Leatherwork

In non-Halloween related crafting news, I finally finished a leather cuff that isn't a magic braid! (A magic braid is where the leather bracelet is braided even though it is all one intact piece.)

I started a few months back gathering the leather scrap bags from Joann's and Michael's and working a bit with the pieces available from them. I made about ten magic braid bracelets and then kind of lost interest.



I picked the idea up again when I was bored on the weekend and trying not to spend money (grad student, remember?) and dug in to the grocery bag of leather and suede remnants. Most of the remnants are from the furniture industry, so you never really know what you'll get from a grab bag. One bag has some very nice thin navy leather and some thicker black suede that I fell in love with, and another bag has some grey-ish deerskin leather in various thicknesses.

I decided first to get out the cookie cutters and cut out some leaf shapes (in three different sizes) and see what I could use them for. I ended with two pair of earrings. (Sorry for the crazy-busy counter top, I'll work on that next time.)



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Then I went digging through the jewelry box to see what else I could scrape up in between BSG episodes. I found a chromium chain I bought years ago for a costume, and found in my "make jewelry box" a cute little heart lock.

I measured the length of black suede I needed to wrap around my wrist like a cuff and cut out a rectangle (I used another cuff as a template for the width, I didn't want it impractically bulky) and cut small strips from the scrap suede. Then I got my handy dandy leather hole punch (it's awesome!) and set holes at the top and bottom of the cuff every few inches, and made the same holes in the strips. Then I set rivets into the suede cuff and strips(way more fun than it should be) and ran the shiny chain through the loops. Add the heart lock, and sit back to admire!



I think I may change the lock to a regular clasp at some point, because it makes the shiny cuff look a bit too gothy for me, but it's going to be a challenge to find a lobster clasp large enough to handle the chain. Overall, I'm pretty impressed with the riveting, even though most are horribly crooked. For my first time with an anvil, anvil cap, hammer, and small bits of leather I deem it a success.

I began working on another cuff the same night, and it's a good first draft idea but most certainly scrap. It's a navy leather cuff with brass rivets attaching a magic braid accent piece. My aforementioned beginner's luck with the riveting had well worn off at this point.



I like working with leather, and I hope to get some more jewelry ideas to keep it going. I don't see myself doing the leather etching, mainly because I can't draw at all, but I like the simple cutting and riveting aspect of leather. Plus it makes my house smell WONDERFUL! New car kitchen? Yes please!