DIY: Getting Crafty with Leather

We have a problem in my family. We love beautiful handmade things. Sometimes we splurge and buy other people's creations, but most of the time we say "oh I could do that" and begin our list of the materials we will need. Then, we stay up until all hours of the night working on these projects. It's a blessing and a curse really. There are times when we start things and don't finish them, so we would have been better off splurging. Sometimes, though, one of us pulls off something amazing. This summer my sister Maggie turned a bunch of old men's shirts into play outfits for our boys and we even sold some of them in our instagram shop. 

More recently, though, my younger sister Andrea happened upon a bag of scrap leather and the results are nothing less than beautiful! I had to share her results and hope to inspire you to do a little leather crafting for yourself.

This is not a tutorial, there are plenty of those out there, this is more of a getting started guide. I have pinned some freebies, but the pattern seen was purchased. 

Getting started: Get yourself some leather (or faux-leather if that's your preference).

• You can find some leather scraps on Amazon to get you started.
• Hobby Lobby sells Realeather Crafts (used here) and you may find some grab bags of scrap leather there also.
• Etsy is another great resource for scraps from other crafters and artisans. You can also find shops selling recycled leather from handbags, etc. 
• Find your own leather scraps around the house (old purses, boot legs)

For the seamstresses, even the beginners. 

Andrea used this pattern from peekaboo pattern shop.com to create moccasins for our little ones. Sizes go up to 4T and you can't really find the size variety in freebie patterns. She's working on making them her own by changing up the fringe from pair to pair. 

I have also pinned a free mocc pattern/tutorial and a clutch tutorial I'd like to try.

For the non-sewers: 

There are plenty of ideas out there to try Bows // bowties // tassels // Cord Roll // Chevron Necklace. Each of these would make a great gift and first impression says you spent a pretty penny on such a unique gift! 

Andrea made these as hair bows from her own pattern, but these can also be attached to your moccs for a little fancy tough! Tip: If you want to the bow to lay flat like this one, cut it slimmer through the middle. 

Give it a try and share your results. Follow me on instagram to see Jonah's new moccs he'll be sporting very soon. Follow Andrea to see her latest creations!

Just for fun I am going to try this gifting craft from Freshly Picked to add a personal tough to a handmade gift. 

Happy Crafting! 

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