Leather projects are some of the most fun crafts for a skilled DIY person. There are a ton of different leather crafts to match just about any feasible occasion. No matter the mood you’re in, there’s a leather crafting idea somewhere out there that matches!
General Leatherworking Information
Before you begin your leatherworking adventure, it is important to note several things. Leather DIY is not quite the same as DIY involving regular fabric- you either have to hand sew it or use a special sewing machine read more.
Do You have Space?
Leatherworking isn’t a space that you can just start up in the broom closet because as things accumulate and you begin to work on bigger projects, you’ll need more room. Of course, if your only goal is to make simple presents for your friends and family, then you might never need to consider the space. If you intend on doing leatherworking as a hobby that you get better at, realize that you’ll probably need a space to grow in to.
Ordering Leather
You can order leather in several places. Any quality craft store should have leather that you can order specific sizes, although it might be a little more expensive depending on where you go. If you don’t live in an area where craft stores are abundant, there are tons of different online stores that can sell you leather.
Tools Needed
Depending on how far you’d like to go in leatherworking, you might need a few more tools than you needed the basic leatherworking projects. The first project on this list needs next to no real leatherworking equipment, whereas the last one is a pretty advanced leather project and needs several specialized tools. You can get these tools a lot of different places, so shop around to see where the best deal is and who has the best quality tools.
Picking A Project
The last important thing for getting into leatherworking is picking out a project for your skill level. You might have all the tools to make a leather jacket, but starting on something so hard when you’re a beginner could be discouraging. If none of the leather craft ideas on this list tickles your fancy, pick something else that matches your skill level. Setting yourself up for success is incredibly important. Otherwise, you might quit before you even get a chance to work on your leatherworking skills.
Leather Projects
We’ve narrowed down all our favorite leather DIY projects for you! These leather crafts are both tons of fun and pretty fashionable once made. Our list starts out with the easiest stuff to make and slowly graduates to the more difficult and technical projects.
Leather Notebook Cover
Whether this notebook is for a class or work, adding a leather cover to your notebook instantly makes it way more fashionable. They are friendly for people who are new to leather working and relatively cheap to make. All you need is a leather cutting knife, needle and threat, a small sheet of leather, and the desire to DIY.
Leather Tie Clip
This is an incredibly easy project to make with the leather scraps you’ve accumulated from the rest of your leather projects. Although easy, this project does take a little bit more tools than the previous ones due to the personalization aspect of the leather tie clips. Either way, they’re wonderful presents and great for getting better at decorative leather work.
Leather Drink Koozie
There is nothing better than a customized drink koozie when you’re out at a barbeque with the neighborhood or family. You can customize them with phrases or even decorations- making them fantastic potential gift items. Not only that, but they aren’t that difficult to make, and with practice, they’ll look phenomenal!
Leather Phone Carrier
Not only does keeping your phone in a leather carrier with a combined wallet make it look nicer, but it also protects it from scratches in case it falls. This leather phone carrier requires some leatherworking knowledge, but with all the equipment and practice you’ll eventually get leather crafts that look as good as the carriers that people sell.
Leather Pencil Carrier
This leather pencil carrier has a real vintage vibe to it, not to mention it is guaranteed to carry your pencils and pens in style. It’s durable and a good way to work your way up to more complicated projects while still making something useful.
Customized Leather Belt
A perfectly fitting and professional belt could that great addition to your work uniform or that stylish outfit that’s been missing something. The answer is a customized belt that fits you absolutely perfectly. It doesn’t require sewing like the rest of the leatherworking projects before, but you do have to do technical work attaching the belt buckle of your dreams.
Leather Wallet
A leather wallet is a little more difficult, but a great way to personalize your wallet to how much stuff you tend to hold. Not only this but a cool leather wallet that you’ve crafted out of leather is a major bragging point among your friends. This is a tad more technical and difficult than the leather craft ideas above, so you are sure to keep improving on your leatherworking while making such a useful project.
Leather Jacket
Making your own personal DIY leather jacket is the hardest project that you could do, although it is also the most rewarding. You could get just about any fit of the jacket to fit your body, and you get the reward of doing it yourself. Of course, if you’re still interested in vintage leather jackets and can’t make one quite yet, you could purchase one to hold yourself over.
Starting Your New Hobby
Leather projects are some of the most diverse in the world of DIY crafts. There are so many different things that you could make, and as you get better at leatherworking, the potential craft library only gets bigger.
If you’re interested in learning more DIY hobbies or tips, feel free to check out the hobby section of our blog, and we’ve got plenty of helpful information!
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