Intermediate Leatherworking Class: Create a Custom Leather Bag

instructables classes
INTERMEDIATE LEATHERWORKING CLASS

9 Lessons Beginner Level
Take your leatherworking skills further in this follow-up to my Beginning Leatherworking Class. In
this second class, we'll continue working with chrome tanned leather, and build on the basic
techniques we've already mastered to create a simple leather bag. Learn how to create patterns
for basic leather accessories and then practice punching, gluing, sewing attaching buckles,
clasps, and more as you complete your own custom leather design!
Humans have been using leather for thousands of years to create all kinds of practical and
decorative objects. The process of creating leather is a fascinating synthesis between nature and
technology, and leather itself is an incredibly versatile material. Working with leather is often
considered a specialized skill, but it doesn't have to be! Leatherwork may seem intimidating, but
as you will see, it is actually surprisingly easy if you have the right tools.
Enter an Instructables Contest!
If you've used the skills you've learned in this class to write a great instructable, try entering it in
one of our Contests like the Leather Contest for a chance to win some amazing prizes!
Class Author:
MikaelaHolmes
Mikaela is a costume and experimental fashion designer and artist, who has done her best to make playing dress-up into a
career. She has trained in both the costume and fashion design industries, and works with all kinds of materials and techniques
including leather, fabric, LEDs, fiber optics, sewing, painting, sculpture, laser cutting and 3D printing. She spends most of her
time figuring out how to fuse traditional design and leatherwork with simple wearable tech to create clothing and accessories that
turn her into a time traveling cyborg superhero!
She is a former Artist in Residence at the Autodesk Pier 9 workshop, and currently an in-house content creator for the
Instructables Design Studio.
Intermediate Leatherworking Class: Page 1

Lessons
Lesson 1: Tools and Supplies for Intermediate Leatherwork

This lesson is where you'll find links to all the tools and materials you
need for this class, as well as brief discussions of what each tool is
used for, and info about choosing leather for your project. Everything
you need to get started!
Lesson 2: Making Leather Patterns

Learn how to design simple accessories and create accurate paper
patterns for leather designs.
Lesson 3: Custom Leather Bag

Use the pattern you've created (or one I've provided) to cut out and
start constructing your own custom leather bag.
Lesson 4: Creating Sewing Holes in Leather

Learn how to use stitching chisels, awls and overstitch wheels to
create even, accurate holes for hand sewing leather.
Lesson 5: Leather Adhesives

Discover how helpful glue and double stick tape can be in the process
of leather construction.
Lesson 6: Sewing Leather

Assemble the pieces of your bag using two versions of the classic
saddle stitch.

Lesson 7: Leather Hardware: Rings
Learn how to add useful and attractive details to your designs with the
simplest leather hardware: rings.
Lesson 8: Leather Hardware: Buckles and Clasps

Explore different kinds of buckles and learn how to attach them to
leather straps to create closures.
Lesson 9: Creating Leather Straps and Handles

Finish your bag design by creating and attaching one of several strap
variations.

LESSON 1: TOOLS AND SUPPLIES FOR INTERMEDIATE LEATHERWORK
Here are all the tools you'll need for the specific kind of leatherwork we will be doing in this
class. You will be continuing to use most of the tools you used in Beginning Leatherwork,
but you will need some additional supplies as well. You can buy your tools individually, or
you can also choose to buy a leatherworking tool kit. I'll talk more about each tool and
material specifically in a minute.
Essential Tools for this Class:
X-acto knife or Industrial knife

Shears or strong sharp scissors
Adjustable V-gouge
Overstitch wheel
Stitching chisels
Manual punches, or rotary punch
Awl
Super skiver, safety skiver or Japanese skiver
Mallet (wooden, plastic or rawhide)
Quartz slab and poundo board or heavy wooden cutting board
Cutting mat (or other appropriate large cutting surface you don't mind damaging)
Leather needles
Thick thread (preferably waxed)
Double sided tape
Line 20 snap setter
Rivet setter
Hammer

Wire cutters
Clear 18" x 2" ruler
Metal ruler
Cloth tape measure
Pencils
Semi translucent paper (I like to use marker paper for drawing small-ish patterns, and pattern
paper for larger ones)
Thin cardboard scraps
Sponges or rags
Scotch tape
A printer or access to a place to print pattern files
Clamps or binder clips
Materials
Flexible 3-5 oz leather
Stiff 6-8 oz leather
3/4" center bar buckles
3/4" D rings
Line 20 snaps
Small and medium rapid rivets
1" center bar buckles
1" D rings
1 1/4" buckle
O-rings

Know Your Tools
There are many online resources for buying leather and leather tools, and depending on
where you live, you may even have a local leather supplier. There are a surprising 108
Tandy Leather stores located across North America, and quite a few local independent
stores as well. Leatherworking requires some initial investment in tools, there's just no
getting around it. Here's some information about each of the basic tools we'll be using. To
see some of the more specialized tools, check out the Leatherworking Encyclopedia at the
end of this class.
X-Acto Knife - a cheap and easy to use leather cutting tool, great for details but not as
good for cutting very thick leather. Make sure you have a lot of extra blades.
Leather Shears - I prefer these semi-serrated Olfa shears for cutting leather. They always
stay sharp and are great for cutting out small patterns in thin to medium leather.

Cutting Wheel - a good way to cut long straight lines in leather when used with a metal
ruler and a cutting board, not an essential tool, but great for cutting straps.
Cutting Mat - a self healing cutting mat or another smooth, damageable, surface with
some give is essential for cutting leather.

Stitch Groover - marks sewing lines by creating grooves a consistent distance from
leather edges. Not an essential tool but a very useful one, especially when you are sewing
stiffer leather like what we are using for the wallet.

Adjustable V-Gouge - carves variable depth grooves for creating clean folds in leather. A
very important tool, make sure you get one of these.

Skiver - thins leather in select areas by shaving off layers with a razor blade. Useful for
removing bulk when you are layering thick pieces together.

Mallets - for stamping, setting snaps, and using manual punches, you always want to use
a mallet, not a hammer. Leather mallets come in rawhide, wood or poly, and come in
different weights. A medium weight mallet is a good all around choice
Hammer - sometimes you do need a metal hammer for leatherwork though, folding, setting
rivets etc, it's a good idea to have one around.

Mini Anvil - as useful as it is adorable, a mini anvil gives you a stable hard surface when
you need one, helping you punch holes and set snaps and rivets in awkward places.
Quartz - a smooth solid base for stamping and punching. If you don't want to spend the
money to get one of these a salvaged paving stone, slab of hardwood or steel will work
too.
Poundoboard - a plastic slab like a cutting board that goes over your quartz slab so your
tools aren't deformed or dulled during punching and stamping

Rotary Punch - easily punches different sized holes in leather without having to use a
hammer and a punching surface, but can't punch more than a few inches in from an edge.
Manual Punches - individual punches that create holes when hit with a mallet on a
punching surface. Not as convenient to use as a rotary punch, but they can make holes in
hard to reach places and come in more sizes. Sets with interchangeable heads are the
most economical.

Awls - poking and scratching tools for creating small holes and marking leather. I mostly
use them to punch sewing holes, or trace the outlines of patterns onto leather.
Diamond Stitching Chisels - pronged punches designed to create evenly spaced sewing
holes. Available with different prong spacing and prong numbers. Sets with
interchangeable heads are the most economical if you want spacing options.

Leather Needles - there are a few kinds of leather needles for different applications, we
will mostly be using blunt needles in this class.
Waxed Thread - thread for hand sewing leather is usually fairly thick and often waxed to
help it from unraveling. You'll need some to sew the bag project in this class.
Overstitch Wheel - used as a marking tool to lay out stitch distance and to mark pattern
edges through paper. It can also be run over stitches to help tighten them. The one I have
comes with interchangeable heads that have different spacing. Not an essential tool, but
very useful.
Stitching Pony - holds your leather project stable while you saddle stitch. A great tool if
you want to try mastering the two needle saddle stitch. You can also make your own by
following this Instructable.
Leather Contact Cement - leather glue that works when applied to both surfaces.

Double Sided Tape - narrow tape with a strong adhesive on both sides that is used to
adhere leather together. Comes in permanent and re-positionable varieties
Disposable Brushes - used to apply glue to leather.

Rivets - simple two part metal fasteners used to join layers of leather together. Available in
different sizes and finished. Some varieties can simply be set with a hammer, others
require specialized setting tools.
Rivet Setter - tool use to set certain types of rivets, usually two metal parts used with a
mallet.

Snaps - Simple metal closures that are set into leather much like rivets. Snaps consist of 4
parts: the cap and the socket, and the post and the stud, and each pair it attached using a
specialized setting tool.
Snap Setter - tool used to set the halves of a snap together, usually two metal parts used
with a mallet.

Buckles - a type of metal or plastic hardware used to create adjustable connections on
leather straps.
Rings - metal loops of various shapes and sizes used as connection points in leather
projects.

Materials for Each Project

You'll need slightly different materials for the different project options in this class. Here's
are exactly how much of everything you'll need to complete each design.
Small Bag:
Hardware for one bag: one 3/4" center bar buckle, two 3/4" D rings, one line 20 snap and
some small and medium rapid rivets in the finish of your choice
Leather for the body: a piece of 3-5 oz leather at least 24" x 24" per bag. Your best bet is
probably flexible upholstery or chap leather leather. Any of these would be good choices:
Distressed brown upholstery chap, Brown heavy side, Black moto chap, Distressed pigskin
Leather for the straps: a piece of a slightly stiffer and thicker 5-8 oz leather at least 12" x
6" (this could be the same leather you used for the wallet, or even an old belt). These
would be good options: Austin Double Shoulder, Latigo Side, Meza Double Shoulder,
Warrior Double Shoulder

Larger Bag Option:
Hardware: one 1" buckle, two 1" D rings, and some small and medium rapid rivets in the
finish of your choice
Body: a piece of the same flexible 3-5 oz leather at least 36" x 24"
Straps: a piece of the same stiffer 5-8 oz leather at least 38" x 6"
Shaped Hip-Belt Variation:
Hardware: one 1 1/4" buckle, two line 20 snaps, and some small and medium rapid rivets
in the finish of your choice
Leather: more of the same leather from your small bag, at least 30" x 24"
Shoulder Harness Strap Variation:

leather: more of the strap leather from your small bag, at least 12" x 24"
hardware: one 1 1/2" - 3" O-ring, 4 line 20 snaps, and some small and medium rapid rivets
in the finish of your choice
To get more specific, I got my leather at S.H. Frank in San Francisco. The reddish-brown
leather I used for the bag is a soft 4 oz top-grain upholstery cowhide with a pull-up finish
and a light pebble grain, the black leather for the fringed bag is a 3 oz chap with a pebble
grain, and the black leather for the straps is a stiffer, 5 oz full grain cowhide.

...If you don't recognize all the leather terminology I'm using here, go look in the
Leatherworking Encyclopedia :)

Let's Get to Work!
Now that you've seen all the supplies and tools you'll need to complete the projects in this
class, let's get started learning how to design patterns for simple leather accessories!

LESSON 2: MAKING LEATHER PATTERNS
Now that you've seen how to use a pattern to create a wallet, I'm going to show you the
basics of making your own patterns for simple leather designs.
Patternmaking can get very technical when you're making patterns for complex shapes,
but it can also be very simple, and knowing a little about it will really help your creative
process. Also, once you have a pattern for design, it makes it that much easier to re-create
that project or make another version!
I use a combination of techniques to create patterns depending on the design. Sometimes I
play around with cutting and folding paper first to create a general shape, sometimes I go
straight to drawing a flat pattern either with pencil and paper, or with a vector design
program. Most often I use some combination of these techniques.
At this point I digitize most of my smaller leather patterns because it makes it easier to
organize them and alter them without wasting a lot of paper. I also do a lot of leather
lasercutting, so having a pattern stored in the form of a vector file is very useful. I use
Adobe Illustrator to create my vector patterns, but you could use any computer drawing
program. (Autodesk Graphic is a good cheap option. With a one time price of only $30, it's
a lot cheaper than an Adobe Creative Cloud subscription.)
I'll talk a little about basic patternmaking concepts, then I'll show you how I made the
pattern for the small bag we'll be making for the rest of the class. There is a lot of
information in this lesson, so if you find it overwhelming, don't worry, you don't need to
absorb everything I'm covering here in order to move forward in this class. You can
absolutely just work with one of the two pattern variations I created (which are available for
download in the next lesson). Whenever you're ready to make your own patterns, this
information will be here for you.
In this lesson I'll be using:

Pattern paper or big sheets of semi translucent paper (marker paper works too)
Pencil and eraser
Colored pencils
Clear ruler
Cloth tape measure
Paper scissors
Overstitch wheel
French curve
Scotch tape
Adobe Illustrator or another vector design program like Autodesk Graphic
Printer or access to somewhere you can print files

Anatomy of a Pattern
A pattern is a two dimensional template that has all the information you need to cut specific
shapes out of a flat material that can be assembled to form a design. A leather pattern
usually includes the following information:
Cut Lines: the lines on a pattern that indicate where you need to cut your leather, these
are usually the outside borders of the pattern, but may include internal cut-outs as well.
In my patterns, cutting lines will always be indicated by solid black lines.
Sewing Lines: internal lines on a pattern that indicate where two or more pieces are
going to be joined by a line of stitching. On my digitized patterns, these lines are always
indicated by dotted lines or lines of tiny circles.
Fold Lines: internal lines on a pattern that indicate where your leather will be folded and
creased as you assemble your design. On my digitized patterns, fold lines are shown in
red.
Seam Allowance: in order to sew, glue or rivet leather pieces together we need to leave
room between the sewing line or other attachment point and the edge of the leather. This
space is called a seam allowance. The width of seam allowances can vary based on
design and materials.
Holes: black circles on my patterns show thethe placement of holes that need to be
punched for rivets, snaps, buckles etc.
Pattern Label: Each pattern piece should be labeled with some information to identify it.
This information should tell you: which piece of the pattern this is, what material it should
be cut in (the main material of a design is called the "self," and a secondary material is
call the "contrast"), and how many copies of that piece should be cut. (If you need to cut
more than one copy of the exact same pattern piece for a design, you can usually just
create one pattern piece in paper, and then cut it out multiple times in leather.)

Ease and Leather Thickness
When you are creating a pattern to fit around an object, you almost never use the exact
dimensions of that object, instead you need to add a little extra wiggle room or ease to
your pattern dimensions.
The amount of ease you need to add often depends on the leather you are using. For thin
leather you only need to add a small amount of ease, for thick leather you need more. For
flexible leather that has a little stretch to it, you can add less ease, for stiffer leather you will
need more ease.
For example, say you want to design a flat two piece pocket that will hold a single credit
card, how big does your pocket pattern need to be? The credit card is 3 3/8" x 2 1/8". If you
were to make the inside of the pocket exactly the dimensions of the card, it probably
wouldn't fit, or if you did manage to squeeze it in, you would have trouble getting it back
out.
To add the right amount of ease, measure the thickness of your leather and add that
amount of ease to each side of your pattern pieces, except on the side with the opening. If
your leather is less than 1/16" thick just use 1/16" as your ease measurement. Let's say
we're working with 1/8" thick leather, so the final pieces should measure 3 1/2" x 2 3/8"
along the sewing lines.
Ease on Folds: Now imagine you want to create the same pocket, but you want to do it
with one folded piece of leather not two separate pieces. If you take a piece of 1/8" thick
leather that is 6 3/4" long (double the length of your credit card) and fold it in half, will it
make a pocket deep enough to hold the card? No it won't.
Why? The inner depth of this folded pocket will be 1/8" less than the length of the card
because the thickness of the leather will take up that 1/8" at the fold. Therefore, if you want
the folded pocket to be as long as the card, you need to add 1/8" to the pocket on each
end for a total of 1/4" of ease on that pattern piece.
Patterning in 2 Dimensions
The basic goal in making most patterns is to figure out how to transform a flat material into
something that will fit around a three dimensional object. The more complex and three
dimensional the object, the more complicated your pattern will usually be. Here are some
important things to keep in mind as you travel from two to three dimensions.
Patterning for Thickness Using Ease: going back to our card pocket example, now say
you wanted to make a two piece pocket that would hold not just one card, but a stack of
cards 1/2" thick. How long and wide does a flat pocket need to be to accommodate this
thickness?

If you are working with 1/8" thick leather, first of all, you know you need to add 1/8" ease
on the sides and bottom of the card pocket.
To make room for the 1/2" thickness of the stack, you also need to add half that thickness
(1/4") to the sides and bottom of the pattern. Since you are going to be using two pieces to
create this pocket, the 1/4" you add to each side will add up to the whole 1/2" thickness
you need when the pocket is put together. You don't need to add that 1/4" to the top of the
pocket because it doesn't need to bend around the sides of the stack of cards.
So when you're creating a flat pocket for an object with some thickness, the general
formula is this:
Width of pattern without seam allowance =
width of object + thickness of object + (thickness of leather x2)
Length of pattern without seam allowance =
height of object + 1/2 thickness of object + thickness of leather

As I mentioned before, the type of leather you are using can affect these measurements
quite a bit. If your leather is really stiff you will have to add even more ease, if it's a little
stretchy, you can sometimes get away with less. Unless you are trying to make something
that is intentionally tight fitting, it's usually good to err on the side of more ease, rather than
less. Some of this can really only be figured out by trial and error, but as you do more
leather patterning, you will start to get a feel for it.
Patterning in 3 Dimensions
Adding extra room to a flat pocket like we just talked about is the most basic way to make
room for objects with some thickness, but it really only works for relatively thin objects. To
create designs with built-in three dimensional shape you need to start creating patterns
that are more than just two flat pieces of leather sewn together.
Gussets: One of the best ways to do this is to add a gusset to your design. Let's go back
to our imaginary 1/2" thick stack of cards and create a different kind of case for it.
We'll start by taking the basic width and height of the cards and adding the 1/8" ease for
leather thickness to the sides and bottom, this is the size of the front and back pattern for
your pocket before you add the seam allowance.
Instead of making the pocket bigger so it will fit around the 1/2" thick stack of cards, we are
going to add a side piece that accommodates thickness of the stack. This side piece is
called a gusset. The length of the gusset pattern will be the length of the sides and base of
the pocket combined (6 1/4") + 1/4" ease, and the width of the gusset pattern will be the
stack depth of 1/2" + 1/8" ease.

To construct this case, these three pieces would be sewn together like this:
This is a basic gusset design, of which there are many variations. There are a lot of other
ways to create three dimensionality in cases, but most of them are based on the same
basic concept: If you are creating a pattern for a three dimensional object you usually need
a seam where the angle of the object changes, the more seams you have, the more you
can shape your design. There are also ways to create shape and volume with folding and
pleating techniques. But for now we are going to focus on seams.

Designing a Simple Leather Bag
Now we are going to take all these concepts and use them to make a pattern for a simple
leather bag. As you may have noticed, the patternmaking techniques I've been discussing
center around the idea of making a case to hold an object. Not every leather project
involves encasing something, but many do, and learning how to make leather bags is a
good way to practice basic leatherworking techniques.
The first step in my design process is almost always sketching. Well, actually, first I look
for design inspiration by falling into a lot of Pinterest holes, but when I have a pretty good
idea what I want to make, I sketch. I usually start by making rough sketches of a few ideas,
then I choose one design and do a more detailed technical sketch, with some dimensions.

When you are designing an accessory, like the bag we're patterning, you need to think
about its features and dimensions from an aesthetic standpoint and a practical standpoint.
A good thing to do, is to define your constraints and work around them. For the little bag,
my constraints were: I wanted it to be big enough to hold my phone and a few other
essential objects, but also small enough to be comfortable as either a belt pocket or an
underarm pocket. I also wanted it to be constructed using sewing, and I wanted to keep the
aesthetic of it fairly unisex.
With all that in mind, I ended up designing a small rectangular bag with a one piece gusset,
a flap, a strap and buckle closure, a small accordion pocket with a snap, and two strap
loops to connect the whole thing to a single strap, belt or a shoulder harness.

When you are designing a bag like this, you aren't literally designing it to fit precisely
around a specific object as we were in the examples in the last two steps, but the same
concept still applies. So, to get an approximate size, I took a few measurements of objects
like my phone, and the distance between my waist and my underarm, and came up with a
set of dimensions based on these measurements. To start out with, all you really need is a
height, width and depth dimension for the bag when the flap is closed.

The Pattern Draft
The first step in turning your design into a pattern, is to create what I call a pattern draft. A
pattern draft is a full sized front, back and (sometimes side view) technical drawing of your
assembled final piece with all the correct measurements, it doesn't necessarily show all the
pattern pieces you need to create, but you will use it to determine the proportions and
design elements, then trace pattern pieces from it.
To create a draft, first draw a horizontal line near the bottom of your paper, then draw a
perpendicular line coming up from the center of this line. This will be the centerline of your
draft.
Now take your width and height measurements, and draw the basic outline of the bag from
a front view around this center line. I made my bag 5" wide by 6" tall. If you are working
with paper and pencil, use a ruler to draw your lines, if you are working in Illustrator, use
the rectangle or pencil tool.

Take a look at the proportions of this outline and decide if you like the size and shape, if
you don't, change it. Remember that the bag will end up slightly smaller than it appears
here because of the ease that is taken up by the leather thickness. I decided to make the
top of my bag slightly narrower than the bottom (I took 1/8" off each side) because I
thought this created a nice shape. I also rounded the bottom corners because I liked the
look and because curved edges will make it easier to sew in a one piece gusset.

Now add the details to the front of the bag. Draw in the flap as if it was closed add a
pocket, buckle and strap and side loops. Make sure there is enough room for your buckle
closure below your flap. Refer to your sketch, but alter your dimensions if you need to, so
they look good on your draft. Think about what you will want to put in the front pocket and
create its dimensions accordingly. I made mine 4" wide by 3 3/4" tall. If you want, you can
draw these details on one side only, then fold your paper along the centerline and trace the
details to the other side with an overstitch wheel. Below you can see what my front draft
looked like when drawn by hand.
And this is what my draft looked like in Illustrator. Working this way is nice because you
can easily test color combinations on your design.

Now draw a back view with the same details. I made my strap come down the back of the
bag about 2 3/4" inches and rivet in two places so it could be used as a belt loop.
Look at your final pattern drafts and decide of you like how everything is coming together,
then make any small alterations. Remember that changes you make on the front might
also need to be made on the back.

Making the Front Pattern Piece
Now you are going to take the draft you've created and use it to create separate pattern
pieces for each element of the bag.
If you are working in pencil and paper, you can trace off pattern pieces by placing paper
over the draft (this is why it helps to have semi-translucent pattern paper). If you are
working in a vector design program, just copy and paste different elements from the draft to
turn into individual pattern pieces.
To create the front pattern piece, trace the front outline of the bag onto another piece of
paper, also marking the shape of the pocket. Trace the sides and bottom with a colored
pencil. Use your ruler to help you trace straight accurate lines whenever you can.

Now you need to add a seam allowance. To do this use your clear ruler to draw a second
outline offset 1/8" out from the edge of the pattern on the sides and bottom. We don't need
to add seam allowance on the top because there isn't a seam there. Seam allowances can
differ in width depending on the project, but 1/8"-1/4" is a pretty good width for most leather
projects because we don't have to worry about leather fraying like fabric.
Now we need to mark the sewing line where the pocket is going to be sewn on. To do this,
mark a sewing line offset 1/8" in from the edge of the pocket. Mark sewing lines in a
different color, or with a dotted line to differentiate them from cutting lines.

Making the Gusset Pattern Piece
Now we are going to create a gusset to form the side of the bag. To create this piece, first
take your cloth measuring tape and measure all the way around the outside seam of the
bag on your draft, then add 1/4" ease to this measurement to account for the thickness of
the leather. This will be the length of your gusset.
You should have come up with an approximate depth dimension when you were doing
your detailed sketch, I decided I wanted my bag to be 1 5/8" deep, this measurement will
be the width of your gusset. Draw a rectangle using the length and width measurements,
then give it a seam allowance offset 1/8" out on both long sides, but not the ends.
Making the Back Pattern Piece
To make the back pattern piece, we are going to combine a few elements from the draft.
First, trace off the outline of the back of the bag, including the holes for the rivets on the
strap. Take your clear ruler and add 1/8" seam allowance to the sides and bottom of the
pattern piece.
The front flap piece is an extension of the back of the bag, so we need to add that to this
piece, but we also need to give the flap a little more length to account for the depth of the
bag. To do this, take the gusset width measurement, divide it in half and draw a line this far
above the top of the bag.

Why aren't we adding the entire width of the gusset here? If the leather we were using was
stiff and the bag was going to hold its shape we would need to add the entire width of the
gusset to the flap to make it long enough, but because the leather is soft, the bag will have
a tendency to fold flat at the top unless it is stuffed full. We don't want the flap to be too
long to buckle, or too short, so we will compromise by adding half the gusset width to the
flap. This is another good example of how you need to adjust your patterns based on the
kind of leather you are working with.
Now add the front flap to your back pattern piece by tracing it off your front draft. Take your
ruler and extend the side cutting lines from the back up to meet the sides of the flap,
blending the lines so they are straight. This may change the angle of the sides of the flap
slightly, that's ok.

Making the Pocket Pattern
To make the pattern for the pocket, first trace off the outline of the pocket from the draft (or
just draw a new square the same size).

We are going to add accordion pleats to the side of the pocket so it will be able to fit more
inside it. I decided to make the pleats 3/4" wide. There will be two creases on each side so
I added 1 1/2" to each side, drawing lines on the pattern to show where the folds will be.
Then I marked seam allowances 1/8" in from the edges along the sides and bottom.

Patterning the Straps
The last thing we need to do is make patterns for the straps. You can trace them off the
draft, or just draw new shapes since they are simple ones.
To make the strap long enough, you also need to add the same half of the gusset width
that you added to the flap between the back and front sections of the main strap. I made
my straps 3/4" wide, and 12" long. Be sure to include the rivet hole positions on the back of
the strap, and make 8 buckle holes 1/2" apart on the front of the strap. These holes and the
buckle closure will allow the position of the flap to adjust a little depending on how full the
bag is.

The strap that will hold the buckle at the base of the bag will be a loop that is riveted to the
body of the bag. Make this piece long enough to form a loop that reaches from the bottom
front seam of the bag to the point of the flap with a little extra and a pointed end on one
side (mine is 3 1/2" long). At the point where the loop folds over there will be an oval
shaped hole punched into the strap to attach the buckle.

The two looped straps at the top corners of the bag will be sewn in on one end and then
looped around and riveted to hold D rings. Double their length to create the loops, add a
rivet hole, and sewing lines 1/8" in from the edge.

Making Fringed Pattern Pieces
If you want to add fringe to a bag like I did with the larger version of mine, you have two
basic options of how to attach it, you can create a separate piece of fringe that you attach
like trim, or you can incorporate the fringe into one of your pattern pieces. On the fringed
version of my bag, I did both.

I think adding more than one layer of fringe tends to look nice because it gives the fringe
more dynamic texture and depth. I decided add fringe along the bottom back seam of my
bag, and to the bottom of the front pocket. To create the design of this bag I took the
pattern I had created for the small bag in Illustrator scaled it up, and created a pattern draft
with fringe details to see how long I wanted to make the two layers of fringe. Then I
extracted new pattern pieces for the fringed pocket and the fringed trim to add to the back
seam.
On the front pocket of bag, I simply extended the main section of the pocket down into a
pointed shape that will be cut into fringe (left).
It is usually easier to incorporate the fringe into a pattern piece like this if you can, but
sometimes it doesn't work. For example, on the back seam of my bag, if I had just
extended the back of the bag down to make fringe, the flesh side of the fringe would have
ended up facing forward, and that wasn't the look I wanted. Which is why,in this case I had
to create a separate piece of fringe that would be sewn into the back seam (right).
Make a Mock-Up
After I make a pattern, I usually cut it out and tape it together to see how it's going to look.
This is especially useful if you've designed your pattern entirely on the computer because it
can be a lot harder to get an accurate idea of scale in the digital world.

If you are taping together 3 Dimensional seams like the gusset on this pouch, you will have
to snip the seam allowance so it will curve around the corners.

Keep in mind that your leather will fit together slightly differently because of its thickness,
so not everything will work right in a paper mock up, but if you see any aesthetic or glaring
technical issues, go back and correct them on the pattern itself before you move forward.
What We Learned
If you've followed this lesson all the way through, you should now have a pretty good idea
how to go about making leather patterns for your own designs. Making a well designed
pattern can be a bit tedious, but it is one of those essential planning steps in a project that
you will never regret doing, because it will actually save you time and aggravation in the
end.
In the next lesson, we'll start constructing our custom bag, so make sure you have your
pattern ready. If you are making the fringed bag and you want a few more details about
how to create pattern pieces for fringe, check out the end of Lesson 12: Creating Leather
Fringe.
If you decided to take on a challenge and create a pattern for your own custom design,
we'd love to see what you've come up with! If you like, post a photo of your design sketch
or pattern in the discussion section of this lesson :)

LESSON 3: CUSTOM LEATHER BAG
Now that we've created a pattern for the bag we're making, let's cut all the pieces of that
pattern out in the leather you've chosen, and prep them for the next steps in assembly. In
the process, I'll teach you about skiving and using a hole punch to help create non-circular
cut-outs.
I've created two variations of the basic bag design to show you how easily you can adapt
one pattern to create multiple looks. Both patterns are included for download here so you
can choose which one to create or make your own variation using your new patternmaking
skills! Once you've chosen your design, print your pattern and cut it out, or use a pattern
you've drafted by hand.

Paper pattern
Leather for my bag design
Binder clips
Awl
X-acto knife
Strong sharp scissors
Cutting wheel
Metal ruler
Cutting mat
Rotary and manual hole punches
Overstitch wheel
Mallet
V-gouge
Super skiver

Design Options
One of my designs is made from the original pattern we drafted. It is a small bag in brown
leather with a contrast strap-and-buckle closure in black, and loops at the top to connect it
to the strap of your choice. I made two copies of this bag to show you how it can be turned
into a nice underarm holster bag by attaching it to a shoulder harness. I'll be mostly
showing you the steps involved in creating this bag as we move forward, but you can
create other variations with most of the same techniques.
The second style I've constructed is just a larger bag with the same proportions made in a
slightly thinner black leather with a thicker leather for the straps. In this permutation the bag
is designed specifically to be a purse. I've eliminated the strap and buckle closure on this
bag and instead added fringe to the pocket and along the bottom back seam. I've also
added a braided strap across the front of the bag which is sewn into the back side seams.
This strap is a nice detail that will help hold the flap of the bag closed. Last, I've changed
the orientation of the the strap attachments and riveted them to the gusset of the bag
instead of sewing them into the back side seams. This will make the bag be more balanced
to hang as a purse whereas the strap orientation on the small pouch makes it more suited
to hang as underarm holster or hip bag.
Below are the patterns for the small bag and fringed bag options. I have included two
versions of each pattern which are simply laid out differently. In the "Letter Size" versions
I've split some of the pattern pieces up so they will fit on 8.5"x11" paper, and I've indicated
where to tape them back together. When you print out your patterns, make sure you keep
them scaled at 100%. For reference, I've also included files with larger layouts that show
the whole pattern pieces.

http://staging.instructables.com/ORIG/F8X/XAGR/IN944PB9/F8XXAGRIN944PB9.pdf
… Download
Download
http://staging.instructables.com/ORIG/FX8/OPF9/IN944PBA/FX8OPF9IN944PBA.pdf
…
Download
http://staging.instructables.com/ORIG/FD6/W03K/IOA9JNOI/FD6W03KIOA9JNOI.pdf
…
Download
http://staging.instructables.com/ORIG/FK0/HOL1/IOA9JNOJ/FK0HOL1IOA9JNOJ.pdf
…
Order of Opperations
There's just one more thing I'd like to mention before we get started on our bag.
To keep the topics in this class coherent, I am presenting skills in a certain order, but when
you start making your own leatherwork, you will see that this order of operations
sometimes needs to be re-arranged on a project-by-project basis. For example, I am
including hardware (like buckles, and snaps) as the last step in the bag project, to be
added once you have completed the rest of your bag. This works fine in this case, but
sometimes the way a project is structured means that you need to add some of the
hardware before putting the other pieces together.
Figuring out the most efficient order of operations is one of the most important parts of
planning any project, and if you don't think it through fully, you will sometimes find yourself
in a jam later! I spend a lot of time thinking about how everything will go together every
time I make something. Keep in mind that time spent planning this way is not time wasted,
it is time saved.
I will give you some suggestions as I present each skill here, but you will sometimes have
to let logic guide you to figure out the best order of operations when you start creating your
own projects.

Cut Out Your Pattern in Leather
Once you've chosen your design, and cut out your paper pattern, go ahead and cut it out in
the leather you've chosen for your bag and straps. If you've chosen to create the fringed
bag design, the process of constructing your bag will have some variation in a few places.
If you're making that version, you can also take a peek at my instructable on How to Make
Leather Fringe, to get more details about cutting fringe.

Lay the paper pattern pieces on your leather, arranging them to take up as little space as
possible, and taping them down in a few places.
Mark your pattern edges, rivet holes, and the ends of sewing lines, with an awl.

I used sharp scissors to cut most of my pieces, and a ruler and x-acto or cutting wheel to
cut the straps and pieces with straight edges, like the gusset.
When making the fringed version, I cut my pattern pieces out like any others, but made
sure to mark the top and bottom of each fringe cut-line with an awl first.

It is usually easier to incorporate the fringe into a pattern piece like this if you can, but
sometimes it doesn't work. For example, on the back seam of my bag, if I had just
extended the back of the bag down to make fringe, the flesh side of the fringe would have
ended up facing forward, and that wasn't the look I wanted. This is why I had to create a
separate piece of fringe that would be sewn into the back seam. I cut this piece out the
same way as the pocket piece, marking the ends of the fringe cuts with an awl.
When I had both pieces cut out, I used a metal ruler and an x-acto knife to cut the fringe
following the marks I had made with my awl on the leather.

Punch Holes and Cut-Outs
Now we are going to punch holes in all the places we marked through from the pattern on
the straps and the larger pieces, you can refer back to the pattern to see where these are.
To create the slot on the buckle strap and the two slots that the strap will run through on
the front flap, punch a hole at each end of the slot, then use your x-acto knife to cut
between the holes.
Start your cuts from one side, but don't cut all the way to the other hole, or you might cut
farther than you want to. Instead, remove your knife, rotate the pattern and then cut the rest
of the slot by starting in the hole on the other side and cutting to meet your first cut. This
cutting strategy is good practice to help prevent over-cuts whenever you make internal cut-
outs.

Skiving
When you are layering several pieces of leather on top of each other, as you do in seams
or riveted loops, you sometimes need to thin the edges of the leather pieces so they stack
together cleanly. Thinning leather pieces like this, by creating a long tapered bevel along
the edge, is called skiving. There are a few different tools you can use for skiving, but I'm
just going to show you my favorite, which I think is also the easiest and safest.
The Super Skiver is a skiving tool that basically works like a razor, and even comes with
replaceable blades. You pull it along your leather to shave away layers you wish to
remove. Pulling your skiver parallel to the edge you want to skive is usually the best
method when you are skiving a relatively long edge. To do this, place your leather on a
hard surface like your quartz slab. Line the edge you want to skive up with the edge of the
quartz, about 1/6" from the edge. Then start pulling your skiver along the leather, shaving
off an angled strip. It usually works best to start skiving a little ways in from the end of the
leather, finish the skive, and then turn the leather around to skive the bit you missed at the
beginning.
If you find it hard to maintain an even angle, you can try drawing a guide line on your
leather where you want the bevel of your skive to start, and then follow this line as you pull
the skiver toward you.

If you need to skive a smaller area, like the end of a strap, which you do quite often in
leatherwork, you use the skiver a bit differently. In this case you skive perpendicular to the
edge you are skiving, starting your skive where you want your bevel to start, angling down
and pulling out to the edge of the leather.
An x-acto knife can also work as a skiver in a pinch, especially on strap ends. Start your
skive by placing the blade of the knife where you want your skive bevel to start and
pushing away from you towards the strap end.
As with any knife, your job will always be easier if your blade is sharp, so change your
blades often.

Skive Your Straps
For our bag project we are going to skive the inner edges of the top loop pieces, and both
ends of the small buckle strap. Practice skiving on some scraps and then try it on your
straps. Don't worry if you mess up, they are small pieces and you can always cut them out
again.

Gouge and Fold the Pocket
We are going to use the gouging and folding technique we learned in lesson 4 to create a
pleated pocket on the front of our bag. Adding a double fold, or pleat, on each side of this
pocket will allow it to open wider and give it more capacity.
First you need to mark your leather where you are going to make a fold. I have marked the
four fold lines in red on the pocket pattern piece. Turn your leather pocket piece over so the
flesh side of the leather is facing up, since that's the side we are going to gouge on.

Place your pocket pattern piece over the flesh side of your leather and line it up with the
edges. Then use your overstitch wheel to trace over the red sewing lines on the pattern.
Press down just hard enough so you can see a dotted line on the leather when you lift up
the paper.
Make sure you've tested your V-gouge on a scrap of your leather before you gouge the
lines on your actual pocket. Remember, you want to gouge deep enough so you can feel
the leather fold easily, but not so deep that you come close to breaking through the grain
side of the leather. When you think you've gotten the hang of using this tool, gouge the 4
lines on the back of your pocket. Now fold the edge of your leather over on one of the inner
lines so the grain sides press together.

Use the cardboard and mallet trick to pound a crease into the leather along the gouged
line. Then fold the edge back along the second line, and pound this fold down on the flesh
side, creating a fold like an accordion.
Repeat this on the other side. Your folded pocket should look like this:

What's Next?
Now that you've practiced, and re-applied some of the skills we learned in our first project
by cutting out and folding your bag design, we can move on to learning some new skills
that we'll use to assemble the bag. As I'm sure you noticed, different tools worked better for
cutting out this project than the last one, since this leather was much softer. Remember, it's
important to always try to use the tools that are best for your specific materials.
For instance, using rivets to join seams on leather as soft as the leather we're using for the
bag wouldn't be the best choice. Instead, we are going to sew this bag together, and we'll
start learning about creating holes for hand sewing leather in the next lesson!
How's Your Project Going?
If you have any problems as you construct your custom bag, feel free to ask questions in
the discussion section below.

LESSON 4: CREATING SEWING HOLES IN LEATHER
When you hand sew leather, you almost always punch sewing holes in the leather before
you sew. This makes sewing through thick leather much easier and ensures that you
create evenly spaced stitches. There are a few different methods for marking sewing lines
and punching sewing holes. I'll demonstrate the options and then show you how to apply
them to the bag we're creating.

The leather pieces for your bag
Scrap leather of different weights for testing
Mallet
Awl
Stitching chisels
Overstitch wheel
Stitching groover
Clear ruler
Cutting mat
Quartz slab and poundo board or other punching surface
Marking Sewing Lines With a Stitch Groover
Before you actually punch sewing holes in your leather you have to give yourself a
guideline to show where the sewing holes are going to go. There are a few methods for
doing this, and different methods are better for different kinds of leather.
The Adjustable Stitching Groover is a great tool for marking sewing lines when you are
working with leather that is fairly stiff. This tool is designed with one tip that creates a
groove in the leather, and a parallel tip that rests on the edge of the leather as you mark,
making sure your sewing line is always offset an even distance.
https://player.vimeo.com/video/161542579?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0

The stitching groover has two adjustable parts. Loosening the wheel at the base of the
metal shaft lets you move the silver crossbar and adjust the position of the parallel tip in
relation to the grooving tip so you can mark sewing lines at different distances from the
edge of the leather.
Using a tiny allen wrench on the screw in the head of the groover lets you swap out the
blunt grooving tip for a tip with a small gouging blade that creates a deeper groove. I'm
using this tip in the video above.
The stitching groover is especially good for marking sewing lines on curved edges that
might be hard to mark neatly any other way. When using the stitching groover, try to make
each line with a single smooth sweeping motion. Stopping and starting has a tendency to
create lines that are messy or uneven.

When you are using very thick leather you sometimes want an even deeper groove to
contain your stitches. This can look nice, and also help protect the stitches from wear. To
get a deeper groove like this, you can use your adjustable v-gouge to go over the line
you've made with the stitching groover.

Marking Sewing Lines With a Ruler and an Awl
When you are working with any leather that is fairly pliable, like the leather we are using for
our bag, I think the best method for marking sewing lines is to simply use a clear ruler and
an awl.
To do this, take the clear ruler and and place it over your leather so it defines a line an
even distance from the edge of the leather, in this case I am marking a sewing line a 1/8"
in from the edge. Run an awl along the edge of the ruler to mark a line on the leather. At
curves, you will have to slowly rotate your ruler around the curve as you mark, maintaining
an even distance from the edge of the leather.

Punching Sewing Holes With an Awl
There are two main ways to punch sewing holes in leather, with an awl, or with a stitching
chisel.
To punch holes with an awl, first you need to mark evenly spaced hole placement with an
overstitch wheel. You can choose different stitch spacing by changing the head on your
overstitch wheel (if you have one with interchangeable heads). Stitch spacing is a matter of
both aesthetics and practicality. Smaller stitches (more closely spaced holes) are stronger,
but will take longer to punch and sew. I usually choose my stitch length proportionally,
using smaller stitches on smaller projects and larger stitches on larger projects.

Once you've chosen a spacing head for your overstitch wheel, run the wheel along the
sewing line marks, pressing down to create a dotted line with the teeth of the wheel.
Now use your awl and mallet to punch a hole at each of these marks made by the
overstitch wheel. Hold your awl straight up and down, and hit it gently with your mallet.
Punch over a poundo board or other soft surface so you don't damage the tip of the awl.
This process can be a bit tedious, but it allows you to create smaller holes than you can
with the stitching chisel, and punch through tougher leather. You can also create different
shaped holes by using different awl attachments.

Punching Sewing Holes With the Stitching Chisel
The stitching chisel is a more efficient way to create sewing holes because you can punch
a few at once. You can also skip the step of marking with the overstitch wheel because the
stitching chisel automatically creates evenly spaced holes. Stitching chisels also come
with different prong spacing to create smaller and larger stitches. I like the set I have
because it comes with three differently spaced sets of prongs.

You make holes with the stitching chisel the same way you would with an awl, by punching
on top of a punching surface with a mallet. Follow the sewing lines you marked, and
always put the first prong of the chisel in the last hole of the previous punch to maintain
even spacing as you move the punch forward. Switching to heads with smaller numbers of
prongs will allow you to maneuver around curves.

Punch Sewing Holes in Your Bag Pieces
Now it's time to apply the skills you just learned to the bag we're creating. First refer back
to your paper pattern to see where to mark sewing lines on your leather pieces. I've
marked all the sewing lines on the pattern with dotted lines. You should have marked the
end of each of these lines with your awl when you traced your pattern, but it's always good
to double check.
Next, choose one of the options I've shown you for punching sewing holes, and use this
method to create sewing holes in your leather. Always start your first hole at least 1/8" in
from the edge of your leather. Also, when you are punching holes in pattern pieces that are
going to be sewn together, make sure you are starting your line of holes at the same
position on each piece so they will line up correctly when you sew. I often use a piece I
have already punched to mark the correct starting point for holes on the corresponding
piece.

Sometimes to ensure that sewing holes line up precisely, it is better to punch through both
layers together after attaching them with glue or tape. I'll show you how to do this on your
front pocket after we learn about leather adhesives in the next lesson, so don't punch the
pocket piece yet, and only punch the outer seam holes on the front of the pouch, as you
can see below.
Once again, if you are making the fringed variation of the bag, refer to the end of the lesson
on Creating Fringe for a few additional punching instructions.

What We Learned
So, right now you might be thinking that punching sewing holes is a bit time consuming,
but when we sew our project together, you'll see that having these holes in place makes
the actual job of sewing leather fairly straightforward. Now that everything is punched, it
should line up just right when you sew it all together! Also, the tools I've shown you,
especially the stitching chisels, really help streamline the whole process of making holes,
so I highly recommend having a good set.
Before we move on to sewing, I'm going to show you one more set of tools that will help a
lot in leather construction: adhesives. In the next lesson we'll talk about the different kinds,
and how they can help you with punching and sewing.

LESSON 5: LEATHER ADHESIVES
Leather adhesives are a great tool for leatherwork. Leather usually takes glue exceptionally
well, and in certain circumstances glue is enough to hold a project together without the
addition of sewing or riveting. Most often though, leather glues and tapes are used to help
facilitate or supplement other sturdier methods of leather joinery. In this lesson I'll show
you the basics of using leather glue and tape and how to apply them to the bag we're
making.

Leather contact cement
Double sided tape
Glue spreaders or disposable paintbrushes
Sandpaper
Paper scraps
Awl
Stitching chisels
Mallet
Quartz slab and poundo board or other punching surface
Scrap leather for testing
The leather pieces of your bag

Using Leather Glue
There are a few different leather glues, but they mostly work the same way. The one I
usually use is a water based leather contact cement from Tandy. It works well and doesn't
give off harsh fumes.
To glue two pieces of leather together, apply glue to both surfaces, wait until the glue is
tacky, about 3 minutes, and then stick the two pieces together. They will have a strong
bond almost immediately, and cure more over time. If you want to be sure to apply the glue
neatly in a contained area, like along a seam, use a piece of scrap paper to mask the area
you don't want to get glue on. Spread the glue over the leather using a paintbrush or glue
spreader, then remove the paper, exposing a clean line of glue.

Leather glue works best when you are gluing flesh side to flesh side, but if you need to
glue flesh side to grain side, it's a good idea to sand the grain side of the leather before you
apply glue.

If you really need to glue grain side to grain side, which happens pretty rarely, Tandy sells
an adhesive designed especially for that purpose.
We aren't using any glue in our pouch project, but it is often a good way to secure seams
together before you punch them.
Using Double Sided Tape
Double sided tape is an extremely useful tool in leatherwork. Since pinning damages
leather, you need an alternate way to tack leather seams and other attachment points in
place so you can get everything lined up evenly to punch, sew, and test the size or location
of pattern pieces. (Tape is especially necessary when you are machine sewing leather, but
we won't be doing that in this class.)

You could get away with using any kind of double sided tape, but the 1/4" wide kind that is
made especially for leatherwork is really your best choice. Its narrow width is perfect for
adhering seams while staying invisible. To use this tape, cut a section of your roll the
length of the area you need to tape, stick it down to your leather, then remove the paper
layer to expose the second adhesive side. Now you can stick it to another piece of leather
to hold the two together.
Tandy sells two types of this double sided tape, a permanent, and a re-positionable. I
generally prefer the re-positionable unless I am trying to tape something that really doesn't
want to stay in place. It gives you more room for adjustments, and doesn't damage your
leather as much if you need to take it off, though it will still leave a bit of a mark on the
grain side of leather as you can see below. On some kinds of leather, you can get rid of
this mark by rubbing it with your fingers.

Tape Your Pocket
To show you how useful double sided tape is for getting proper seam alignment, we are
going to use it to stick the folded pocket piece to the front of our bag before we punch
sewing holes through both layers.
Take your two pattern pieces, flip your pocket piece over to the flesh side and place a strip
of double sided tape along the two side seams, then peel off the top layer of tape exposing
the second adhesive side.
Now, carefully line up the left side seam of your pocket with the left seam line marked on
the front of the bag, and stick it down. The edge of your pocket should extend about 1/8"
out past the seam line on the bag piece. Then line the right side of the pocket up in the
same way, making sure the top of the pocket is parallel to the top edge of the bag, and that
the whole thing lays down evenly when you flatten the folds of the pocket.

Punch Your Pocket
With the pocket taped down, we can now punch through both layers to create perfectly
aligned side seams. Choose your method of hole creation and punch along the two side
seams on top of your punching surface. Stop punching about 1/8" from the bottom edge of
the pocket, but punch one hole past the very top edge on each side.
Before you punch the bottom seam of the pocket, stick another piece of tape in between
the folds of the pocket on each side, and one in the center of the bottom seam line.

Use an awl to mark the bottom holes of the side seams through the folds to the front of the
pocket, then use these points as a starting point to punch through the folded layers and
along the the bottom of the pocket.
Finally, use your awl to poke one more hole at each end of the bottom sewing line, and just
past the top of both side seams. You'll understand why when we sew this piece in the next
lesson.

Punching the Fringed Pocket
To attach the fringed pocket, first fold it as you did on the other version. If you are using
thin leather, you may not need to gouge the folds before pounding them. You should
always be careful gouging thin leather because you can tear through it very easily.
Once you have folded the pocket, tape it down to the front of the bag with double sided
tape, and punch the sewing holes in the sides and the base (above the line of fringe) just
as you did in the basic folded pocket.

What We Learned
So, I'm sure you can see how useful glue and tape are as tools to help keep everything
together while you are punching, sewing or riveting. Both are important materials to have in
your leather toolkit, and glue can even be used by itself to create some pretty great leather
projects without any sewing! Check out my No-Sew Leather Bra project, or this awesome
Leather Phone Case by Matt2 Silver for some great inspiration.
In the next lesson we'll learn how to put all the pieces of the bag together using some
different hand sewing techniques.
If you have any problems as you construct your bag, feel free to ask questions in the
discussion section below.

LESSON 6: SEWING LEATHER
Hand sewing is a very important skill in leatherwork, and it's fairly easy to master even if
you have no previous sewing experience. Part of what makes leather hand sewing a bit
different than fabric sewing is the fact that you are sewing through pre-punched holes like
the ones we created in the last two lessons. These holes ensure that your stitches will be
evenly spaced and mean that hand sewing leather requires somewhat less concentration
and precision than sewing fabric. Leather needles are also fairly large and usually blunt,
meaning they are easier to see and less likely to poke you.
In this lesson I'll show you some basic leather hand sewing skills, and then we'll use these
skills to begin assembling the bag we're creating.

Thick waxed thread
Leather needles
X-acto knife
Cloth tape measure
Stitching pony
Awl
Scrap leather
Leather pieces of your bag with stitching holes punched

Prepping Your Needle and Thread
The first thing you need to do when sewing leather, is cut some thread and thread the
needle or needles you will be using. Leather hand sewing is usually done with a thick
waxed thread. The thickness is important because a thinner thread might tear through the
leather when the stitches are pulled tight, and a thicker thread also looks more proportional
in relation to the stitch length and hole size you are using when you sew leather. The wax
makes the thread easier to work with and also gives it a stickiness that helps stop it from
unraveling. You could use unwaxed thread, but it won't be quite as sturdy.
To get the correct length for your thread, measure the seam you are going to be sewing
and multiply it by about 2.5. This should give you enough thread to saddle stitch your entire
seam (I'll explain this in a minute). However, it is usually not very practical to work with
more than 3 feet of thread, so if your length is longer than that, you may have to start a
second thread part of the way through your seam, which is perfectly ok.

Once you've cut your thread, thread it through the eye of your needle, and pull it through a
few inches. Depending on the size of your needle's eye, you may need to pinch and flatten,
or wet the tip of your thread to get it through the needle.

To lock your needle in place at the beginning of your thread you can poke it through the
twists of the thread to create a loop, but I don't usually find this necessary, especially with
waxed thread.
You normally don't tie a knot in the end of your thread when you sew leather. There are a
few reasons for this. For one thing, the holes you are sewing through are usually large
enough that most knots would slip right through anyway. Also, you are often sewing seams
in places where both sides will be visible and a knot would be very obvious and ugly. In
leather sewing it is easier to lock your thread by backstitching in a way similar to a sewing
machine backstitch. The wax on the thread helps these backstitches stay in place better
than they would with normal thread. We'll learn how to do this in the next step.
Now you're ready to sew!
Saddle Stitching With One Needle
Saddle stitching is the most common stitch for hand sewing leather. Unlike a straight stitch
which looks like a broken dotted line with every other stitch showing, the saddle stitch fills
in every stitch on both sides, creating one unbroken line similar to a sewing machine stitch.
(It is basically just two straight stitches mirroring each other on each side of the leather.)
This double stitching makes the saddle stitch stronger than a straight stitch, because if one
thread breaks, the other will still hold. It also looks neater and more professional.
There are two ways to do a saddle stitch: the two needles at a time method, or the one
needle, two passes method. Using two needles at a time is the traditional method, and
makes it easier to create perfectly even stitches, but it is a little harder to master and really

requires the use of a stitching pony. For this reason I sometimes use the one needle, two
passes method. They can each be useful in different circumstances, so I will show you
both.
To use the one needle, two passes method, begin sewing by inserting your needle into the
first hole of your seam, pull your thread through, leaving a tail about 2" long, then pass the
needle through the second hole of your seam creating a single stitch.
Then go back through the first hole, and then the second hole again, creating a loop that
will lock this end of the thread in place.
Then proceed to sew down the rest of the seam normally creating a "dotted" line of
stitching.

Pull each stitch tight, but not tight enough to buckle the leather if it's flexible.
When you reach the end of the seam, start sewing back the other way this time going
through each hole in the opposite direction, filling in the opposite spaces between sewing
holes. Try match the thread tension of this second pass to the tension of the first pass so
the stitches look neat and even.

When you get back to where you started at the beginning of the seam, backstitch a few
stitches to lock your thread in place before cutting it off close to the leather using a scissors
or x-acto knife.
If you ever run out of thread in the middle of sewing, use this same backstitching method to
tie off your thread before starting a new one.

Using the Stitching Pony for the Two Needle Saddle Stitch
The stitching pony is a useful tool for hand sewing because it basically acts like another
set of hands, holding your work in place while you sew. They can be a little more
expensive to buy than they should be, but you can also make your own fairly easily by
following this Instructable. Also, check out Jessyratfink's excellent Instructable for a slightly
different explanation of this same saddle stitching technique.
To use the stitching pony, place the leather piece you are going to sew between the jaws
of the pony and tighten the clamps. You may want to use two pieces of scrap leather or
cardboard on each side of your piece to make sure it isn't damaged during clamping.

Now sit down on a chair with the stitching pony between your legs so it is held firmly in
place. You can also just put it on a table in front of you and weigh it down, but it is
designed to sit under your legs.

Cut yourself a length of thread appropriate to your seam, and thread a leather needle on
each end. Pass one of the needles through the first hole in your seam (the hole closest to
you) and pull the thread through so there is an equal amount on each side.
Take a needle in each hand and begin by passing one of the needles through the second
hole in your seam, you could start from either side, but let's say you start with the right
side.
Pull the thread snug to create a single stitch.

Now take the second needle and pass it through the same hole in the opposite direction
(from the left side) while holding the first thread pulled forward. You want to stick this
second needle into the second hole behind the first thread. This will help your stitches stay
even.
Pull the second thread through from the left to right side. Now you have one needle in each
hand on opposite sides again. Tug outward gently with both hands putting even pressure
on the thread to create an even stitch.

Then start the process over again, putting the first needle through the next hole from the
right, then the second needle through behind it from the left. Always keep up this same
pattern you started with (right then left) to make sure your stitches stay as even as
possible. If it is sometimes difficult to pull the needle through, you can use a pair of pliers to
help.
When you get to the end you are going to backstitch with both threads to lock them in
place. First make sure that your two needles are coming out of opposite sides of your last
hole. Take one needle and pass it through the hole behind it, then pass the other needle
through that hole from the other side. Keep doing this for about 3 or 4 stitches. Make sure
you pull the threads very tight after each stitch so these double stitches aren't too bulky.

When you have backstitched enough, use a scissor or an x-acto to cut your thread ends off
very close to your stitches. It helps to pull the thread as your are cutting it.

Here's a video to show you how this all goes together:

Sew the Pocket to Your Bag
Now that you've seen the basics of saddle stitching, let's apply it to the bag we're creating.
First we're going to sew the pocket that we taped and punched in the last lesson. We need
to sew this piece on before we assemble the rest of the bag because we won't be able to
reach it otherwise.
Because these are flat seams, they are good candidates for being sewn in using the
stitching pony and the two needle saddle stitch.

Clamp your pocket into the stitching pony with one of the side seams facing up, then cut
yourself yourself a length of thread, and thread and thread a needle on each end. Thread
one needle through the hole just above the pocket on one side seam, and start sewing with
a saddle stitch down towards the base of the pocket. Make sure you don't pull your stitches
too tight as this leather is pretty pliable.
When you get to the last hole, go up through all 4 layers, then out through the hole you
poked beyond the edge of the pocket at the corner. This extra stitch will hold the folded
corners of the pocket down nicely to the bag.

Now unclamp the stitching pony, rotate the leather so the bottom seam of the pocket is up,
and keep sewing across the bottom of the pocket.
When you get to the end, create the same extra stitch at the other corner, rotate the
leather, and then start sewing up the other side. At the top of the second side seam,
backstitch with both needles about 4 stitches, then cut off your threads.

When I was done sewing, I trimmed the bottom corners of the pocket with scissors.
Sew the fringed pocket on in the same way with a saddle stitch using either the one or two
needle method, and sewing above the line of fringe where you've punched the sewing
holes.

Create a Turned Edge Seam on the Front of Your Bag
Two seam variations that are often used in leatherwork are turned edge seams and cut
edge seams.
Cut edge seams, which would be called exposed seams in sewing, are seams that leave
the stitches, and the cut edge of the leather visible on the outside of your piece.
A turned edge seam is just a cut edge seam turned inside out so you don't see the
stitching or the edge of the leather. Turned edge seams are more durable because the
stitches aren't exposed, they tend to give your work a more polished look, and they are
often used in chrome tanned leather projects because chrome tanned leather is usually
more flexible and easier to turn. Veg tanned leather projects often use cut edge seams for
a more rustic look, and also because the edges of veg tanned leather can be burnished,
making them look good even when they're exposed.
Up until now I've been showing you cut edge seams, but now we are going to create a
turned edge seam on the front of your bag so you see what that looks like, and how it's
made.
To create a turned edge seam with the grain side of your leather facing out, you are going
to sew your pattern pieces together inside out with the flesh sides facing out, and then flip
them, like you would when sewing a garment.

The two pieces we are sewing together are the front of the bag and the gusset. When I am
sewing two pieces like this together for the first time and I want to make sure they match
up evenly, I often start sewing in the middle. To do this, match the center of your gusset
piece to the bottom center of your front bag piece, then flip the gusset piece over so grain
sides are facing in. Insert your needle into the hole at this center point and start sewing
around in one direction. I used the one needle method here, but your could use the two
needle method if you wanted.
Sew around the corners curving the gusset piece to fit around the curve.

When you get to the top of the seam, make a loop around the ends of the leather, then
start sewing back down in the opposite direction, if you used the one needle method. (If
you used the two needle method, backstitch here and cut off your thread, then start a new
thread back at the middle to sew the other side).
When you've sewn both sides, your seam should look like this:

Now flip your seam inside out so the grain side of the leather is exposed and the stitches
are hidden. Push on the seam from the inside to get the corners to pop out. It sometimes
helps to trim a little off the cut edge of the seam at the corners, but be careful not to cut too
much.

Edge Binding
Most of the time it's fine to leave cut leather edges exposed with no hem, but sometimes
creating an edge treatment can add structure to thin leather or help give your project a
finished look. I decided to add a finished edge to the top lip of my larger bag because the
combination of thinner leather and a larger design made the whole thing a bit too floppy.
After I had sewn the front turned edge seam, I sewed on a single edge binding that
covered the top of the front piece and the gusset.
To do this, I first measured the width of these three pieces between seam lines, then cut a
3/4" wide strip of leather to this length (10").

I punched a line of sewing holes 1/8" in from both edges of this strip, and a corresponding
line of sewing holes along the top of the bag.
Then I sewed the strip over the edge of the leather at the top of the bag with a saddle stitch
creating a finished edge.

Create a Cut Edge Seam on the Back of Your Bag

Now we are going to attach the back piece of the bag with a cut edge seam. You might not
normally use these two different styles of seams on the same piece, but I want you to have
a chance to try both so you can see what they look like and how they behave differently.
Having a cut edge seam on the back of this bag also helps it lay flat against your body,
especially if you are going to use it as an underarm holster or hip pouch.
If you are making the fringed bag, there are a couple of things you need to do before you
sew this seam, so skip ahead to the next section.
When we sew the gusset to the back piece of the small bag, we are also going to be
attaching the two small strap loop pieces by sandwiching them into the seam. To make this
easier, use double sided tape to stick these two pieces down to the flesh side of the back
bag piece at the top of the side seams. Sticking a needle through the top holes as you tape
the pieces together will help you make sure sewing holes are matching up.
Now match the bottom center of the gusset to the bottom center of the back bag in the
same way you did for the front seam, but this time with the grain sides out.
Begin sewing around the bag with your choice of saddle stitch.
When you get to the top of the side seam, you are going to sandwich the strap loop
between the two layers of the seam and sew through all three.

Loop around one extra time to re-enforce the the top of the side seam and then sew back
down the opposite way until you have repeated the same process on the other side and
ended back in the middle of the bottom.
If any of the seam edges look uneven once you're done sewing, trim them until they look
neat.

Prepping the Fringed Trim for Sewing
When you sew the back seam of the large bag, you are also going to attach the fringed
trim and the braided strap.
In order to sew the fringe into the seam, you need to punch a line of sewing holes along
the top that will line up with the holes on the other pieces. Make sure you use a stitch
punch with the same prong spacing as the other pieces.

Now line the fringed piece up on the flesh side of the back piece of the bag, with the
sewing lines on top of each other. Hold the fringe in place with some double sided tape on
the ends and center. Stick your awl through both layers of holes at each and and in the
center to make sure they are lining up properly before you tape them together.

Making a Braided Cross Strap
I incorporated a braid into my large bag design by adding a four strand braided strap
across the front that holds the flap of the bag in place. To learn how to create this 4 strand
braid and some other fun leather braid variations, check out my Instructable on Making
Braided Leather.
To make my braided strap I cut a 1 1/4" wide strip of the same thicker black leather I'm
using for the straps. The final braid needs to be 10 1/2" long with 1/4" seam allowance on
each side to go around the front of the bag from back side seam to back side seam.
So allowing for how much the leather will shrink, the unbraided leather strip should be
about 14" long.

Cut the braid into 4 equal strips, leaving 1/2" attached on one end. Then braid a four strand
braid following the method I've shown you. When you get to 10 1/2", arrange the strands of
the braid so they are sitting very close to each other, then stick a piece of tape across the
flesh side to hold them together.

Use your stitch punch to punch a row of sewing holes through the strands of the braid. Try
to situate the punch so all the tongs are making solid holes in the leather, not punching
through the edges. Trim off the ends of the strands leaving about 1/4" seam allowance.
Punch another set of sewing holes in the un-cut leather at the other end of the braid.

Sewing in the Braided Strap and Fringed Trim
Now you can sew both the fringed trim and the braided strap we just made into the back
seam of your large bag with a cut edge seam.
Take the front of your bag with the turned edge seam, and line it up over the back piece
with the fringe taped on. Make sure the grain side of your fringe is facing up and the flesh
side of the back piece is on the inside of the bag. I started sewing in the bottom center to
make sure everything was lining up right. Sew through all three layers, sandwiching the
fringe between the gusset and the back.
When you get to the place where you want to attach your braided strap, (I attached mine 4"
up from the bottom, but you could place it higher) sandwich the end of the braid into the
seam so that it will loop over the front of the bag with the grain side facing out.
If your are sewing with one needle like I am, start back down the seam when you reach the
top, filling in the other stitches. Repeat on the other side.

Good Work!
You just learned a very crucial leatherworking skill! I hope you can see now, after tackling
this leather sewing project, that hand sewing leather is really not that hard. Once you've
practiced it a bit more it will become second nature. I actually find myself looking forward to
the hand sewing portion of projects because I find it relaxing. I often save my hand sewing
for times when I can sit in front of Netflix or listen to a podcast.
As you move forward, I definitely recommend using the two needle saddle stitching method
whenever possible, because it does make for neater looking stitches, but the one needle
stitch is perfectly acceptable too when using two needles is inconvenient.
Now that we've sewn our bag, it's almost done! In the next two lessons we'll add finishing
touches by learning how to use a few more types of leather hardware.
If you have any problems as you construct your wallet, feel free to ask questions in the

LESSON 7: LEATHER HARDWARE: RINGS
Choosing the right kind of hardware has a huge effect on the look of your project. Different
metal finishes, shapes and styles can give the same design very different aesthetics.
Hardware can be both decorative and functional. Some people love hardware-heavy
designs while others prefer a more minimal look. Either way, it's good to know what your
options are when it comes to leather hardware.
Rings and swivel snaps are among of the most basic types of hardware you can use. They
are like the joints of a leather project, acting as points of attachment but also allowing for
mobility between elements of a design. They are often used where straps connect to bags,
or to create a fork in a strap. They come in many styles which create different aesthetics
and can be useful for different applications.
In this lesson I'll show you some of the most common options for rings and swivel snaps,
and how to attach them. Then we'll use some of them on our bag design.

If you're making the small bag: two 3/4" D rings
If you're making the large bag: two 1" D rings
rapid rivets and matching setter
line 20 snaps and matching setter
rotary and manual hole punches
mallet
hammer
poundo board and quartz slab
mini anvil
wire cutters
scrap leather
the bag you've been constructing
any other hardware you want to experiment with or add to your project

D and O Rings
O Rings

The most basic kind of ring, O rings are just a circular ring, most often welded together for
strength. They are usually attached by looping one or more straps around the ring, which
are riveted or sewn to themselves. The rest of the ring can then be a point of attachment
for other hardware or straps. O rings allow a lot of movement because straps and other
elements connected to them can swivel freely all the way around the ring.

D Rings
D rings are shaped like a D with one flat side and one curved side. They are usually
attached by looping a strap around the straight side and riveting or sewing it to itself. Then
another strap or piece of hardware such as a clip, can be attached to the curved side. D
Rings provide less movement because whatever is attached to the flat side can't swivel as
freely around the whole ring.

Gate Rings
Gate Rings
Gate rings are round rings that have a swinging latch built in much like a carabiner (but not
nearly as strong, so don't take one rock climbing :). Gate rings can serve as both a clip and
a ring that lets you attach a strap in a very modular way. They can be very easy to lose
however because there is nothing to hold them in place when they're open.

Swivel Snaps
Swivel Snaps
Swivel snaps have a spring latching mechanism that swivels in relation to point of
attachment for a strap. Unlike a gate ring, a swivel snap won't get lost when it's open
because it will always remain attached to the strap on one side. Swivel snaps are often
used in conjunction with O or D rings to attach straps.

Add D Rings to the Small Bag
Now to let's add the D rings you've chosen for your bag. You could also use O rings or
swivel snaps here, but I think D rings look nicer.
To do this on the small bag, just take your two D rings and attach them to the strap loops at
the top of the bag. Slip the D rings onto the straps and then rivet the straps onto
themselves with quick set rivets, a rivet setter and mallet.

Add D Rings to the Large Bag
I added D rings to my large bag in a slightly different way. On a bag like this that is going to
hang from a shoulder strap as a purse, it's better to have the strap attachment on the sides
so the weight of the bag is balanced and hangs straight down. Therefore, in this case, I
attached the D rings by riveting leather loops onto the gusset of the bag rather than sewing
these loops into the back seam as I did with the small bag.
I punched a hole just below the edge binding on the sides of the purse, and two
corresponding holes in the leather strip that will form the loop.

I situated each leather loop with one end on the inside of the bag and one end on the
outside, and then slipped the D rings onto the leather loops. I inserted a medium rivet
through all three layers, and then riveted the loops to the edges of the bag with my setting
tool and mini anvil.

Add a Snap to the Pocket

Last, we are going to go back to a skill we learned earlier, and add a snap closure to the
front pocket of the bag. I actually only did this on my small bag, because the braided strap
on the large bag keeps the pocket from opening too far, but you can add one there too if
you want.
On the small bag I used line 20 snaps and their corresponding snap setter and attached
them through the holes I had already punched in the leather.
Sometimes when you are working with relatively thin leather, the posts of your snaps will
be a bit too long and they won't attach right when you try to set them. A good trick here is
to make a leather "washer" by cutting a small circle of leather and punching a hole it it. You
can slip this over the post of the snap before you set it, and it will make your leather the
right thickness for the snap!

When you set the back section of this snap, you are going to have to put the metal rivet
setting base inside the bag to create a base to punch on. This is something you have to do
relatively often when you are adding hardware to an already assembled piece, and the
rivet setting base and mini anvil can come in very handy at times like these.
It would probably have been more efficient to add the snap before the bag was assembled,
but for the flow of this class it made sense to add it now. This is a good example of what I
mentioned in lesson 8 about how the order of operations for assembling a project can vary.

What We Learned
After this lesson, you should have a good idea when it can be useful to include rings in a
leather project and what kind of ring options are available. When we add straps to our bag
project at the end of the last lesson, you'll get to see a few more use-cases for rings and
how they can come in handy for connecting things.
In the next lesson we'll look some other important pieces of hardware, buckles and clasps.
If you have any problems as you construct your bag, feel free to ask questions in the

LESSON 8: LEATHER HARDWARE: BUCKLES AND CLASPS
Choosing a buckle or clasp probably has an even bigger aesthetic impact on a leather
project than any other hardware choice. Different buckles and clasp styles can make the
same project look anywhere from steampunk to modernist, luxurious to rustic. Buckles and
clasps also attach to leather in a variety of ways, so some work better for different designs.
In this lesson I'll show you some of the most common options for leather buckles and
clasps, and how to attach various kinds. Then we'll add a buckle closure to our bag design.

If you're making the small bag: one 3/4" center bar buckle
rivets and matching rivet setter
rotary and manual hole punches
mallet
hammer
poundo board and quartz slab
mini anvil
x-acto knife
strong sharp scissors
wire cutters
scrap leather
the bag you've been constructing
any other hardware you want to experiment with or add to your project

Types of Buckles
Heel Bar Buckles

Heel bar buckles are buckles in the classic belt buckle style. The bar with the buckle
tongue that attaches to the strap loop is located on one end, so when you use this kind of
buckle, you need to create a "keeper" loop that will hold down the loose end of the strap.
(Some buckles like this also come with metal keeper loops). Heel bar buckles are most
often used on belts, but they come in many different sizes and can be used on bags and
other projects as well. They are slightly more complex to attach because of the need to
create the keeper loop.
Center Bar Buckles
Center bar buckles are great buckles to use for straps on leather projects because they are
structured to automatically contain the loose end of the strap under one of the metal bars of
the buckle. I usually use this kind of buckle because it saves the hassle of creating a
leather keeper loop.
Double Bar Buckles

Double bar buckles have an additional bar in the center of the buckle separate from the bar
that holds the buckle tongue. These buckles are mostly used when you want to be able to
adjust the length of the strap on the buckle side as well as the strap side. In order for them
to function this way, you need to attach them with an additional piece of hardware called a
slider.
Rolling Bar Buckles
Rolling bar buckles are any buckle that has a rolling tube on one side which makes it
easier to slide the strap in and out of the buckle.

Making Leather Keeper Loops
If you are using a heel bar buckle that doesn't come with a keeper loop, you need to make
one before you attach the buckle. To do this you need to cut a strip of leather and sew it
into a loop. To get the length of the strip, use this formula (or just wrap a strip of leather
around two straps stacked on top of each other and mark how long it should be):
Keeper loop length = (strap width x 2) + (thickness of strap leather x 8)
In this case = (7/8" x 2) + (1/8" x 8) = 2.75"
You can choose the width of your keeper, but it should be between 1/4" and 3/4"
proportional to the width of your strap. After you have cut your keeper strip, use an awl or
stitch punch to punch at least 2 sewing holes on both ends of the strip.

Then use a needle and thread to sew the loop closed using what is called a butt stitch.
Make several loops around each pair of holes and knot the ends of the thread together in
the back.
You can also sometimes buy pre-made keeper loops from places like Tandy. These are
usually veg tanned leather and are often constructed with small leather staples instead of
sewing.

Attaching Heel Bar Buckles

To attach the heel bar buckle itself, you are going to make a loop in your strap that goes
around the bar with the buckle tongue. To let the buckle tongue poke through this loop, you
need to create a slot in the center of your strap. Determine the approximate size of this slot
by measuring the diameter of the little metal loop where the buckle tongue attaches to the
bar, double this measurement, then add about 1/8"- 1/4" depending on the size of the
buckle. This is the length of the slot you need to create.
Punch two holes on your strap this distance apart with a hole punch that is a little bigger
than the diameter of the buckle tongue. Make sure you are leaving enough room past the
slot for your strap to loop around and attach to itself. About 1 1/2" - 2" is usually enough.
Now use your x-acto knife to cut between the two holes to create the slot.
Before you attach the buckle, slide the keeper loop onto the strap. Hold the buckle so it is
right side up, with the tongue facing in the wrong direction. Stick the tongue through the
slot on your strap and loop the strap around the bar so the short end of the strap is on the
underside. Make sure the grain side of the leather is facing out.
The tongue should fit comfortably in the slot and move freely. If the movement of the
tongue feels sticky, take the strap off and make the slot a little longer or wider.
To finish attaching the buckle you need to fasten the strap onto itself to secure the buckle
and hold the keeper in place. You can do this with rivets or sewing. If you are working with
very thick leather, you may want to skive the end of the strap so it lays flat against itself.
The keeper should be sandwiched between the two layers of strap with either one rivet on
each side of the keeper, or the keeper between the buckle and a single rivet. Leave
enough room for the buckle to move freely in the loop, then punch holes through both
layers of the strap, and set rivets with a mallet.

If you want to sew instead of rivet, punch sewing holes through both layers and sew lines
of stitches to enclose the keeper in the same way. Sew the strap together with a saddle
stitch (you'll see more of this in a minute).
To create the opposing strap that will thread through this buckle, you just need a strap the
same width with holes punched in it for the tongue to poke through. You always want to
leave some extra room on this strap, how much extra room depends on how the strap is
going to be used. Decide where your average attachment point is going to be, and then
add some extra length to the strap, at least 3 inches. Place a hole at the average
attachment point, and a few holes in both directions so the strap can be buckled looser or
tighter (about 5-8 holes is usually enough). Standard hole spacing is 1/2" apart.

Attaching Center Bar Buckles
Attaching a center bar buckle is similar, except that you don't need to create a keeper loop.
Create the slot for the buckle tongue in the same way, by punching holes in your strap and
cutting between them.

To attach the buckle, loop the strap around the center bar poking the tongue through the
slot and looping the strap around on itself. The buckle tongue should end up facing away
from the strap loop, and the short end of the strap should be on the underside. If the
movement of the tongue feels sticky, take the strap off and make the slot a little longer or
wider.
Now fasten the strap onto itself with rivets or sewing. If you are using rivets, it's usually
good to use more than one for re-enforcement. You can place them perpendicular or
parallel to the strap. Leave enough room for the buckle to move freely in the loop, punch
holes through both layers of the strap, and set the rivets.

If you want to sew instead of rivet, you should create the same kind of re-enforcement by
sewing more than one row of stitches across the strap. Sewing a square, an X, or both is a
good way to do this. Punch sewing holes through both layers (to do this more easily, you
can remove the buckle while you punch the holes) and then sew with a needle and thread.

Create the opposing strap in the same way you would for a heel bar buckle.

Attaching Double Bar Buckles
Attaching double bar buckles is actually the easiest because is doesn't require any hole
punching or hardware. It does require, however, that the end of your strap extend about 3-4
inches past where you want to attach the buckle or more than that if you want a lot of room
for adjustment.
To attach a double bar buckle, first, thread your strap through a double slider loop.
Next, loop the end of your strap around the second bar of the buckle. This time, you want
the loose end of the strap to end up on top, so insert the strap into the buckle from the
bottom. Now, thread the loose end of the strap through the double slider loop following the
path of the other strap.

This attachment method gives you the freedom to adjust the position of the buckle if you
need to by pulling more or less strap through the slider. You can decide here if you want
the grain side or the flesh side of the leather facing up. It may be most visually appealing to
attach the strap to your project with the flesh side facing out, so the grain side is what
shows when the strap loops around the buckle.

Other Types of Clasps

There are an almost infinite variety of more complex decorative clasps that you can use on
bags and cases. They attach in different ways and are good for different purposes. You will
find all kinds online and in leather stores, but here are a few examples.
Magnet Clasps
Magnet clasps are perhaps the most inconspicuous type of clasp which makes them great
if you want a look with minimal hardware. They come in different strengths and with
different kinds of attachment. They will keep a bag closed, but won't hold up to a lot of
pressure, so they shouldn't be used for closures that need to be really secure. You also
usually need two layers of leather to attach them, which can be annoying in some contexts.
The simplest kind is just two magnets that you attach by sandwiching each one between
two layers of leather and sewing around it. The leather will decrease the strength of the
magnet somewhat, so choose a strong magnet if you are using thick leather. Attaching
these clasps will leave a ring of stitches on the outside of your project, so if you don't like
this look, you should use the second kind.

Another common type of magnet clasp is a magnetic snap clasp. These clasps have
nesting male and female sides like a snap but are held together by magnets, not
mechanics. They attach with two tabs that go through slots in the leather and fold down
over a metal plate on the other side. You need a second layer of leather over the back to
hide this tab attachment, at least on the upper flap.

Swing Clasps
Swing Clasps are any clasp that closes with a swinging mechanism attaching one side to
the other. Swing clasps attach to leather with screw posts, or, in the case of this clasp,
rivets. They often have an antique look which will give your project a very specific
aesthetic.

Turn Lock Clasps
Turn lock clasps are clasps that create a hole in the flap of a bag which is latched by
inserting and turning the lock from the lower half of the clasp.
To attach the upper part, you need to cut a hole the size of the clasp aperture in the bag
flap, insert the front layer of the clasp and fold down the tabs over the back layer

The turn lock part of the clasp attaches to the body of the bag by folding tabs through slits
cut in the leather.

Attach the Strap and Buckle to the Small Bag
Now attach the strap and buckle that will form the closure of your small bag.
First rivet the long strap onto the two rivet holes in the back of the bag. Use the rivet setting
base inside your bag as a base to set the rivets, like you did when you added the snap to
the pocket.
Now, take the small strap and loop it around the buckle. Make sure the right side of the
buckle is facing out and the buckle tongue is pointing up away from the strap.
Use your hole punch to punch the two rivet holes through to the bottom layer of the strap.

To rivet the buckle to the bag, put the rivet setting base inside the bag again and pound
two rivets through all three layers.
Now you can thread the long strap through the slits on the flap and buckle your bag closed!

You Made a Custom Bag!
The main part of the bag is done! All you need to do now is decide how how you want to
use your bag, and then add a strap or a belt. We'll go over making straps in the next
lesson, but in the meantime, you are welcome to share a photo of whatever you've created!

LESSON 9: CREATING LEATHER STRAPS AND HANDLES
In this last lesson I'm going show you some techniques for creating leather straps and
handles, and how to apply those techniques to your bag design. You'll have the option to
turn it into a purse with several strap styles, or create a shoulder harness that will turn two
of the smaller bags into underarm holsters. I'll show you how to measure to get the right
strap length for your own body, and how to turn those measurements into a pattern.
If you'd like to see how to turn your bag into a pocket belt or leg bag instead, check out my
instructable on Leather Pocket Belts.
x-acto knife
awl
stitching chisels
mallet
quartz slab and poundo board
cutting mat

cutting wheel
rotary punch
stitching pony
double sided tape
metal and clear plastic ruler
cloth tape measure
oak tag for making mock-ups
pencil and paper or computer and printer
strong sharp scissors
rapid rivets
snaps and snap setter
one 1" buckle
one O-ring
thick waxed thread
grommets and grommet setter
thin and thick leather for double and single layer straps
rope for the core of a round handle
your finished bag or purse
Download
http://staging.instructables.com/ORIG/FO6/8NZP/INBYYUZG/FO68NZPINBYYUZG.pdf
…
Download
http://staging.instructables.com/ORIG/F8T/XOYN/INJ6B417/F8TXOYNINJ6B417.pdf
…

Using Grommets
Before we talk about straps directly, we're going to learn how to use one more piece of
hardware that can be useful in belt and strap connections: grommets.
Grommets are two part metal rings that make a reinforced hole in leather. They are often
used to create attachment points for other hardware, or small holes for lacing up a
wearable leather piece like a corset, shoe or arm bracer. They can also hold two or more
pieces of leather together like rivets with a hole through the center. You can even use them
purely for decoration, like I did on my Millennium Falcon Bag. Grommets are a good tool to
have in your leather skills arsenal.
Grommets come in all different sizes and each size needs a different setting tool, which
can be annoying. The setting tools have two parts like a snap setter. A concave base that
holds the top of the grommet and a shaft with a shaped end that you use to hammer the
two pieces together.
To set a grommet you first need to cut a hole the right size, which is often bigger than
standard leather hole punch sizes. Grommet setting kits sometimes come with punches
the right size, or you can buy them separately. You can also just use your largest existing
hole punch and punch several times to create a large enough, if slightly misshapen, hole.
Once you have a big enough hole punched, push the larger top piece of the grommet
through from the grain side and slide the smaller bottom ring over the central stem on the
flesh side.

Use the setting shaft and a mallet to hammer the two halves together. It can take a bit of
force to set them properly.

Single Layer Shoulder Straps
When you want to create a strap out of single layer of leather, you need to use leather that
is thick and strong enough that it won't stretch or break. You should choose a leather that
is at least 6-9 oz and not stretchy. A lot of straps are made from thick veg tanned leather,
but in the chrome tanned leather world, a thick latigo, or even a stiff stamped leather can
be a good choice for a single layer strap.
To create a shoulder strap for a bag, first decide what style of strap you want to create. Do
you want it to be adjustable or fixed length? Buckle, snap or rivet attachment? It's usually
good to maintain continuity between the style of your bag and the style of the strap.
Shoulder straps should be between 5/8" and 1 1/2" wide, depending on the size and
proportions of the bag. Straps with a continuous width of more than 1 1/2" will tend to fall
off your shoulder.
Straps should attach securely to your bag in at least two places. In this case you need to
create a strap with ends that will fit through the 1" D rings we've already attached to our
larger bag (or the 3/4" D rings on our smaller bag). To get the length of the strap for a bag,
you can look at bags you already wear and measure their strap length, or just take a cloth
measuring tape and drape it over your shoulder to find the right length. A strap length that
allows the bag to sit around the hip is a good standard length. In my case this is 40".

To make a strap with an adjustable length, I created a strap with a consistent 1" width, and
added a buckle on one side. It's best to put the buckle near one end of the strap because if
it ends up sitting on your shoulder or back it will be uncomfortable. In order to add the
buckle, the strap needs to be two separate parts. I decided to put my buckle 10" up the
strap, so the short end of the strap is 10" + 2" on each end for attachment, 14" total. The
long end of the strap is 30" + 4" for buckle adjustment on one end, and 2" for attachment
on the other end, 36" total.
I used a cutting wheel and a metal ruler to cut long strap pieces and then trimmed them to
the right length.
Punch some holes in one end of the long strap, I punched 8 holes spaced 1" apart, then
attach a 1" center bar buckle to one end of the short strap.

Now attach the other end of the short and long straps to the D rings on the bag. You could
rivet them on for a permanent attachment, or decide to add snaps so they will be
removable. You could also use grommets here and attach the bag with swivel snaps.
There are a lot of options.

Think about which side of your body you are more likely to wear a purse, for me this is the
right side, so I attached the long strap to that side of the purse so the buckle will face
backward when I have the bag over my shoulder.

Double Layer Shoulder Straps
Double layer shoulder straps are basically made the same way we made the double layer
belt in the last lesson. Two layers of thinner leather are sewn together to create a
reinforced strap with grain on both sides. To create the pattern, just follow the same
measurements you used to create a single layer shoulder strap, but laminate two layers of
thinner leather to create each strap.
If you don't have leather that is thick enough to be used as a single layer strap, you can
reinforce thinner leather by sewing two layers together. This can be fairly time consuming
when you are hand sewing, but it does create a nice finished look with the grain of the
leather facing out on both sides.
To create this kind of strap, design your pattern basically the same way you did for the
single layer strap, but add a sewing line about 1/8" in from the edge of the pattern. (In
these photos, I'm creating a double layer shaped belt, not a strap, but the idea is the
same.)
To get perfectly matching edges on the two layers of leather that make up the strap, I
usually don't make my final edge cuts until I have sewn the two layers together. To do this,
cut out a piece of leather at least 1/4" bigger than your strap pattern on all sides. Then
glue, or double sided tape, this piece of leather to another piece, flesh sides together, and
cut the second piece to the same size as the first.

Now trace the sewing lines of your pattern onto the leather (I cut my paper pattern pieces
out along the sewing lines instead of the cutting lines, and then just traced around the
edges). Punch sewing holes along these lines with a stitch chisel or an awl.
Sew around the leather, attaching the two layers of the strap or belt with a saddle stitch.
Now, with scissors, or an X-Acto knife, carefully cut 1/8" out from the sewing line to create
a clean edge.

Add a buckle, snap or other closure to your strap or belt in the same way you would if it
was a single layer. Just be sure to never punch through your stitch lines when you are
adding hardware.

Round Handles or Straps
A round handle or strap adds a nice look to a leather or canvas bag and also makes a thin
strap stronger. Round handles are often made in pairs which are attached to each side of a
bag with an open top. You could also make a single long round strap and attach it to the
larger bag design we've created.
This kind of strap or handle is made by sewing a piece of leather around a core made out
of a rope or cord. To attach the handle, you need to create shaped ends on the strap that
will be sewn or riveted directly onto the bag, or onto a ring. Designing the shape of these

ends can add a distinct style to your design.
To create a round strap or handle, first decide how long you want it to be. Cut a section of
your rope core this length, then measure the circumference of the rope with a tape
measure, in my case it is 1 1/8".
Trace a rectangular outline onto leather 1 1/8" wide and about 4 inches longer than the
rope on each side for the strap ends). Cut out the strap, leaving 1/2" seam allowance on
each long side. Punch sewing holes along the side lines starting 3 1/4" in from each end.
Use some double sided tape to stick your rope core down the center of the strip on the
flesh side.

Now take a needle and thread and sew the leather together around the rope using a saddle
stitch.
When you've finished stitching, trim the edge of the seam, leaving a 1/8" - 1/4" seam
allowance.

Shape the ends to your liking, keeping in mind how you plan to attach them. You could
leave them straight and rivet them around the rings of a bag, or if you wanted to sew them
directly to the bag, you might give them more of a diamond shape like this, and then punch
sewing holes through them and the bag.

Turn Your Small Bag Into a Shoulder Harness
The last strap variation I am going to show you is a double shoulder harness that will
attach two of the smaller bags under your arms. Harness bags like these are great for
festivals, concerts and other adventures where you want your hands free.
To create this harness, we are going to make 4 straps that all meet at a ring at the top of
your back, wrap around your shoulders, and snap onto the D rings of the pouches under
your arms.
To get the approximate length of the straps, I took one of my small leather bags and held it
against my side under my arm sitting just above the hip where it seemed like it would be
comfortable to wear. Then I had a friend use a cloth tape measure to measure from the
middle of my upper back over my shoulder to the D ring on the front of the bag (17"), and
from the same place on my back to the D ring on the back of the bag (10").

I marked these measurements on my sketch and then mocked up 4 straps in oak tag that
fit these dimensions to check if they were correct. I tried on the mock up and made some
slight adjustments so the bags were sitting where I wanted them to sit. I also marked
where the front strap crossed the shoulder and underarm.

I drafted my strap patterns in Illustrator, adding some thickness to the front straps over the
shoulder to make them more comfortable, but making sure they narrowed again before the
underarm. Then I cut the straps out of my thick black strap leather.
I used a large O ring in the back of the harness to connect my 4 straps, looping them
around the ring and riveting them. I used snaps on the other ends of the straps so they
could be looped around the D rings of the small bags to attach them.

You could come up with a lot of variations on this style. You could use a thinner leather
and make double layer straps, or straps with more interesting shape. You could use
buckles instead of snaps, or attach small grommets and lace up the back instead of using
an O ring. You could also add straps across the front of the chest for additional security
and a different style.

You're Done!!
By adding a strap or belt of your choice, you've finished creating your own custom bag! If
you've turned your bag into a purse, it will be a great size for holding your essentials, and a
shoulder harness or hip belt gives you a convenient way to carry small items while still
keeping your hands free. I've been wearing shoulder harness around the studio so I can
carry my phone and listen to podcasts while I make even more leather projects!
Whatever version you've created, I'm sure you've found a way to make something
awesome and unique that works for you. Feel free to post a picture here of what you've
come up with so we can bask in the glory of your creative brilliance :)
Taking Leatherwork Further
I hope that this class has left you feeling informed and inspired! It was my intention in these
lessons, to not only direct you through the step by step process of making leather projects,
but, more importantly, to empower you to come up with your own ideas. I wanted to expose
you to the tools, materials and techniques that will help you move forward, but I
intentionally left our projects fairly open ended to put some of the aesthetic control in your
hands. I'm sure you've come up with some interesting variations on my designs, and I can't
wait to see them!
I also designed this class with the hope of demonstrating that working with leather can be
easy! Leatherwork is undoubtedly a complex art, and we've really only scratched the
surface here, but look what we've been able to create with just a few simple techniques!

The best way to internalize any skill is to keep practicing it, so I highly recommend finding
another project to work on soon. Instructables is full great leatherworking projects that will
give you even more inspiration. Some of these projects use veg tanned leather and a few
skills we haven't covered here, like dying, burnishing and tooling. If you aren't ready to
tackle these new skills, or you don't have the right supplies, you can often adapt these
projects for chrome tanned leather by choosing the right weight of leather and simply
eliminating the dying and tooling portion of the project.
I've assembled a collection of projects that I think your newly acquired skills will make you
well prepared for. They are arranged at the bottom of this page page in order from
extremely easy to quite challenging.
I really hope you've enjoyed this class! feel free to ask questions in the discussion section.
If you have comments, feedback, or want to share resources you've discovered, please
send me a private message via my member page. Please share photos of your projects
here, and if you keep creating with leather or any material, I encourage you to publish you
projects as Instructables and enter them in Instructables contests! I can't wait to see what
you create!

Intermediate Leatherworking Class: Create a Custom Leather Bag

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Intermediate Leatherworking Class: Create a Custom Leather Bag

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

instructables classes

INTERMEDIATE LEATHERWORKING CLASS

Intermediate Leatherworking Class: Page 1

Lesson 1: Tools and Supplies for Intermediate Leatherwork

Lesson 2: Making Leather Patterns

Lesson 3: Custom Leather Bag

Lesson 4: Creating Sewing Holes in Leather

Lesson 5: Leather Adhesives

Lesson 6: Sewing Leather

Intermediate Leatherworking Class: Page 2

Lesson 8: Leather Hardware: Buckles and Clasps

Lesson 9: Creating Leather Straps and Handles

Intermediate Leatherworking Class: Page 3

X-acto knife or Industrial knife

Intermediate Leatherworking Class: Page 4

Intermediate Leatherworking Class: Page 5

Intermediate Leatherworking Class: Page 6

Intermediate Leatherworking Class: Page 7

Intermediate Leatherworking Class: Page 8

Intermediate Leatherworking Class: Page 9

Intermediate Leatherworking Class: Page 10

Intermediate Leatherworking Class: Page 11

Intermediate Leatherworking Class: Page 12

Intermediate Leatherworking Class: Page 13

Intermediate Leatherworking Class: Page 14

Intermediate Leatherworking Class: Page 16

Disposable Brushes - used to apply glue to leather.

Intermediate Leatherworking Class: Page 17

Intermediate Leatherworking Class: Page 18

Intermediate Leatherworking Class: Page 19

Intermediate Leatherworking Class: Page 20

Intermediate Leatherworking Class: Page 21

Intermediate Leatherworking Class: Page 22

Intermediate Leatherworking Class: Page 24

Intermediate Leatherworking Class: Page 25

Intermediate Leatherworking Class: Page 26

Intermediate Leatherworking Class: Page 27

Intermediate Leatherworking Class: Page 28

Intermediate Leatherworking Class: Page 29

Intermediate Leatherworking Class: Page 30

Intermediate Leatherworking Class: Page 32

Intermediate Leatherworking Class: Page 33

Intermediate Leatherworking Class: Page 34

Intermediate Leatherworking Class: Page 35

Intermediate Leatherworking Class: Page 36

Intermediate Leatherworking Class: Page 37

Intermediate Leatherworking Class: Page 38

Intermediate Leatherworking Class: Page 39

Intermediate Leatherworking Class: Page 40

Intermediate Leatherworking Class: Page 41

Intermediate Leatherworking Class: Page 42

Intermediate Leatherworking Class: Page 43

Intermediate Leatherworking Class: Page 44

Making the Back Pattern Piece

Intermediate Leatherworking Class: Page 46

Intermediate Leatherworking Class: Page 47

Intermediate Leatherworking Class: Page 48

Intermediate Leatherworking Class: Page 49

Intermediate Leatherworking Class: Page 50

Intermediate Leatherworking Class: Page 51

Intermediate Leatherworking Class: Page 52

Intermediate Leatherworking Class: Page 53

Intermediate Leatherworking Class: Page 55