Try Leathercraft for a Great Family Hobby

If you have always thought of leathercraft as a hobby for boy scouts and girl scouts only, you are in for a pleasant surprise. More and more families are choosing leathercraft as a great activity the whole family can enjoy together.

Where many other hobbies require a particular age and skill level for participation, leathercraft offers such a variety of projects that the only member of the family that might not be able to enjoy it would be those still confined to a crib. Even very young children can get involved in activities like drawing pictures to paint on leather or lacing pieces of leather together to form the covers of a book.

Learning to work with leather is not difficult and doesn't have to involve a lot of money. Later, after each individual gains skill in working with leather, they may want to invest in more expensive cuts and varieties of leather and beads or other ornaments to enhance finished products, but here are some tips to help you get started.

1. Check out your local library.

The craft section at your local library will be crammed with information on starting out in leathercraft. There will be books on the history of leathercraft, the basic tools you will need to start out; the types of leather needed for different projects; and even some patterns covering all different skill levels.

You'll be amazed at the free education you can get from a few evenings spent scanning the books your library can provide. (Not to mention the enthusiasm they will generate when you see pictures of the gorgeous projects others have made.)

2. Choose small projects to start with.

Let's face it. When a new skill is being learned, people usually mess it up, at least once, and some, like me, may mess it up several times. That's why it makes sense to start with a small project to begin with.

A Sunday School student of mine once gave me a simple key ring holder that consisted of a piece of leather about 2 inches wide and 4 inches long. She had engraved a small cross and a flower on it and punched a hole at one end for me to insert the ring holding my keys. That student is almost 40 now, and each time I use that key ring holder, I think about how she must have worked over her gift to me.

Name tags, key ring holders, coasters, and small pouches with fringe are all good starter projects.

3. Look for free patterns

If you aren't the creative type, look for free patterns on line or in library books. Native Essence (link 1 below) has a free pattern for a Sioux Pouch embellished with beadwork. The finished product is striking, even though the skill level required to make it is not high.

Standing Bear's Trading post and Tandy Leather Factory are also well-known online sources of free patterns so check them out, too.

4. Begin with inexpensive materials

For the younger members of your family, you may want to order a pre-assembled kit from one of the well-known suppliers listed below, but if you want to work from scratch, consider ordering a scrap bundle from one on them. Such bundles usually have a lot of pieces of varying sizes to choose from, and one bundle will probably give you enough material to make a number of small projects.

I like to make doll quilts by cutting tiny squares from the small pieces in a scrap bundle. A piece of left-over flannel sewed to the back of the finished quilt top makes a nice gift for any little girl in your family.

Another source of inexpensive leather for your projects is the local Goodwill or other type of thrift store. You can often find leather jackets that have defects you can cut out and discard, leaving you with a lot of good leather to be used for your future projects. Even leather belts or other leather items in these stores can be turned into wonderful gift items by you and your family.

Get started now, and you will be armed with some one-of-a-kind gifts not only for Christmas but for other gift-giving occasions all year long.

Reference:

1. http://www.nativeessence.com/free-crafts-siouxpouch.htm

2. http://www.sbearstradingpost.com/leather_patterns/beltpatterns1.pdf

3. http://www.tandyleatherfactory.com/home/freepatterns/freepatterns.aspx?navlocation=top