger than your bag on each side. If your bag is really big, you may be able to use a standard pillow for this. If you have multiple pillows that will work, use the stiffest pillow available.^{[1]
X
Research source}
- You can line the bag with a shirt or towel and add the pillow after to make the interior of the bag a little smaller if you don’t have a perfect pillow for this.
- You can fill your bag with tissue paper or air bags if you don't have a pillow on hand.^{[3]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Mallika Sharma
  Certified Leather Care Technician
  Expert Interview. 26 April 2021.}
Tip: You can use newspaper instead if you can’t find a pillow that fits correctly. The pillow is ideal for this though since it will apply pressure evenly on each side of the bag.^{[2]
X
Research source}
2
Empty your bag to avoid odd indentations or uneven stretching. Open the bag and take everything out. Look inside each smaller compartment and run your hand along the interior lining of the bag to make sure you got everything. If you stretch the bag with something inside of it, it may cause the leather to stretch in a weird way or leave a mark on the leather.^{[4]
X
Research source}

Advertisement
3
Stuff the pillow inside the bag and zip it up if possible. Compress the pillow in your hands and push it inside of your bag. Tuck the corners of the pillow into the corners of the bag and line it up so that the pillow is sitting evenly inside of the bag. If you have a zipper, push the pillow down a little and zip the bag if you can.^{[5]
X
Research source}
- If the pillow is pushing on the bag so hard that you can’t zip the bag, don’t try to zip it shut. You’re just going to break the bag if you close it when it’s stuffed too full. Zipping the bag isn’t mandatory for this to work anyway, so it’s not worth risking it.
4
Let the bag sit with the pillow inside for 1-3 days to stretch it out. Set the bag in your closet or some other place where it won’t get damaged or in your way. Let the pillow sit inside of the bag to stretch the leather out gently over time. The pillow will slowly force the leather to expand and your bag may get a little bigger.^{[6]
X
Research source}
- You may need to keep the pillow inside of the bag for much longer if you aren’t seeing any results. Realistically, you can leave the pillow inside for as long as you want. Let the bag rest for 2-3 months if you don’t need it right away and want to stretch it as wide as you can.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Using a Stretching Spray

1
Pick up a leather stretching spray designed for shoes. Go online or stop by your local shoe store and pick up a bottle of leather stretching spray. This spray is typically designed for shoes, but there’s no reason it won’t work on a leather bag.^{[7]
X
Research source}
- Expect to spend $5-15 on a leather stretching spray.
- You can use a leather conditioning spray instead if you simply want to soften the leather up. This may make your bag feel bigger without stretching the material too much.
2
Stuff the bag with a pillow or newspaper to expand the leather. You aren’t going to stretch the leather out very much if you don’t stuff the bag with something to keep the material spread out. Either tuck a pillow inside of the bag or ball up enough newspaper to fill the bag entirely. Zip the bag if you have a zipper.^{[8]
X
Research source}

Tip: When you use a stretching spray to stretch shoes out, you have to wear them around after applying the spray. This is basically the same concept. The pillow or newspaper pushes on the sides of the leather and opens the material up for the spray to soak through.
3
Shake the stretching spray and spritz the first side of your bag. Shake the stretching spray back and forth for 5-10 seconds to mix the ingredients up and activate the spray. Take the cap of the spray off and hold the nozzle 5–8 inches (13–20 cm) from the side of your bag. Spray your bag back and forth to cover the entire side of the bag.^{[9]
X
Research source}
- You can spray and buff each side of the bag separately, or coat the bag entirely in the spray and wipe it down all at once. Do whatever is easier for you.
4
Work the spray into the leather by rubbing it with a microfiber cloth. Grab a dry, clean microfiber cloth and gently work the leather stretching spray into the surface of the leather. Use firm circular motions and back-and-forth strokes to work the spray into the leather. Continue wiping until there is no leather stretching spray visibly sitting on the surface of the bag.^{[10]
X
Research source}
5
Repeat this process on the other sides of the bag and let the leather air dry. Continue spritzing and buffing the surface of the bag until you’ve worked the spray into every portion of the bag. Let the leather air dry and keep the newspaper or pillow inside the bag for 1-3 hours. Remove the pillow or newspaper after you’re done to finish stretching the bag.^{[11]
X
Research source}
- You may need to repeat this process multiple times to see any results.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Soaking the Straps in Alcohol and Water

1
Fill a small bin with a 1:1 solution of rubbing alcohol and water. Grab a small bucket or storage bin that is big enough to submerge your straps. Fill it up 1/3 of the way with rubbing alcohol. Then, fill another 1/3 of the container with regular tap water. Use a wooden spoon or mixing stick to mix the solution together.^{[12]
X
Research source}
- This will work, but it may wash out any dyes or ink on your bag. If your handles have any patterns or colors on them, this is likely not a good idea.
2
Soak the handles in the solution for 15-30 seconds. Empty your bag out entirely and flip it upside down. Lower the straps under the surface of the solution. Use your spoon or mixing stick to push the straps down if they won’t stay under the surface. Keep the straps submerged for 15-30 seconds to give the solution time to soak through.^{[13]
X
Research source}
3
Lift the bag out and hang it by the straps with a heavy object inside. Pull the bag up out of the solution and wait 5-10 seconds for the excess alcohol and water to drip off into the bucket. Then, hang the bag on a hook or tension rod over a sink, tub, or bucket. Set a 5–10 lb (2.3–4.5 kg) brick, weight, or other heavy object inside of the bag to weigh it down.^{[14]
X
Research source}

Tip: Use your best judgement when weighing your bag down. Don’t pick something so big that it will break the straps, but you do need to weigh it down to stretch the material out. Use the strength of your straps to guide how much weight you should put in the bag.
4
Let the bag hang and air dry for 8-12 hours to stretch it out. Wait for the heavy object to stretch the leather out after the alcohol has softened it up. Keep it on the hook or tension rod for half a day or so. After the bag is completely dry, take it down and enjoy your newly stretched out handles!^{[15]
X
Research source}

Warnings

It’s really not worth doing any of this with a vintage or designer bag. You will dramatically diminish the value of the bag and it may mess with any dyes or logos on the bag. You’re better off simply selling the bag if it’s too small for you and buying a new one!

⧼thumbs_response⧽
Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0