Inspiration This pencil case was inspired by a brother who wanted a leather case for his art supplies and liked the idea of a compact cylindrical case, one that could hold approximately 60 pencils/pens. All I had to do was figure out the details of the strap and rivet placements. Design The front design for […]
Inspiration This last winter I dove into the niche of bookbinding. I have always been fascinated by old/ancient books growing up, and learning the process of bookbinding when it was all done by hand, and I figured hey, how hard could it be? Design Well, through a steep learning curve, and about a dozen different […]
Inspiration Thanks to a kick in the butt from a younger sister of mine that both loves coffee and had an old wallet that was dilapidated, I had the chance to come up with a design I figured would suit her and fix the wallet issue. Design The wallet design was more of a means […]
Inspiration I have always thought it smart to have at least a bit of cash on hand to be ready for any situation that may arise. But I hate bulky bifold or trifold wallets and at the time I kept the few cards I had in a separate small leather card holder. The design Slim, […]
In a previous post about turning a soft cover Bible into a leather hard cover, I ran into the issue of not finding decorative paper that was big enough. So here is what I did to manage that issue. The book block measured 11 7/8 inches tall, and the only decorative paper I could find […]
So what is wheat paste? You guessed it, it’s a paste made from wheat. And it couldn’t be simpler. If you are only interested in the recipe then feel free to fast track down to the bottom of the post. No hard feelings:) Wheat paste is made from flour and water and can be used […]
The world of bookbinding can easily get confusing, when I first started, I had no idea what a headband was or the difference between a signature and a book block. But don’t worry, I will try and break it down so it makes a bit more sense. Book terminology Signatures. The individual sections are made […]
The newest commission piece I said YES to is, hands down, the biggest book I have attempted to rebind from a soft cover into a hard cover. It is just under 12 inches tall by 8 1/2 inches wide, and 1 5/8 thick. This Bible was brand new and in good condition, so I was […]
This should be a pretty straightforward and short follow-up. Fallow up. So, a couple of days ago, I wrote a post about what would make a usable canvas that works for practice carving AND is usable as a finished item. You can read that post here. As expected, leather coasters are perfect for easy-to-make canvases […]
Do you want to try out some carving designs, but don’t want to use a whole chunk of leather just for practicing? Why not make coasters to practice on? I had been brainstorming this morning for a while for good canvas ideas. Something that would make an ideal small leather canvas that I could quickly […]
I was asked a couple of times recently about the custom designs I tool onto the Custom Design Wallets, where do you get inspiration from? Is it hard to come up with designs? Do I like trying to come up with a new design, and how long does it take? Well I will do my […]
Well, when I got into leather working all those years ago, I never really thought that photography would play such a big part. Fortunately, it’s not that hard if you are okay with bit of study and failing a gazillion times like I was! Luckily, I grew up with a couple of sisters who were […]
I don’t have templates or instructions for all these ideas, yet! But maybe this list will spark an idea for your next simple leather project.
Not sure where to start for your first leather project? No worries. We have a few suggestions to get you started and get you in a creative mindset. a simple wallet. Possibly the best all round leather project to try out the skills in leather working would be a simple bifold wallet like this one, […]
What’s Involved?
leather working is a craft that offer endless possibilities for creating exceptional products. with the right tools, techniques and dedication, anyone can become a skilled leather worker and produce beautiful and functional leather goods. So what tools are essential for leather working? Here is a list cutting mat, craft knife or utility knife, stitching chisel […]
When it comes to leatherwork, there are various tools and materials that can help you achieve professional results for your leather projects. One of those materials is tragacanth gum, a natural gum exuded from the stems of several species of Astragalus plants. Tragacanth gum has been used for centuries in the leather industry, due to […]
When it comes to working with leather, one of the key skills every leather crafter should master is burnishing. Burnishing is the process of smoothing and polishing the edges of leather to give it a professional and finished look to your leather project. While it may sound daunting at first, with a bit of practice […]
If you’re itching to get into the world of DIY leather projects but have no idea where to start, fear not! We’re here to help break it down for you and tell you exactly what tools you’ll need to get those creative juices flowing. First things first, let’s address the elephant in the room – […]
What you should know about taking car of leather.