Indiana Jones Bag "Distressing"

Here is my way of taking a brand-new army bag replica and making it look like it has been through a war.  I'm sure there are other ways of doing this, and I'd love to hear your method, too.

The supplies you will need are:

Scouring cleanser with bleach, like Comet
Liquid bleach
Paint brush, preferably at least 1" wide
Water
Something really scratchy, like a steel brush
Safety gear - goggles,  protective gloves,  protection for your skin,  and fresh air

WARNING: I assume no responsibility if you choose to follow these instructions and something bad happens to you.  Please read all of the labels on the products you use and follow any precautions they give you.  Please use proper protective wear like goggles,  chemical-resistant gloves,  and long sleeve garments.  Only carry out this procedure where you have proper ventilation, like outside.  Please behave responsibly.  Do not drink and drive.  Do not pass GO,  do not collect $200.

Click on any of the pictures below to see a closer view.

 

Start with a new Army Bag replica like the one shown here.

Soak it in cold water like shown here.  I happened to have a bucket of dirty water left over from soaking some leather.  It had taken on some brown color from the leather, so I figured "all the better!"  Leave it in there for at least 15 minutes to let the cotton fibers really loosen up and to remove the stiffener from the fabric. For kicks you could throw in some Cascade dishwasher  detergent to break down the fibers. leave it in as long as you want.

Take the bag out of the water and rinse out the Cascade. crumple it up into a tight ball.  Throw it on the floor and stomp on it real good.  Show no mercy.  If you accidentally bend the metal parts, you can always straighten them again.

Unfold it and you will have a wet, crinkled bag like this one.

Mix a few tablespoons of scouring powder containing bleach with a little liquid bleach.  Just add enough liquid bleach to make a thick paste.

Use a paint brush to brush this mix onto your wet army bag.  Brush it onto the raised areas to highlight them, Especially the edges and corners.  Let this mix work for at least 30 minutes.

Take your scratchy tool and scrub the daylights out of the bag.  I had a brass bristle brush, and a steel tool for scratching leather, but a steel brush would have been better.  Scrub everywhere to loosen the cotton fibers.

Use your scratchy tool to abrade the edges of the bag until they start to fray.  Now you know you're getting somewhere.

Here's another edge showing good abrasion.  Show no mercy.  Put holes in it.  Do you want it to look convincing or not?  Don't be timid.  Trash it!  (Just take care not to wear through the thread on the stitching)

When you're through scuffing the bag,  brush some more bleach mix on the highlights.  Let it sit another 15-20 minutes.

 rinse the bag well.

My next step is to bury the bag.  Here in California, we have really fine, dusty, tan dirt.  So to dry the bag out, I filled the bag with dirt and buried it. I think putting it in dirt when it's wet really helps the cotton fibers to soak it in. I left it in the dirt for three or four days.  There's no rush on this step.  Leave it in the ground as long as you want.

Of course, you can let yours air dry,  but I'd still recommend a good application of dirt after it's dry.  I'd warn against drying it with heat, even from the sun. It will most likely shrink the bag.

Dig up the bag and empty out the dirt.  Beat it on the sidewalk,  the trees -- anywhere -- until all the dirt is out. 

Here is the final result.  A new replica Army Bag on the left - the distressed Army Bag on the right.  Click on the picture to see a closer view of the detail and texture of the distressed bag.

As a finishing touch, you could take some brown shoe polish and brush it on the bag here and there - the bottom, the edge of the flap. Go lightly just to add some stains.

 Now you'll have to fill it up with stuff - let's see... a whisk broom, a notebook, a pencil, a Browning Hi-Power...