Leather is an excellent craft material. From such a soft and pleasant base, you can make and sew many designer items: brooches, belts, original bracelets, hairpins, etc. Of course, all these handmade accessories can be purchased ready-made in the store. But it’s much more interesting to make them yourself. Let's look at what designer crafts and leather goods you can create with your own hands.

Leatherworking Basics

Let's start with basic knowledge and concepts about this material, namely with the features of working with it:

• In your work you can use any leather and its small parts.
• You can effectively remove stains from the surface of the skin using running water and a sponge.

Important! The use of stain removers or detergents is detrimental to the material, as it makes the leather very rough and, moreover, brittle.

• If you need to soften the skin and increase its elasticity, treat the front side with glycerin.
• Various rivets, special clips and threads will help to connect the elements of leather products with each other. It is best to make seams using a sewing machine, but be sure to choose only the right needles so that the resulting holes are neat.
• High-quality work can be done using special tools. Therefore, make sure you have at least a minimum of them: a hammer, a punch, a vice, pliers, etc.
• It is extremely convenient to cut out leather elements on a dense surface. For example, a regular cutting board is perfect for these purposes.
• Decorative decorations for leather products include bright beads and beads, shiny rhinestones, sequins, metal clips, buttons and laces, etc.
• To ensure that the edges of the leather are even, gently heat them.

Another important step in getting acquainted with working with leather is familiarizing yourself with its types.

Types of genuine leather

Like any material, leather has different types. It is classified according to the quality of production, differs in the type of raw materials, and the age of the animals is also important. The material has a dense front side and a loose back side, which is called bakhtarma.

So, what types of material can be distinguished from which you can make leather crafts with your own hands:

1. Yuft. This type of material is made from the skins of pigs, horses or deer, which are impregnated with willow bark. In addition, this thick leather is treated with fat. Suitable for making shoes.
2. Kid. This soft leather is made from goat skins. Chrome tanning makes the leather durable and elastic, which is why it is used for the uppers of elegant women's shoes.
3. Suede . A popular type of leather made from the skins of goats and calves. The material is fat tanned. During the leather dressing process, the outer layer of the hide is sawed off. The peculiarity of the material is its low pile, softness of the fabric and high stretchability. Suede found its use in leather goods and shoe production.
4. Chevrette. Quite loose leather made from sheep skins. It also has good stretchability. Chromium tannins were used for its processing. Suits and outerwear (various jackets and coats) are made from such leather.
5. Opoek. Elastic and soft leather material made from the skins of dairy calves.
6. Velours. Another type of leather with a pile surface, but unlike suede, this material is a little rougher, and the thick and even pile is a little lower. In addition, chrome tanning of hides is used. Used for sewing coats.
7. Laika. Incredibly thin and soft leather with excellent elasticity. The hallmark of this type of leather is kid gloves.
8. Morocco. Thin and soft leather obtained from the skins of goats, calves, foals or sheep. Vegetable tanned.

Important! Most often, the skin of cattle is used for leather production, however, you can also purchase more exclusive material: from the skins of snakes or lizards.

DIY leather crafts can be made from the remnants of leather items whose service life has come to an end. For example, handbags, old gloves, boot tops or belts. New pieces of leather for small items can be purchased at an atelier or tannery. Its cost will be low, since, in essence, it is scraps of material. For larger items, you will have to spend money and purchase a whole piece of leather.

How to use old leather in work?

For small DIY leather products or miniature items, as well as individual elements of the composition, you can and should use old leather material. Wallets, parts of boots, handbags - all this will work for your creative ideas.

Step 1

First of all, cut the leather of the product at the seams. The front side of the leather is smooth and dense, it shines pleasantly, as it is most often covered with nitro paint. We advise you to wash it or wipe it with soapy foam.

Important! You cannot wash leather products, as you can wash off the fat tanning substances of the material, then it will lose its appearance, begin to bristle and shrink.

Step 2

Then rinse the item with salt water and vinegar. To do this, connect:

• One liter of water.
• 50 grams of table salt.
• One glass of 9 percent table vinegar.

Important! This mixture gives the skin elasticity. This characteristic can be improved by lubricating the surface with glycerin. After this, the old material will become quite suitable for making your own leather goods.

Other ways to wash your skin are:

• Unboiled milk or coffee grounds. The only exception for the second remedy is white skin.
• But suede can be washed in warm water with washing powder with the addition of ammonia. If there are greasy stains on it, then purified gasoline, chloroform or another solvent will help get rid of them. Dip a piece of clean cloth in the liquid and wipe away any dirt.

Important! To make the pile look impressive and like new, walk over the surface of the material with a rubber brush, fine sandpaper or foam rubber. After this, rub your skin with this mixture:

• One glass of warm milk.
• One teaspoon of soda.

Step 3

The wet material must be stretched on some kind of base, a thick board or sheet of plywood. Dry small parts under a press, placing them between dry pieces of fabric. After such procedures, the skin will acquire an even and smooth surface.

While the leather is drying, treat it with one of the impregnation options:

• Castor oil.
• A mixture of butter and warm water, plus a little ammonia.

Important! Carefully and carefully cover the surface of the skin with the composition. This is best done with a soft brush or thick cotton swab. Remove excess with a clean cloth.

As a result, you will get an excellent basis for crafts. What can be made from pieces of leather? Cute accessories and little things: keychain, stylish decoration, jewelry, etc. And leather remnants are also interestingly used in room design in the form of original fittings: handles for drawers, strips of leather can be used in the form of fastenings for shelves, handles for wooden storage boxes.

Necessary tools for working with leather

Professionals have a great variety of them. However, if you are planning to make leather crafts with your own hands for beginner craftsmen, then only a few of them will be enough.

Important! In the process of your creative activity, you will replenish your set of tools, as experience will suggest the most practical and convenient means at hand.

You can highlight the following tools for working with leather, which will definitely be useful to you initially:

• Scissors. You should stock up on several types. For small details made of thin fabric, manicure ones are perfect, and for larger elements made of thick leather, tailor’s ones. Curly zigzag scissors will help you create a jagged edge.

Important! Scissors should be sharp to cut the leather rather than crush it.

• Awl. Designed for stitching product parts.
• Hammer. Needed for punching holes in the material, applying patterns and installing rivets.
• Ruler. It is optimal if it is metal, as it is necessary for an even cut of the edges. In addition, using a knife and such a ruler, you can cut cords or parts from straight lines.
• Substrate. It will come in handy if you cut out parts with a knife, as well as if you carry out actions using force. An example could be a wooden board, a plexiglass plate, or a thick rubber sheet.
• Punchers. Using such means, holes of the required diameter are punched in the skin. The principle of their operation is quite simple: the instrument is applied vertically to the skin and hit the other end with a hammer.
• Figured stamps. The purpose of such tools is to create patterns on the surface of the skin, which can be various geometric shapes or patterns. The technique is the same as that of punches: striking the stamp. Most often they are made of metal or hard wood. You can make the stamp yourself. To do this, take a nail and turn it upside down. Round designs are ready for use. And with the help of a file, you can also give it another shape: square, rhombus, etc.

Important! For a more embossed pattern, place a soft substrate under the skin: felt or a piece of linoleum.

• Ball pen. With its help, it is convenient to apply a design to leather or a pattern. It is necessary to draw from the wrong side.

These tools will be enough to make DIY leather crafts one of your favorite pastimes.

Master class with video - a convenient method of self-study

DIY leather goods - a master class for beginners and more experienced craftswomen. You can choose the most suitable option and implement your own creative ideas in it. So, let's learn how to make original things, and here are some of them.

Simple and stylish necklace

To create a leather decoration, prepare the following tools:

• Revolving hole punch.
• Glue.
• Sharp scissors.
• A piece of leather.

The creation process consists of the following stages:

1. Using scissors, we cut out a number of triangles from the leather - their shape and size may vary. This will make your decoration look more interesting.
2. Then, using glue, connect all the elements together in a chaotic creative disorder - as your imagination and sense of taste tell you.
3. Wait until the glue is completely dry.
4. After this, make two holes in the resulting blank along the edges and thread a chain or decorative cord through them.
5. Fasten and wear your jewelry with pleasure.

Leather earrings

Another interesting DIY leather craft for beginners, for which you will need:

• Leather. Preferably painted in bright colors.
• Base for earrings in the form of studs.
• Glue and scissors.

The creation process itself is quite simple and fast:

1. Decide on the design of your earrings and then use scissors to cut out the shapes you want. They can be arbitrary or geometric.
2. We glue each of the elements to the cap-base of the earring.
3. We wait a certain period of time until the glue dries.

You are the happy owner of new earrings!

Keychain and vase for keys made of leather

This unusual set will be an incredibly practical and stylish product. In addition, such DIY leather gifts will surprise you with their originality.

You will need the following things:

• A piece of leather.
• Sharp scissors and a stationery knife.
• 6 rivets.
• Key ring.

Stages of creating a turnkey vase:

1. Cut a rectangle out of leather. Determine the parameters yourself - it can be a neat-sized vase just for storing keys, or you can make it wider to put some other small items.
2. We clamp one corner and make a hole in it. To do this, you can use a hole punch or a sharp knife, or even a nail. Insert the rivet.
3. We do the same manipulations with the remaining corners.

The vase is ready!

Now let's move on to making the keychain:

1. We cut out a small rectangle from the leather, and on one side of it we leave a horizontal strip about 1 cm wide. It turns out to be a kind of rectangle with a tail.
2. We bend this section in half and secure it with a rivet, thus creating a loop.
3. On the surface of the rectangle, using a ruler and pencil, we draw lines along which we cut the fringe with scissors, not reaching the edge of the material by about 1-1.5 cm.
4. We twist the resulting fringe around the loop and fasten the entire structure with glue.
5. Last step: thread a key ring, chain or decorative cord through the loop.

Important! This elegant keychain can be used not only to store keys, but also to decorate a handbag.

Hair bow

You need the following materials:

• Skin stripes.
• Thin wire.
• Regular hair tie.
• Scissors with a ruler.

So what do we do:

1. Using a ruler, draw a stripe on a piece of leather. Length - about 40 cm and width - 4 cm. Cut it out.
2. Sharpen both ends of the strip with scissors.
3. Attach the leather strip to the elastic band and fasten them together with wire. In this case, the elastic band should be placed in the middle of the leather tape.
4. Tie your hair as usual with an elastic band, wrap a leather ribbon around the ponytail, and decorate it with a graceful bow.

Stylish DIY leather clutch

A bag is an accessory for every young lady, and how nice it is if you created such a product yourself. Everyone will certainly pay close attention to your handbag. This is why DIY leather crafts are so necessary!

Let's start the process by preparing the necessary materials:

• A piece of leather of the required size and color.
• Scissors and stationery knife.
• Clips.
• Flat plate.
• A sewing machine and needles of the appropriate size, nylon threads are also needed.

Sequence of the creative process:

• Cut a rectangle measuring 40 by 28 cm from a piece of leather.
• Let's start decorating the front of the clutch. How it's done? Cut out pieces measuring 12 cm long and 1.5 cm wide on the sides of the rectangle. The lines should be smooth.
• Now we apply a regular plate to the top of the product and mark the lines of roundness, along which we subsequently cut off the excess.

Important! Such rounded cuts should be made as symmetrically as possible.

• Next steps: bend the bottom of the bag to the smooth cutouts on the sides of the product. Secure the connection points with clips.
• We sew the resulting seams along the edges of the bag using a sewing machine. Remove the clamps.
• Turn the bag right side out.
• We bend the upper part of the workpiece, make a small longitudinal cut at a distance of about 2.5 cm from the edge.
• Now we need a separate piece of leather, from which we cut out a strip of material 70 cm long and 1-1.5 cm wide.
• We tie one end into a knot, and thread the opposite end through the hole on the bag.
• We gracefully wrap the excess strip around the clutch and tie a bow or a beautiful knot.

leather flower

What can be made from pieces of leather? Incredibly beautiful rose!

You need:

• Leather.
• Glue.
• Candle.
• Ball pen.

Manufacturing stages:

1. On the wrong side of the leather, we draw rose petals with a pen, 10 pieces small and large, and cut out the details.
2. We burn the elements over a candle fire. You need to hold the skin with the side down. Hold the petals with a clamp or tweezers. During the process of fire treatment, the parts are slightly bent inward.
3. Apply glue to the underside of the petal and roll it up. This is how the core of the flower turned out.
4. Apply glue to the next element and connect it to the middle. The petal must “hug” her.
5. And now we gradually cover the resulting bud with petals. We start with small elements and then move on to larger ones.

Important! Place rose petals at the same level. To create an even more spectacular look of the flower, spray its surface with a glitter spray.

Leather belts

Such accessories are used by men, women and children. Therefore, handmade leather gifts in this design will be very useful.

For production you need:

• Leather strip.
• Rivet or button.
• Sharp scissors.
• Stationery or carving knife.

And now the manufacturing sequence:

1. Determine the length of the belt by wrapping a strip of material around your waist and marking where the two ends intersect. You can even make it a little longer.
2. Make a hole for the rivet in the marked location.
3. Use a knife to make a small cut about 5-6 mm in size. Then the rivet will go right through.
4. If you want, you can make the ends of the belt rounded; to do this, just give them a smooth shape with scissors.

The original belt is ready!

Or another version of such a DIY leather product. To make it you will need:

• Hammer.
• A sharp knife, you can use a stationery knife.
• Strip of leather.
• Two rivets.
• D-shaped metal ring.

Let's get started:

1. Cut a strip of leather to the required length, and the width of the belt should match the width of the ring.
2. Mark the location of the rivets and make four holes.
3. We thread one end of our belt through the D-ring, and then install the rivets using a hammer.

This is how you can quickly and easily make original leather accessories that are particularly exclusive.

DIY leather crafts are an incredibly creative and fun process. You will really enjoy creating unique accessories and things in the hand-made style. In addition, such products are currently at the peak of popularity. And homemade leather gifts will amaze your loved ones and friends, and your efforts will be truly appreciated.

Every woman probably has things that she will no longer wear on the back shelves of her closet, for example, outerwear, old accessories, or out-of-fashion shoes. Perhaps among all this junk there will be items made of natural or artificial leather that are no longer suitable for wear: worn gloves, jackets, bags, boots and shoes. You can find fresh uses for all this and learn how to create original leather crafts with your own hands!

Remnants of leather or scraps of leatherette make excellent crafts for children's creativity, or handicrafts - bracelets, brooches, paintings and panels, and much more. Handmade crafts are not only a pleasant hobby, but also a good way to earn extra money, so it would be nice to figure out what exactly can be made from leather and leatherette, and take a step-by-step look at an interesting mk. You might want to recreate what you saw with your children.

This is not at all difficult, especially for creative people with a rich imagination. You can come up with many ideas: beautiful panels on the wall, souvenir gifts, leather flowers, accessories and decorations (brooch, hair clip), useful little things for furniture. To do this, you only need free time, perseverance and great desire to create something unusual and beautiful!

People have been making leather products since ancient times. At that time, almost all things were made from this material. Ancient people found a way to fasten on themselves capes made of fur from animal skins, adapted this universal material and in his primitive home.

At that time, clothes were sewn only with one’s own hands from real leather; it was practically the only material that was available.

After a huge number of years, this craft has improved greatly, and beautiful crafts have appeared. More modern methods of making various clothes were invented, original items, jewelry.

Almost all the peoples on our land worked on processing fur and making leather products, for example, the Slavs traditionally worked in leather tanning. In the central part of Russia there was creative activity; shoes, pouches, boxes and much more were made there. This elastic material was used to produce book bindings that looked very rich: on chic leather embossing precious stones flaunted, gold and silver glittered.

Gallery: leather crafts (25 photos)

How to make leather crafts with your own hands

If you are wondering how you can learn how to make leather crafts with your own hands, then first it is better to choose something simple, suitable for novice craftsmen. You can stop, for example, on making flowers, jewelry, watch a video or sequential photo on the Internet on how they suggest doing this. In the Yandex search engine, you can enter, for example: “roses made of leather with your own hands, master class”, or “flower made of leather with your own hands, master class” and complete visual information will open.

We present to your attention some original crafts that you can do yourself, showing your imagination, taste and ingenuity. The materials used for their manufacture are quite affordable, and in the process of work, following all the recommendations, you will understand that it is easy and exciting. Having learned to do leather souvenirs and jewelry, you will soon be able to show a master class on how to make them to your friends, family and acquaintances!

Leather bracelet for beginners

Let's start with simple work and make a fashionable leather bracelet. Jewelry of this type is very popular among young people today, and it can be made in just a few hours!

Material used

1. Leather cord - 80 cm.
2. Chain - 3 lengths of 25 cm (instead you can take 2 laces of different colors)
3. Scissors
4. Thread and needle
5. Button (same shade as the chain).

Let's take a lace made of natural or artificial leather of any color, and cut two, only of different lengths, approximately 27 and 53 cm. Now we take 3 pieces of the chain, preferably so that it is tight. Each of the chains should be approximately 25 cm long.

The whole principle of the craft is to weave a braid from a lace and chain. To do this, a cord 53 cm long must be folded in half and another equal to 27 cm must be sewn into the middle of the fold. We attach a chain near each cord; there should be three of them, 25 cm each. The ends of all parts must be sewn with matching threads.

We braid an ordinary braid. When the process comes to an end, we will need to take our sewing tools and connect them. At one end of the weaving we form a small loop from a piece of cord and sew it on. On the other edge of the bracelet you need to attach a large and beautiful button using a thread and a needle. The chains in the product should match the color of the button.

Now the finished bracelet can be put on and fastened with a button. Are you ready for a fashionable outing?

Making a leather brooch

It’s not difficult to make this brooch with your own hands, let’s make it in the shape of a flower and you will have a new unusual decoration! Let's start our master class.

Material used

How to make a flower from leather? First, we will make leaf templates from cardboard. Then from the inside leather material We trace the resulting patterns and cut them out. Just 9 - 10 blanks will be enough.

Take the resulting petal and coat its length from the inside with a thin strip of Moment glue. Fold along the glue line and press firmly with your hand to form a crease. We carry out this manipulation with all the petals.

Now add water to the PVA glue, but so that it does not turn out to be too liquid, and coat the inside of the leaf with it. After drying, take the petals with tweezers and move them over a burning candle from the inside, where there is no skin covering. This makes them more voluminous and take on a more natural shape. Class!

We cut out a circle about 4 cm in diameter from the leather and begin to glue the petals onto it. We glue the larger ones to the base, then the medium ones, and the smallest ones in the center.

Then we take several blanks, glue them together so that it looks like the middle of a flower and glue them to the center of the circle. We check that the petals hold well.

And finally, on the reverse side carefully glue the pin. We wait for the glue to dry well on our product, then we correct all the petals. That's it, we have a beautiful brooch in the shape of a flower!

Decorative panel on the wall

An unusual leather panel with flowers is a fresh and stylish product that can decorate any room and is an alternative to ordinary paintings. It looks very impressive and bright!

Material used

We take a large piece of leather material, suitable for the pattern, of any color. We cut out a rectangle so that it measures approximately 30 cm by 50 cm. This creates the main part of the panel on which the flowers will be attached. If desired, you can cut it out in the form of a circle, triangle or some abstract shape.

How to make leather flowers with your own hands? It’s not difficult, but it’s very interesting what we have to do now. They will consist of cut out leather petals and, using glue, we will form the plant itself. In order for future leaves to turn out even, you first need to make templates. If you wish, we invite our novice craftsmen to watch a video on the topic “leather flower master class.”

Let's take a small one sheet of cardboard and draw on it the details for the flowers - semicircular, round, elongated, 5 - 6 cm in diameter. And we will also depict elongated leaves here (these will be future leaves). Then we cut out all the blanks. Now we take multi-colored pieces of leather, attach cardboard templates to them, trace them and cut them out. Each such pattern- the future petal for our plants. You need to make a lot of them, since about 8 - 12 pieces will be used for one flower. Try to cut out as many petals from different colored materials. For example, 10 blanks from red leather, 8 from blue, 12 pink, 10 from green (for leaves).

In order for flowers and leaves to look exquisite on our panel, we need to give them volume. To do this, turn on the electric oven so that it heats up to a minimum (you can also use the working surface of the iron), then place the cut out petals on the heated surface with the wrong side. Since the skin is very elastic, under the influence of moderate heat they will quickly take on a three-dimensional shape and become like real ones. Remove the petals from the hot surface with tweezers. We carry out this procedure with all the remaining parts.

Material for future ornamental plants We have prepared, let's start making the flowers themselves. They can be made in different ways, taking into account the shape of the patterns. On our panel there will be roses and ordinary flowers with leaves, they can be made arbitrarily, or you can follow the principle of making a rose.

So, to make a rose flower from leather, take prepared petals that match the color of your choice. We take a small piece of leather, roll it up into a roll and secure it with glue. This will be the middle of the rose; we will now attach the rest of the petals to it.

Taking the next one, carefully coat the lower part with glue, wrap the core of the flower with this petal, press for half a minute, to fix the glue. Then we glue another one using the same principle. Accordingly, gradually all subsequent ones.

You can and should use your imagination during this creative process, try, for example, to glue darker petals in the middle of the flower, lighter ones at the edges, then the rose will turn out like a real one! On the outside you need to glue larger petals, so the product will look more natural. Thus, we make 3 - 4 roses.

Now let's take cooked leaves and glue them at the base of the finished flowers. From the remaining prepared petals we make other flowers, you can come up with them at your discretion, because now the principle of working on them is already clear. You can have as many decorative elements as you want, the main thing is that they look harmonious throughout the entire work.

Finally, let's get started with the design of the main material that was prepared at the very beginning. We take our cut out sheet of leather, and taking into account its shape, we attach our flowers to it using glue. Decorative elements You can attach them in any order, depending on your taste and imagination. At the end, if desired, you can additionally decorate the flowers on the panel with beads, rhinestones or other additional decor. Ready! That's our entire master class.

At your discretion, the finished panel can be glued onto cardboard, which will then need to be carefully cut to the shape of the product to make the craft retained its shape when used (No ratings yet)

Leather crafts are a very useful hobby for a modern woman! It's time to master ancient needlework, especially since old leather items are perfect for it.

Don't know where to look for a new hobby? Open the closet! You can give old leather items a new life if you learn how to make all kinds of crafts out of them. It’s not at all difficult to make interior decorations or designer costume jewelry with your own hands from genuine leather—you just need a little patience and time. It's much easier than learning how to draw, felt wool, embroider with beads, or cut out figures from vegetables.

Leatherworking is an ancient craft

Probably, leather processing can be safely called one of the most ancient crafts on earth. In earlier times, people made almost everything from such material. To protect their feet, our ancestors made themselves primitive shoes - for this purpose, they simply wrapped their feet with pieces of animal skins, and then secured it all with sinews or leather strips.

Clothes in those prehistoric times were also made exclusively with their own hands from genuine leather. Years and centuries passed, the technique of making leather things gradually improved, and now leather crafts began to resemble genuine works of art.

It is probably impossible to find a people on our planet who would not engage in leatherworking, because in ancient times leather was the most accessible and widespread material. The Slavs, for whom leatherworking was a special tradition, did not lag behind other peoples.

The artistic processing of leather was especially developed in Central Russia and the North. For example, in Torzhok, craftsmen made excellent morocco of different colors, after which they made belts, pouches, wallets and shoes embroidered with gold and silver.

In addition, leather was widely used in book printing, making rich embossed bindings from it, often decorating them with gems and precious metals.

What kind of leather can be used for crafts?

Currently, leather crafts made with your own hands from unnecessary things and small pieces are particularly popular - making various trinkets from this magnificent material has become a real hobby for many housewives and their household members.

The genuine leather that is used in our work is not only the skin of animals, but also the skin of reptiles and even fish. There are many different classifications of leather, here are just a few of them:

• Morocco - made from goat skins, the material is tanned using a vegetable method, which gives the leather a bright color.
• Suede is usually fat-tanned elk, wild goat, and reindeer skin. This leather is very soft, it is covered with thick pile and does not absorb water well.
• Velor is made from leather that has some defects on the front surface. Using special grinding, the material is brought to a velvet state.
• Laika - made from the skins of goats or sheep, this material is very light and thin, most often gloves are sewn from it.
• Shagreen is a soft leather that is made from goat or sheep skins by vegetable tanning; its distinctive feature is a small relief pattern, very beautiful and delicate.
• Split leather - this material is made from thick leather, sometimes an artificial pattern is applied to it. This material is not very durable.

Why should a modern woman make leather crafts and where to start?

As for modern people, the word “leather” evokes associations with leather sofas and armchairs, but crafts made from pieces of leather are the last thing that comes to mind. And it’s completely in vain, because this is a very docile and flexible material that can bring a lot of pleasure not only in the process of making leather crafts themselves, but also in the process of decorating your own home with their help.

You can make funny souvenirs from this material and give them to friends or relatives, because what could be better than a gift made with your own hands?

If your child is already tired of plasticine, then you can introduce him to this fun activity - making leather crafts, the photos of which fascinate and encourage action. In addition, the source material, which is not cheap, does not necessarily need to be purchased. Probably every home has unnecessary leather items - old bags, jackets, boots or belts. All this can be carefully ripped apart and cut, and then used in work.

First of all, you need to choose the product you want to make. This could be an exquisite brooch, beads or necklace, hair clip, belt, bracelets, decorative box, interior bottle, funny figures, and much more.

It also looks great on the skin, which is very simple to make - first you need to completely degrease the surface, apply paint, let it dry and simply glue on a suitable motif cut from a napkin. At the end you need to coat the product with varnish. The main thing is not to limit the flight of your own imagination and then everything will work out.

Master classes for beginners

With the help of our step-by-step instructions (), you will quickly master the techniques and learn how to create designer leather items with your own hands.

Leather production in Morocco takes place in hellish conditions: under the rays of the scorching sun, workers manually process the leather, standing knee-deep in water with lime and the addition of dog/bird droppings. Unlike factory processing, only natural dyes are used here. No tour operator will offer you such excursions, so they usually go to see these productions on their own and, as a rule, everyone goes to Fes for this. But we decided to find a production facility in Marrakesh.

All production is done by hand and under the scorching sun, and there is such a hellish stench here (you will find out why later). First, we wandered for a long time through the narrow streets of the medina (the old part of the city) in search of these same factories. As a result, we found a man who offered to show us the production. He even called himself the owner of this factory (but it seems he was just lying).

#03. On the way, we come across carts on which skins (usually cow, sheep or goat) are being transported to the factory:

#04. The received skin goes through the sorting stage:

#05. Next, the skin undergoes primary processing - it is soaked in baths with a solution of lime and water, and dog, chicken or pigeon droppings are added to make the skin soft. That is why there is a hellish smell here (well, the skin itself naturally also adds aroma)

#06. On the way to the factory, we bought a small bunch of mint so as not to choke here. But the workers don’t seem to mind the smell at all:

#07. This is what one of the tannery workshops in Marrakech looks like:

#08. The skin is soaked in this solution for several days to several weeks. If necessary, it can be soaked several times:

#09. The factory does not use any chemicals, everything is natural

#10. After soaking, the leather is sent to an apprentice, where it is manually cleaned of any remaining wool:

#eleven. And then the skin is soaked in clean water (lime can be added) and dried:

#12.

#13.

#14.

#15. Leather production in Marrakech

#16. There are also workshops nearby where they sew bags, slippers and other things and sell them here.

#17. At the next stage, the skin is painted in the desired color. To do this, the skin is again placed in a bath with the desired dye and kept there for several weeks. To ensure an even color, knead it periodically:

#18.Again, no chemical dyes, everything is exclusively natural. For example, saffron is used to get yellow, and paprika is used to get red.
This photo is from another factory, these are natural dyes for dyeing fabrics:

#19. Leather production in Marrakech

#20. After viewing the first workshop, they took us into the store and tried to sell something. We immediately began to say that this was not interesting. But then the seller said that he would not let us go further. In the end, we finally persuaded him, and we looked and took the photos that were above. And this is another general plan:

#21. The smell is tinny! Alena is ready to run away :)

#22. Well, the finished leather is sent to workshops, where it will be used to make a bag or ottoman or babushi (Moroccan slippers)

#23. The guy wants money for the photo:)

#24. And here are the finished products, Moroccan grandmothers:

Working all day in the hot sun, standing in a solution with droppings and other mixtures, naturally does not add to your health. But local residents need to earn money somehow, so they are forced to endure all this.

P.S.
Something like that today. What can you say about the post?

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What can you make from an old leather jacket?

From a long jacket, cut the bottom to the required length of the jacket.

Important! Don't forget to leave a few centimeters longer than required for the hem.

Next, sew on a sewing machine. An ideal and unusual option will be obtained if you use different colors of jackets, then accordingly the new product will look more original. Not like everyone else. Instead of a zipper, make loops and sew buttons. We recommend sewing a fake pocket on the left side. A jacket is the first thing you can make from an old leather jacket.

It’s easy to make a colored or plain bag using any chosen style template. For example, an elongated barrel-shaped one: this option will give a sporty look and will last for a long time. After all, leather itself is a durable and dense material. The only thing left is to decide on the size of the handles.

Jacket sewn from pieces: you can sew a large handbag. Insert a zipper and sew several internal pockets for various small items.

Case for phone, tablet, laptop

For phone Using sleeves is suitable. Turn it inside out and cut out the desired shape. Next we sew along the edge, not forgetting to retreat.

For tablet use the two front pieces. Cut two identical pieces to size and sew them together. You can insert a zipper or drawstring. The last option with a lace is a more elegant and simpler way.

Attention! Apply the scraps in the form of appliqué designs on top of the tablet cover.

Laptop. Can be sewn as a book cover. We cut the template to size and finish the edges with a hand stitch through a loop.

You can weave a necklace from pieces of leather; there are no limits to your imagination, the main thing is patience.

Pillow, pillow cases

Cut out any shape to size: two identical squares and sew on the sides. You fill it with anything, such as cotton wool or soft fruit wrappers that are wrapped in the store. You sew it up.

Pillowcases. It is better to use soft material. Take a sample from any pillowcases that you use every day.

Reference! Use for interior beauty.

Take an old frame and glue a piece to size. And from the remaining scraps, come up with a composition with meaning. For example, for a bedroom: You can cut out a horse with a girl. Use your imagination. The most important thing is to sew the details manually on top of the picture. Use different colors for combination.

Trim the sleeves. Replace the zipper with buttons. If you need to shorten the length. For a vest, it is best to use one color.

Important! Decorate bright colors with dark buttons.

It is better to sew the skirt in the form of a ribbon with ties on the sides. And for fastening, insert Velcro or sew a hook closer to the opposite side.

A small clutch will be made from half of the top part. Be sure to measure the shape and size and add a few cm to the hem. Sew a double-sided strap. This will make it comfortable to wear on your hand. Or choose a simple option without a strap. Preference is given to a strict look.

Leather slippers are made easily from any template.

Important! Measure your feet correctly. To strengthen the sole, sew in thick 2 ml cardboard. Make visors from the sleeves. One product will make more than one pair of slippers. Minimum three.

Cut out a wide strip of about ten cm. Fold it in half and sew each side. For decoration: make holes and pass narrow leather laces through. Approximately in the form of a snake along the contour of the hand.

Cut into thin strips. We weave in any way. For example, “hand weaving”. Options can be found in magazines. If this is not possible: Braid 6 braids. We fasten the top, leaving four centimeters for the screed. We fix it. Next, we connect the bottom in the same way, leaving larger ends. Just above the bottom we insert a pot with a flower and fix it. The pot is ready.

We sew a bag with rounded ends. We insert a cord around the edge for a tie. We sew a strap to the body part to pass through the arms so that the backpack hangs behind the back. We sew the patch pocket behind the whip to the outside.

We make a double wide strip. Then we divide it with stitches into different sections. We put insert pockets for tools on top according to size. Sew a ribbon along the top from the middle for tying. Roll it up. This option is suitable for working at heights where it is not possible to get the necessary tools. And with such a holster, everything will be at hand.

The cut can be simple. We cut an apron from the back of the product. Next, we sew a deep pocket onto the front part. We attach strips to the sides for tying from the back. But you can also tie it in the front. For whomever is convenient, choose. The thick apron does not get wet and can be quickly wiped with a damp cloth. Necessary for work at large enterprises in various fields of activity.

Earrings

Original earrings in the form of tassels can be made from a collar. Cut a five cm strip not completely at a distance of 2 ml. Next, roll into a tube. Pull the ear through from old earrings. IMPORTANT: Use non-oxidizing metal.

Cover for books (electronic and regular)

Make it look like a simple book cover. Tuck a piece of material around the edges in strips of four cm each. Then sew it up. Insert e-book. And for fixation, add a rivet on the glued strip.

Reference! Regular books do not require a rivet.

It’s easy to make a case for glasses: We sew a narrow bag with ties. The edges can be made rounded.

Cut according to the template. There are two parts for each hand. Consider the distance for seams. Make it a little wider than natural size. This will allow you to bend your fingers freely.