Leather isn't just for motorcyclists and pop stars. With a little craftsmanship, creativity and some old leather pieces, you can give your old things a new chic look. For example, you can even make new bags from leftover leather. Take a look at our selected DIY ideas for crafts with leather and let them inspire you. They are easy to make and the materials are quite cheap. For all craft ideas you can use both real and artificial leather.
Refresh the old sweater with leather hearts
You can easily transform your old boring sweater into a modern garment using just a few scraps of leather. You will need a cotton sweater, small piece of red real or artificial leather, a bit of red sequins, red thread, needle and scissors.
Cut two identical hearts out of leather. Sew the sequins onto the leather hearts in strips as shown in the picture. Then sew the two hearts on the back of the sleeves, where the elbow usually stands when you put the sweater on.
Ethno earrings
For this craft idea you will again need red leather scraps (you can also use leather scraps in other colors), scissors, glue, yellow thread, needle or sewing machine, tape, gold, white, black, blue acrylic paints and earring hooks.
Cut two equal pieces from the red leather that resemble the shape of a feather. Sew the feather shapes twice with the yellow thread. Cut thin strips from the tape and stick them on the leather pieces as shown in the picture. Using gold, paint the bottom corner, the triangular shape in the middle, and the thin stripe at the top. Remove the tape, creating geometric shapes with clear lines. Paint the Indian pattern with the black and blue paint. At the end, carefully cut thin strips around the edges of the leather cutouts so that they appear like feathers. Hang the Indian “feathers” on the earring hook and the earrings are ready.
Headband and finger ring with stars
Take a plastic finger ring and hair band. Cut out four large identical stars and one small star from brown leather. Apply glue to two of the larger stars. Before it dries up, sprinkle the stars well with copper-colored glitter. Do the same with the plastic finger ring. Glue the small brown leather star to the glitter covered finger ring. Take one of the large brown stars and glue it to the headband. Take a star covered in glitter and glue it approximately to the left or right of the brown star. Above and again in the same direction, the last brown and glittery stars are glued on as shown. So you have a modern and cute set of hair accessories and finger rings.
Minimalist leather wall clock
This is a chic andinteresting craft idea. For this clock you need wall clock mechanism, gray leather and corrugated cardboard. Cut a circle out of the corrugated paper. Cut a circle out of the gray leather, just a few millimeters larger than the corrugated cardboard circle. Perforate the two circles in the middle for the wall clock mechanism and glue them together. Assemble the clock mechanism with the clock hands and hang the clock on the wall. So you have an elegant addition to the minimalist style interior.
Bracelets with inscriptions
To make these fun bracelets you need leather strips in different colors, leather hole punches, glue, snap fasteners, sewing machine, colorful threads and white fabric scraps with labels.
You can have a piece of white fabric printed with the inscription you want or simply write something on the white fabric with a CD marker. Cut out the strips with the words. They need to be approximately smaller than the leather strips. Stick them on the leather strip with the glue and sew the edges with the sewing machine as shown in the picture. Make holes in the two ends of the leather strip and install the snaps.
Wooden shelf with leather strips
This is a simple structure that is very easy to put together. The shelf is attached to the wall with two leather strips. Take a simple wooden board of the desired length. Cut out two strips of leather of equal length and width. Fold each leather strip in two and drill a hole in the ends with a drill. Use wood screws to mount the structure to the wall as shown.
Modern necklace made from colorful leather scraps
If you have a lot of colorful and small pieces of leather fabric, you can easily make this necklace. Cut a template out of paper that corresponds to the desired shape of the jewelry hanger. Place the template on a thick piece of leather and cut out the same shape. Cut out small pieces from other colorful leather scraps, arrange them and glue them onto the thick leather. Cut out the protruding corners.
Make two holes in the two ends of the jewelry hanger. Attach a metal chain with two small rings to the holes.
Be creative and make necklaces with jewelry hangers in different shapes. Use pieces of leather in different colors.
Purse made from one piece of leather without sewing
Crafting with leather can be child's play. Only a few cutouts are needed to put together this chic wallet. All you need is a piece of leather. Cut out the shape in the picture. All you have to do is make precise, straight cuts for the credit cards and the wallet is ready.
Clutch bag with faux fur
Be in and make this modern fur bag in minutes. You will need a simple leather bag, a piece of faux fur in the desired color, scissors, glue and marker. Open the wallet, place it on the faux fur and outline it with the marker. Cut out the shape and glue the fur piece as shown in the picture. It's that easy.
Elegant stool
Replace the old stool following the instructions. You will need an old stool with a wooden seat, a sharp craft knife, thick ocher ribbon, a large piece of white genuine leather, a hand punch, metal clips, a pencil and a measuring line.
Mark the size of the seat on the back of the leather in pencil. Draw two circles with a diameter 6 cm larger than that of the stool and cut out.
Place the leather circles on top of each other and make holes with the hand punch. The holes must be drilled equidistant from each other. Place the circles on and under the stool seat. The backs of the leather circles must remain facing the stool seat. Attach with metal clips as shown in the picture.
Make small cuts for the frame if necessary. Thread the ribbon through the holes as shown and tie the two ends tightly together.
Magazine cover or book cover
You can make this beautiful case yourself quickly and easily from a piece of leather. You can use both real and artificial leather.
Measure and cut a piece of leather large enough to encase the hilt as shown. Make two small holes near the edge, thread a thin gray ribbon through them and tie it around the binder cover.
Cute no-sew leather bag
For this cute leather bag you will need a large piece of leather, scissors, leather cord or bag strap, hand hole punch, circular paper template and colorful bow.
Use the paper template to cut a large proper circle out of the leather. Make 12 holes on the edge through which the bow will go. Tie the two ends of the bow together. This is how the bag gets its shape. Attach the bag strap to the loop.
Hipster mustache keychain
Cut a mustache template out of paper and outline it twice on the leather. Cut out the two mustache shapes from the leather and sew them together. Make a small hole and attach a key chain to it.
*Full instructions for the modern leather scrap necklace can be foundhere
*Full instructions for the elegant leather stool can be foundhere
