Leather Reshaping & Wrinkles
How to Remove Creases from Leather: Flatten What You Can, Prevent the Rest
Fill out the shape, hang or weight it, warm it with steam, then press through paper. Which leather creases flatten for good and which always come back.
You can remove a crease from leather by supporting the item in its proper shape, warming and slightly moistening the crease, then pressing or smoothing it flat and letting it cool in place. Folding creases from storage usually flatten well. Flex creases on shoes and elbows only soften, because the grain has broken along that line and the leather folds there again.
This tutorial is part of our guide to shaping leather and removing wrinkles. For general wrinkles across a panel, use how to get wrinkles out of leather.
Which kind of crease do you have?
Why do flex creases stay? Smooth grain leather has a dense top layer that can't stretch when bent, so it folds. Repeated folding breaks the fiber structure at those spots.
| Crease | Where you see it | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Storage or folding crease | Jacket or bag that sat folded in a box | Usually eases with hanging, steam and pressure |
| Flex crease | Shoe toes, jacket elbows | Can look smoother for a while, then returns along the same line |
| Seat crease | Sofa and car seats | Soft folds on seats are normal wear, not a defect; one repairer says seat creases keep coming back |
| Dent | A pressed-in hollow, not a fold | See how to remove dents from leather |
Tools and materials
- Shoe trees, or crumpled paper and stiff card for packing
- Acid-free tissue for bags
- A clip or padded hanger
- Heavy flat books
- A cotton towel or heavy brown paper, and an iron
How to remove creases from leather, step by step
Step 1: Test a hidden spot
Every heat and moisture step can change color or shine. Try it first on an inside seam or under a flap. Stop at any color change, shine or change in texture.
Step 2: Fill out the shape
Packing holds the leather taut around the crease and helps straighten it. Put shoe trees in shoes, or pack them tightly with crumpled paper or stiff card. Fill bags with tissue or rolled paper without straining the seams.
Step 3: Hang it or press it under weight
Hang garments and bags on a clip hanger for about a week, away from direct sun. For a flat panel, lay it flat with heavy books over the crease for a day or two. Many storage creases end here.
Step 4: Add warmth with shower steam
Hang the item near a running shower, out of the spray, for 15-20 minutes. When the leather feels warm and pliable, pull the crease apart gently with your hands. One bag maker then smooths it with the back of a spoon warmed in hot water. Blot any condensation without rubbing.
Step 5: Press the crease with an iron, through a barrier
If the crease is still there, press it through a barrier with the iron on a low setting, never touching the leather directly. Sources disagree on the barrier:
- Dry: Leather Collection says heavy brown paper and a cool to medium iron. Von Baer says a dry cotton cloth or brown paper, with the reservoir emptied.
- Damp: Andar uses a damp (not wet) sheet. For shoes, Samuel Hubbard lays a damp towel over the packed crease and presses for a few seconds.
Either way, press for seconds, lift, and keep the iron moving. More detail is in can you iron leather?
Step 6: Let it cool in shape
Leave the shoe trees, stuffing or weights in place until the leather is cool and dry. Hang or store it straight away so it doesn't fold again.
Step 7: Stop the crease from coming back
Creases return if the same folding or overpacking continues. Pad sharp folds in storage to prevent cracking, and keep shoe trees in shoes between wears.
Methods the sources argue about
- Alcohol sprays. Steel Horse Leather and Andar mist finished leather with water and rubbing alcohol. Birchbury and Vintage Leather Sydney say alcohol strips the finish or dye. We leave it out of the steps.
- Steamers. Andar says not to use a steamer on leather goods; Von Baer allows one at about 4 in (10 cm) in short bursts. See can you steam leather?
- Suede. Andar dry-irons suede through a cloth; Decrum says never iron suede or nubuck. See how to remove wrinkles from suede.
When to stop
If the crease has cracked through the surface, flattening won't close it. Leather restorers handle cracking and splitting. For a professional, see leathershopnearme.com.
FAQ
Is it possible to uncrease leather shoes?
Only partly. Heat and water can smooth shoe creases for a while, but they come back where the leather is weakened. Von Baer says wrinkles can't really be removed from leather shoes, though a professional may smooth some. Shoe trees help keep creases shallower.
How do you flatten leather?
Lay it flat under heavy books for a day or two. If that fails, warm it with shower steam and press again (steps 4-6).
Will a hair dryer get creases out of shoes?
Sources disagree. Andar allows a hair dryer on low about 10 in (25 cm) away, kept moving, as an emergency fix only. Birchbury says high direct heat from a hair dryer stiffens and shrinks leather.
Can you iron cowhide?
Cowhide is genuine leather, so the same rules apply: through heavy brown paper on a cool to medium iron, because overheating makes leather shine.
Leather Collection's care page also says to store coats and jackets on wide padded hangers to keep their shape.
hosob Editorial Team
hosob articles are researched from published sources, cited in the text, and reviewed before publication.