
Hello craftswomen & craftsman. You can order leather from www.TandyLeather.com. Which is where I recommend buying all your tools from. They are also the most economical. If you want the ultra premium best-money-can-buy vegetable tanned leather: go to www.Wickett-Craig.com. But to be honest you need to be an expert to really understand the quality difference. Get some small pieces from Tandy. Best for practice/learning.
Hello! I’ve designed this project specifically for those that might not have all the tools and supplies yet but want create something right now. This is a great project because it only requires a scrap piece of leather! The two other items needed are very common and can be purchased at any dollar store or hardware store.
The item we’re going to make is..........an eyeglass case! / sunglasses case. Most people have eyeglasses and/or sunglasses and also have a desire to protect them so a simple handmade case is a great idea.
The whole point is to just START then FINISH a project! It does not have to be perfect. But it has to be finished. Nothing is more motivational than actually finishing a project and learning a new skill. It ALWAYS leads to new creative ideas and better execution. So I designed this project to be simple and have utility.
Let’s do it! Attached is the template.
STEP 1: print the template to instructed dimensions and trace then cut your leather panel.
STEP 2: Decorate the leather panel in any way you want: this can include painting, stitching, burning, cutting, glueing, riveting, lacing, etc. Anything we covered in the class.
STEP 3: Punch the lacing holes along the two edges AFTER folding and glueing the three edges as instructed on the template.
STEP 4: If you already have some lace you can use that. You can use any thick twine or string or even a shoelace! (Or a bootlace. Once you cut the ends off, it won’t look like a shoelace anymore. Get these at the Dollar Store! Great tip.). Any material that fits the aesthetic of your project in color and texture. You can also cut lace simply using scissors and cut a 1/8” to 1/4” wide lace from your scrap leather.
STEP 5: Create a leather journal / log to consistently write notes in for all your projects. Every time you create something you will be flooded with new ideas. It’s also important to record everything that worked well and did not work well. This is progress
Hello leather creatives! Welcome. Congratulations on wanting to explore, or further develop, the amazing skills of leather craftsmanship. I’ve been a professional leather craftsman for over 12 years and have traveled the world creating truly eccentric custom pieces for celebrities and private clients around the world. It’s an incredibly creative, meditative and rewarding hobby or leather business.