Leather Craft Projects For The Beginner

Preparations For a Leather Craft

Once you've chosen your custom leather craft you will have to have a prepared area and the correct tools in order to do the work well. Preparing before is going to make your project more satisfying.

Tools to Use:

When working with leather, think about the basics: an awl and spare point, a retractable knife with a break-off blade, a retractable X-acto knife and spare blades and a rotary punch.

Furthermore, you will need to have needles, a lump of beeswax, a pair of pliers, wax lined thread, and strong scissors for cutting the leather.

Then there are leather edge slickers and bevellers that will smooth out the edges, drive punches for bigger holes and thong cutters for lace making. A yardstick and T-square are essential to make certain that the leather is measured correctly.

Trimming the Edges:

In order to trim the leather craft's edges, set it out on a smooth surface. Make certain the leather is damp, and keep it that way by spritzing it with water.

Next you will have to have what is referred to as an edge beveling tool to smooth the newly cut edges. The two prongs that make a V shape should be positioned so that the prongs are facing upward on each side of the edge.

Keeping the edge beveling tool at a forty-five degree angle with your index finger on top of the tool, push the edge beveling tool away from you along the cut edge, holding the leather securely with your other hand.

As you are working, small leather pieces should come off. It's a great idea to practice on extra scraps of leather before you use the leather craft beveler on your actual project, until you feel more comfortable with the tool.

The Cutting Surface:

Regardless of the leather craft project, you will have to cut your leather piece. Select a surface that's flat and protected with a rubber mat. The rubber mat should help to protect your supplies and tools and keep them from becoming blunt or dull. If you want to try a different technique, you can invest in a self-healing cutting board. Cuts made in a board such as this, seal themselves. Products like this are readily available to buy at Staples or art supply stores.

Marking the Cut:

Get a pencil and a yardstick or ruler to draw the place you want to cut on your leather project. You should only mark lightly with the pencil. An unsharpened edge is going to help if you're trying to cut on a curve. Use the tip of an X-acto knife on a metal edge and cut carefully along the line keeping the knife against the edge.

Summary:

If you're a beginner with making leather crafts, you may not want to spend too much money on leather craft tools. Once you have tried a simple tool set and completed a few projects, you'll have a better impression of exactly what tools you like best.

At that point, some comparative shopping and a little research could lead you to buying a better leather tool if needed. Unquestionably, even the most expensive tools won't help if you don't permit yourself the time to improve and perfect your leather crafting skills.

If you do your best with what you've got, it does not matter if you don't have the money to buy the very best knife or the most expensive leather craft awl. Your skills will show through once you have figured out the basics.

You can usually locate a leather art supply shop in your surrounding area when you look in the yellow pages. A lot of larger centers have a leather boutique that is close.