Handmade leather crafts: features and technology for beginners, easy master classes, fun photo ideas

Everyone will find a stack of things that require disposal. Are there any leather things among this stack? Now is your chance to learn how to create homemade leather crafts!

Leftover leather crafts are a great crafting option with kids. Making something new out of leather - not just a fun activity, but also the opportunity for extra income.

Already because of this fact is worth to understand - but what can be made from such a difficult material as leather, how to learn to work with it. You or your children will probably like these tutorials and want to repeat them.

For those who have a developed imagination creating crafts out of leather is a piece of cake. Ideas requiring creative implementations of leatherette and its natural counterpart set. When creating something unusual you need patience and work!

Contents:

Types of leather

Two types are distinguished:

Natural leather;
Artificial leather.

Natural is made from the skins of various animals and even fish. The art of leather is one of the oldest crafts. Leather product is unique. Leather has been an important material for people since ancient times.

Leather is classified into several categories: for its intended use, the type of raw materials used, the method of finishing.

Leather for function

According to the intended use are distinguished:

Leather for shoes.
Leather for drive belts.
Leather for clothing and bags.

Leather by type of raw material used

The names of these types are taken from the animals from which the leather is made. The softer and more supple the leather obtained, the more valuable it is. Accordingly, rough and thick leather is often not used in the production process at all.

Techniques of working with leather

There are many methods of realizing creative tasks with leather. They can be used on their own, or they can be used in conjunction with others.

Embossing helps to make a convex image thanks to the stamp. Embossing is ideal when choosing vegetable tanned leather. Chrome-tanned leather is gradually losing its clear contours.

Different holes in the leather create an interesting pattern. To create them you will need punches.

When combining leather strips with perforations you can get a bag, purse. The strips are made by yourself with a cord-cutting tool, or you can buy them. There are variants of different colors available in the store.

Engraving is quite a complicated technique. It requires both skills and expensive equipment. The picture is applied with an annealer or a hot stamp. There are laser engravers for home use, but they are very expensive.

To create an application, leather of different shapes and sizes is fixed on the base with glue or threads, creating a pattern. Elements are allowed to overlap or butt together. When docked, the technique is called intarsia. This technique makes excellent crafts from pieces of leather by hand.

Leather accessories

You can make a lot of useful accessories from leather. The main advantage is, of course, the unique design of the product.

Bag

Want to sew your own leather handbag, then this guide is what you need. It shows the process of creating a handbag.

What is needed:

Leather cloth;
zipper lock up to 15 cm;
beads for the eyes;
handle buckle;
glue;
office knife;
hammer;
ruler;
puncher;
clips;
needles;
threads;
sewing machine.

Work steps:

We take the pattern from the Internet, a magazine, unzip the old toy. We add seam allowances to the parts by 0.5 cm.
If you prepare the parts of the pattern on cardboard, it will allow you to cut out parts with a box cutter at once. If using thin leather, we outline in a standard way and cut out.
For the handles, prepare 2 rectangular pieces: 3 cm by 80 cm and 3 cm by 30 cm. We smear the wrong side of the glue, bend the edges to the center and sew, tapping as necessary with a hammer. If the leather is thick, the handle is simply cut out of it. As an alternative, you can use a chain, a beautiful cord.
The clasp is first carefully glued to the inside of the fabric. Let the glue dry and you can stitch.
In the same way we glue, and then sew ears and muzzle.
Glue the eyes of the mouse.
Handles of the bag are fixed with glue and paper clips. After a while they can be stitched.
Then attach the bottom. Stitching when the glue is completely dry.
The handle length adjustment system is attached and used as on a pant belt. Tongue on the lock can be decorated with a scrap of leather.
Cheerful animalistic bag is ready!

Decorations

Leather can also be used to create beautiful jewelry. They will emphasize a person's individual style.

Leather bracelet

Such a fashion accessory is made very quickly.

Materials needed:

Leather cord with a length of 80 cm.
Three 25 cm chains, or two colorful laces.
Scissors.
String.
Needle.
A button of the same color as the chain.

Instructions for creation:

We divide the leather lace into 2 parts, approximately 27 and 53 cm.
The longest part of the lace fold in half. Sew the smaller part of the lace to the bend. Attach a chain to each of the resulting elements of the future braid. All parts should be secured at the end with threads.
Weave a regular braid. After finishing braiding, be sure to stitch it at the other end. On one side of the braid we make a loop. At the second end we fasten the button.
You can try it on.

Brooch of leather material

Make a flower brooch for a unique piece of jewelry!

What's needed:

Multicolored leather.
Cardboard sheets or a box.
Tweezers.
The base for the brooch.
Paper glue and Moment.
Candle.

Now you can get to work:

We make templates. Draw the elements of a flower on cardboard. Transfer them to the skin and cut out. 9-10 elements should be enough.
Apply glue "Moment" on the underside of the petal along the length of the workpiece. We bend along the glue strip and press until the glue dries. We get the break. Repeat this with each piece.
Paper glue lightly diluted with water. Soak all the parts from the wrong side with it. After the glue is completely dry, holding the petal with tweezers, warm it over a candle flame on the inside.
Make a round base of leather, about 2 cm in radius. Glue the petals to the circle: the large ones on the edge, then the medium ones and the small ones closer to the middle.
Form a heart from 2-3 small petals and fix it in the center of the circle.
Fix a pin to the back side of the circle. When the glue dries well, check again all the parts.
The brooch in the form of a flower is ready!

Cover .

It has a soft lining that protects the glass from scratching, stiffness, it is made to custom sizes.

What you will need:

leather;
cloth;
glue;
wood bolsters;
awl;
kapron threads;
office knife;
tape measure;
absorbent cotton.

Step-by-step instructions for creating a handicraft:

Measure the parameters of the optics. This can easily be done with a cardboard box. Putting the glasses in the corner, make notches with a pencil in the peaks and measure.
Add 0.5 cm to each parameter. Select a bar with similar dimensions. Fix the bar on the board.
For the cover it is better to take a thicker leather, or additionally reinforce each side with a piece of Watman. Prepare all the parts.
Prepare an arc for the visor from a piece of leather. To figure out where to attach the arch for the flap, wrap the upper piece of leather around the bollard and mark the correct spot.
Use a tufted fabric for the lining. Sew the backing to both pieces, remembering to twist.
Lift the lining from the bottom element. Fix the lining in its place by dabbing the leather with glue. Carefully level it. Let it dry for 24 hours. On the back panel make cuts through both materials.
Lift the backing, spread glue on the underside of the leather, press the backing, removing the folds. Place the prepared parts of the cover on the dummy and fasten it with laths and nails.
Shape the edge by cutting off the surplus of lining fabric and leather.
Fasten it. If necessary, glue the flimsy skin joints. Leave for another 24 hours. The top can be removed from the bolster.
Combine the top and bottom of the cover. Sew parts to each other.
Make a flap. We make leather trim on the inside, as with the previous treatments. Sew leather on flap.

Keyring

A leather keychain is a great idea for a gift. A piece of leather can be turned into a work of art that has no analogues. Hanging up such a keychain on your keys, you will never forget them.

Accessories for animals

A loving owner is ready to buy toys, food and even a collar made of genuine leather for his pet.

Today, leather pet jewelry is becoming more and more popular. A good way of additional income for needlewomen.

Ideas for leather gifts

Such a gift will not only surprise but also please a person. After all, it will be unusual and as original as possible.

Apron

An apron made of leather is the perfect gift for a man with a passion for what he loves.

This apron is also easy to make for a child's creative activities. It will save more than a few clothes!

For the work you will need:

leather or leatherette.
suspenders.
fabric glue.
thick needle.
thick thread.

Work steps:

First, let's draw a diagram. Paper fold in half along the longitudinal line. Check the size by attaching it to someone who will wear it or have to measure everything beforehand.
The width is taken at half the circumference of the hips. The height is measured from neck to knees. Leave the width of the chest piece as necessary.
Mark the attachment point of the straps. Connect the smooth line. Trim the excess and unfold.
According to the pattern to cut an apron of kozhzama or its natural counterpart.
We make the ties.
For ties with 4 clips, cut a leather circle with 4 holes through which to extend the ends of the suspenders. You will get a kind of cross. You fasten the top straps on the chest and the remaining straps on the side corners.
For suspenders with 3 clips, you need to make a belt to which the clip will be attached in the middle.
No suspenders? No problem. Cut 2 leather strips. Fasten them however you want in the side corners. Make a loop at the top of the apron from the leather strip.
You can use rope. It attaches the same way.
All done!

Portmanteau

Such things are in demand. Especially often purchased as a gift.

Often, in order to get a more interesting result, techniques and materials are combined with each other. For example, an insert with embroidery on the leather cover of a notebook looks very stylish.

Organizer for small things

How you can make a leather organizer is detailed in the guide below.

For work you will need:

A pattern;
Round objects of different radii;
A very sharp knife;
A tape measure;
Marker for the pattern;
Punching tools with nozzles;
Hammer;
Needlewheel;
Edge cutters;
Polishing slicker;
Blunt-nose needle;
Sandpaper;
Plastic spatula;
Wool brush;
Synthetic sponge;
Natural cloth.

After preparing everything you need, you can begin making the craft:

Leather cloth for the inner and outer parts may differ in thickness. With the help of a template we prepare parts for coloring. Do not forget to make additions to the parts, as after dyeing the leather may shrink.
Dye the outer side until you get the desired shade. Allow to dry completely. Polish the painted side.
After polishing, we apply the finishing touch and rub with a natural cloth.
Reconcile the treated parts with the pattern and, if necessary, trace with a pattern marker. If possible, mark the places of penetration.
Cut out the elements and make all the necessary holes in them at once. The organizer is almost ready. The lining piece for the tongue is cut at the last moment. We make the corners rounded with rounded objects.
Next, we dye the wrong side. Smooth the nap with a tandem spatula and applicator. After sanding, apply the finishing compound again.
The ends must be finished before the final assembly. Remove the bevel. Treat the surfaces in the same way as in the previous schemes: painting, sanding, polishing. Finish with an adhesive compound and let it dry completely.
Grind the bonding areas with coarse sandpaper.
Parts are glued together. Strengthen the divider with a needle with threads.
Next, finish the bare ends. All the corners of the parts must be rounded.
On the front of the organizer fix buttons with pockets. Strengthen with stitching.
Check the size of the tongue and glue it. Trim all unnecessary things, mark the places where you attach the buttons. According to the pattern, mark the holes for stitching. Make holes and stitching the tongue.
It remains only to process the ends. Due to the fact that most of the walls are glued from 3 layers of leather, it is necessary to carefully trim the ends. The scheme of processing the ends has already been described above. Grind with fine sandpaper, and then again with the appliqué.

Interior decorating

Beautiful decorative elements made of leather will be a decoration and a highlight of any interior. And you can make them yourself.

Wall panels

Want to diversify your interior? Create a stylish leather floral picture.

Materials needed:

A large piece of leather material.
Iron.
Multicolored leather.
Glue.
Tweezers.
Cardboard cut sheets or a box.
Elements for decoration.

Let us begin our work:

Cut out a rectangle of leather cloth 30 by 50 cm. This is the main part of the panel. The basis can be absolutely any shape.
The next step is to make the flowers. Their main component of the pattern leather petals.
We take cardboard and draw all the necessary details of flowers. Cut out the templates. From multicolored leather cut out details on the template. Petals and leaves will need a lot, so it is worth to stock up on them in advance.
For a more interesting look details need to add volume. Turn on the iron to heat on minimum temperature. We put the petals on the underside of the iron. To avoid burning remove them with tweezers. Apply to all parts.
Make yourself flowers from the prepared elements. Choose petals of any color you like. The core will be a kind of craftsmanship from scraps of leather. The remainder of the skin is twisted into a cochlea and fixed with glue. This is the heart, to which we will attach the blanks.
Apply glue at the base of the petal and press to the core. Hold for a few seconds to fix the glue. So attach all the petals one by one. Include your imagination is not forbidden. The main thing is to maintain consistency in the size of the petals.
Now glue the leaves at the base of the finished flower. Of the remaining petals and leaves do other flowers on the same principle.
Let's make the main material. Fix the finished roses to the picture with glue. The order of placement depends only on your desire and imagination. Add additional decorations to the panel if desired. The work is finished!

The picture is glued to a cardboard base to keep its shape.

Stand

Double-sided leather coasters are used individually or made into a composition.

What is needed:

Leather cloth or leatherette;
Duct tape;
mat;
knife;
ruler;
acrylic fixer;
skin glue;
brush.

Now you can get to work:

Templates can be taken from the Internet or you can create your own. Print or draw the details of the template.
If you need to combine 2 leather layers, it's time to use glue.
Secure the template to the leather with adhesive tape.
Cut out parts according to the template.
Do everything according to the processing technique. Allow to dry completely and you can use it.

The lantern

From vegetable-tanned leather with a thickness of not less than 3.5 mm, cut 4 pieces of the required size.
Cut corners on the larger side to get a trapezoid with a base length of 100 mm. and 80 mm.
We draw a line on which we will cut, make holes in the corners. We cut off the excess inside with a clerical knife.
We trim the bevels from the inner corners. Apply paint to both sides. After coloring put the piece under the crank, in order to save from eversion when drying.
From the leather processed by the method of vegetable tanning and not less than 1.8 mm. make four strips 15 mm. wide and about 150 mm long. Trim the chamfers only on the outer side, dye and remove under the crimp.
After the paint dries, we drill 2 holes in each corner at a distance of 2 mm from each other. Trowel the ends with any material.
Glue the bonding area polish with emery paper.
Glue the workpieces to each other. Use punch or drill to make necessary holes.
Stitch all the parts.
Take long bamboo skewers and cut a length equal to the diagonal of the workpiece inside +5 mm, and at the ends make slits in the circumference for the thread.
We pass the thread through the holes crosswise and tie it on the bamboo sticks. Make a strong knot, removing excess.
The resulting structure glued and stitched.
Make a roof for the lamp with projecting edges on the sides.
Prepare parts of the lantern. Make a hole in the lid to fix the reflector.
Trim the bevels and paint on both sides. Polishing the ends. Fix reflector on its place with glue.
Prepare 1 more piece, on the inner perimeter of the walls. This will connect the roof and the sides of the lantern. Paint and glue the roof.
In the corner we make a course for the wire.
Prepare 2 parts on the inside and outside perimeter of the lower part of the walls. On the larger part fix the lantern cover, which covers the battery compartment. Drill and fasten.
Glue and paint the resulting elements.
Make a path for the wire and fix the bottom in its place.
Making details for the pitched roof.
Sew butt joints into the leather. Make marks on the inside with a compass. For proper stitching, we indent from the edge at a distance equal to the thickness of the skin. After all the manipulation trim the bevel, strictly at a 45-degree angle.
Combine the parts and we get the roof of the house. Go over the cut areas with sandpaper.
Make holes. When drilling holes make sure they were coaxial, otherwise they will not be able to sew through.
Paint, bend, fix with glue.
Align the roof and base, drawing the perimeter.
In several places, tack with glue. Make holes in both parts at the same time.
Sew parts of the pitched roof.
Make a billet for the topmost piece of the roof. Trim chamfers, paint, finish ends.
In the upper part we make holes, glue and sew.
Drill the reflector and the board with diodes. We screw it on.
Grind the glue points with sandpaper and pull the wire into the prepared hole.
We also fasten the roof elements first with glue and then with threads.
Lead the wire around the bend in the corner and through the passage in the detail from below.
Place the roof in its place and fasten it with glue.
Prepare parts for the stand, larger than the lower part of the light by 6 mm. Check and remove the excess.
Trim the bevels at 45 degrees, determine where the seam will be and create a decorative line under it. Mark the places of sewing punctures.
Drill as described above. Paint, bend, glue.
Stitch in the corners. Remove the chamfers. We polish.
Make a hole for the switch. We fix it.
Glue legs of the luminaire in place. Remove excess glue.
Close all the compartments and connect the wiring to the relays and power elements. Be sure to check that everything works!
We coat the light fixture with acrylic fixer in two coats.
The light fixture is ready.

Refurbishing a stool

Have stools that need to be discarded? Take a closer look at them. Or maybe they just need an upgrade?

For the job, you'll need:

stool;
about three square meters of leather;
about three meters of copper wire;
tape measure;
utility knife;
paper clips;
pencil;
masking tape.

Creation of the handicraft:

First, let's take care of the leather panels. Prepare the basic parts for the seat. The size of the lower part should be equal to the upper part plus the thickness of the seat.
Cut out the circles, leaving the corners of the cut even.
Prepare the parts for sewing.
Make pencil marks on the circumference every 3 cm. The distance between the marks depends on the desired frequency of buttonholes. Align the parts to face each other. Secure with a few ribbons. Stitch holes to be punched must be opposite each other.
Make holes on the marks not 2 cm to the edge.
Aligning parts
"Dress" the seat in circles and match the holes. Remove excess edges, not allowing the circles to move. Make slits for the legs.
Sew together parts.
Place the stool upside down. Tie a knot near the end of the cord to make a long tail. When sewing, the cord should be tight and the material should be pressed to the seat. If you follow all the rules, you will get a nice edge.
When you reach the end, untie the original knot and thread the end into the previous opening. Connect the two ends securely. You can glue the ends together for security.
Cut off the excess ends and hide the knot in the upholstery layers.
Upgrading your stool is over!