Leathercraft is the art of making useful and decorative objects out of leather. Suede and fur can also be used. The most popular leather-crafted objects include belts, moccasins, hats, purses, saddles, and shoes. Leatherworkers also use leather to create furniture, jewelry, sculptures, and wallhangings.
Leather can be cut, carved, glued, sewn, dyed, and painted. It can also be combined with other materials, such as fabrics and wood, and with other craft techniques, including weaving and macrame. Basic leatherworking consists of four procedures: (1) designing, (2) cutting and assembling, (3) coloring, and (4) finishing.
Designing
involves drawing the desired pattern onto the leather. The leatherworker may use chalk or pencil.
Cutting and assembling.
Sharp instruments must be used for cutting. These instruments range from knives and household scissors to special leather-cutting shears. The choice of cutting tool depends on the thickness of the material. For example, thick shoe leather requires sharp knives while suede, which is thinner, can be cut with a pair of scissors. Most cuts within the leather are made with special punches. These are sharp steel tools with points in a variety of shapes, such as ovals, diamonds, or stars. The leatherworker places the sharp end of the punch on the leather and drives it into the surface by hitting the blunt end with a rawhide mallet. Designs can be added by tooling the surface with chrome-plated carving and stamping instruments. See Embossing .
The leatherworker can assemble the leather parts in several ways. For example, he or she can make a series of evenly spaced holes or slits with a leather punch or a pronged chisel. The parts are then assembled by lacing or stitching. Pieces can also be attached by gluing or by nailing one to another with special brads. Leather can be shaped by wetting the material and then folding it or tacking it onto a wooden form. The leather retains the shape of the fold or the form after it dries.
Coloring.
Dyes in liquid or powder form are the most reliable for coloring leather. To produce deep tones, the leatherworker dampens the leather, thus allowing the dye to penetrate the material. Softer tones can be created by applying dyes to dry leather. Special coloring effects can be achieved by using fabric dyes, acrylic paints, or wood stains. The surface may be polished or buffed after the coloring has dried.
Finishing
involves trimming, smoothing, and beveling the edges. Then the surface of the object is polished and buffed.
