How to Make Leather Wallets with Stitching Craft for Kids & Teens

Here is a great project for groups of kids…for Summer Camps, After-school programs, as well as in school settings. This craft is for making a leather wallet that is laced together. This is a very basic leather wallet craft and I think you will be able to follow it with some adult supervision. This craft requires adult supervision and assistance! Please refer to our article about Working with Leather!

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How to Make Leather Wallets with Stitching Craft for Kids & Teens



How to Make Leather Wallets with Stitching Craft for Kids & Teens



CRAFTS MATERIALS NEEDED:

Leather

Cutting knife and board (For Adult to Use)

Steel angle (With Adult Supervision)

#0 Punch

3/32″ goatskin (or whatever leather you have on hand)

Rubber cement

How to Make These Leather Laced Wallets

Step 1


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(Adult Should Do This Part) Using steel angle and knife, cut two pieces of leather 9″ x 31/2″, as in Figure 1.


 Step 2


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Fold one piece of leather in half, and punch a small hole in the center to allow for folding. Open leather up, as in Figure 2.

 Step 3


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Run spacing wheel on three sides of both pieces of leather, 1/8 ” from the edge, as in Figure 3.

 Step 4


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Skive wrong side of leather on three sides where the pieces are to be joined, as in heavy line in Figure 4. (Here is How You Skive)

 Step 5


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Cement skived areas and make holes for lacing using fib and mallet or #0 punch, as in Figure 5.

 Step 6



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Lace pieces of wallet together using whip stitch, as in Figure 6.  (Here is How You Use the Whip Stitch)

 

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How to Make Leather Eye Glasses Cases with Etched Design

Here on this page you will find instructions for a beautiful eye glasses case to make. This is a leather craft, so you will need leather crafting tools. Also, if you are new to working with leather, you will want to refer to our article about Working with Leather!  This craft instructional will also guide you through etching a design into the cover of the case. When this craft is complete, it would make a great gift for mom, dad, or someone else that you love.  This craft requires adult supervision and assistance! 

How to Make Leather Eye Glasses Cases with Etched Design



How to Make Leather Eye Glasses Cases with Etched Design



Crafts Materials Needed

2 Pieces of tooling leather 3″ x 61/2″

4 yards lacing

Steel angle and board

Spacing wheel

#0 punch

Water and sponge

Tracing paper

Pencil

Modeling tool

How to Make This Etched Leather Eye Glass Case Craft

Step 1



Round off corners of both pieces of leather, as shown by broken line in Figure 1.



Round off corners of both pieces of leather, as shown by broken line in Figure 1.

Step 2



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On strong tracing paper, draw pattern to fit eye glass ease, allowing 1″ all around for lacing. Draw design within pattern. Put a dab of rubber cement to hold design in place on leather, and transfer design to right side of leather with tracer, as in Figure 2.

HOW TO TOOL LEATHER (Etch Design into Leather)

Step 3

Moisten leather on both sides with a sponge and water, until leather becomes dark. Place leather, face up, on work board. Deepen the outline of the design with the tracer, using a ruler for straight lines (as in Figure 3 above) If leather puckers while in work, dampen all over again, and deepen outline again with tracer. Holding spoon end of modeling tool sideways, follow outline of design. The edge of the tool should rest in the dent. Press down and away from outline towards the center of the background. Go around the entire design this way to throw design in sharp relief. To stipple background of design, use tracer end of modeler.

Step 4


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Trim edges. Run spacing wheel on three sides of case. Skive leather where it is to be joined. Cement skived areas and make holes for lacing. Lace pieces together with whip stitch, as in Figure 4.

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How to Work with Leather : Leatherworking Techniques for Kids Working with Adults

There are a few basics you need to know before you work with leather. Leather is one of those things that might need to be cut, so always make sure that you have adult assistance nearby. This is a great craft for Summer Camps, which is why many times kids come home with handmade leather wallets and billfolds. This article will help you with some of the basics and techniques that you might not know about. You will also learn the different lacing methods. You Might Enjoy Our Leather Crafts

Goatskin, cowhide, steer-hide, calfskin and Morocco are the most commonly used leathers. Leather can be bought in whole, half and quarter skins, and is priced by the square foot. Scrap leather, useful for small articles, can be bought by the pound. Only bark-tanned leathers are suitable for tooling. The center back part of the skin is the strongest and is used in the making of wallets, billfolds and key cases. Leather lacing is usually made of 3/32″ goatskin and can be obtained in colors.



How to Work with Leather : Leatherworking Techniques for Kids Working with Adults



How to Work with Leather : Leatherworking Techniques for Kids Working with Adults

TOOLS FOR LEATHER-CRAFT

 



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1. Cutting knife — for cutting and skiving leather. (ADULT ASSISTANCE NEEDED FOR THIS TOOL)

2. Spacing wheel — for making evenly spaced marks for punching lacing holes.

3. Spoon and tracer   —  for tracing, line tooling, flat repousse’.

4. Drive punch — to make holes for lacing.

5. Wooden mallet — for striking tools used in leather-craft.

6. Fid or belt awl — for enlarging holes, stippling, and tightening laces.

7. Revolving punch—for punching holes. Has six different sized tubes on a revolving wheel.

 HOW TO WORK WITH LEATHER

Place the craft work on a smooth, soft, clear-grained board. It is wise to keep one side of the board smooth for tooling, and the other side for cutting and pounding.

Step 1


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Run the spacing wheel 1/8″ in from the edge of craftwork, as in Figure 1. Punch the holes, using either the fid and mallet, or #0 punch (for 3/32″ laces) on revolving punch. Make larger holes for heavier laces.

 Step 2A


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If two pieces of leather of equal thicknesses are to be laced, edges must be “skived” so that when glued together, they will be no more than one thickness. To skive leather, shave off about 1/2″ on the wrong side of ends to be joined, as in Figure 2A.

Step 2B


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Cover skived areas with rubber cement, and when almost dry, press together and pound with mallet, as in Figure 2B.

Step 3A


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To splice or join leather, skive about 1/2″ of ends, one on the finished side, and one on the unfinished side, as in Figure 3A.

 Step 3B


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Cement skived ends, and when almost dry, press together and pound with a mallet, as in Figure 3B.

 Step 4



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To point lace, cut end of lace at an angle, and cover end with household cement. Allow to dry and stiffen, as in Figure 4.

 HOW TO LACE STITCHES

Single Strand Running Stitches


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A single strand running stitch, as seen above, is usually used for decoration or on a single thickness of leather.

 Spiral – Overcast or Whip Stitch (used as an edge trimming and binding thicknesses together.)

2A


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2B


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Bend end of strand (X) down over the leather and continue over casting with end Y, as in Figure 2B.

 2C


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Continue overcasting until corner is reached. Go through corner hole three times to make the turn, as in Figure 2C.

 2D



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Continue overcasting with end Y until work is completed. Finish off work by slipping end Y back under two stitches and cut off, as in Figure 2D.

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