patterns

How to Make Leather Knife Sheaths

This project video is one that I should have made a long time ago.  One of the best selling items we have ever made in the saddle shop has been our fold over knife sheaths.  In this video, I show you how to make these from start to finish.

If you are looking for a project that doesn’t use a lot of leather and goes together quickly then this is it.  This is also a great way to use up the scrap leather that may be accumulating in the corners of your workshop.  Floral tooled, geometric tooled, dyed, painted and even plain leather, these items will become one of your most popular selling items.

I have developed a set of patterns to use when making these that will cut out all the fitting issues for most knives.  My pattern uses the tooling window to size the finished sheath to fit a particular knife.  If you would like to purchase the digital companion pattern pack for this video, then CLICK HERE and you can purchase that from us.  This is a digital PDF file that you will download and print the patterns out on your own printer.  Along with the cut pattern for the shealth and the three different size tooling windows that I use in my shop, you will also get 6 different floral tooling patterns for each of the three different windows.  That is 18 different patterns to choose from.

Looking for a good source for Herman Oak leather?  Visit our friends at Maker’s Leather Supply as they are a Herman Oak dealer and can help you get the leather and any other supplies that you may need.

How to Make a Simple Bible Cover

A Leather Bible Cover is probably one of the most popular items that leather craftsmen create for their customers.  They are also one of the most popular projects for a new LeatherHead to test his/her skills when it comes to making a book cover.  Bible covers offer much more room for leather tooling artwork which in turn allows for a lot more customization.

In this video, I show you how I make a simple leather bible cover.  This bible cover has no type of closure nor the use of zippers.  For a very clean and professional looking book cover, you can’t beat this style.

I used an NIV Personal Size Bible that I purchased at Walmart for this project.  The actual size of the Bible was 5.5″ X 8.5″ and the leather front and back panels ended up being 6″ X 9 3/8″ to allow for a comfortable fit.  My spine piece was 2.5″ wide including the 3/4″ allowance on the sides to allow for the thickness of the Bible that I used.  The brand of the Bible was Zondervan.  You can certainly adjust your measurements to fit any Bible or book that you choose to use for this project.

This is probably one of the shortest project videos that we have created.  This should let you know how simple this project is to create.  If you have been searching for the perfect project to offer to your customers or just to make for family or friends, this is the project.  I make this Bible Cover in three pieces which allows for easier use of your scrap leather, but you could certainly make the outside from one solid piece if you prefer. Continue reading

How to Make a Leather Bifold Wallet

This project video is about making a Leather Bifold wallet.  I designed this wallet so that it is fairly easy to assemble with a lot of space to tool.  Leather Wallets are fantastic gifts as well as just items that you can stock up on and sell at anytime.   We sewed one of these and buckstitched one in the video to show a different option of assembly if you don’t have a sewing machine in your shop.  If you have been wanting to make yourself a new wallet for some time, give this video a look and see if this design would work for you. Continue reading

Drawing Flowers and Leaves

Drawing flowers and leaves can be challenging at times.  There are so many different variations that can be adapted and designed to fit the particular look that you are looking for within a pattern.  It is very easy to get in the habit of using the same flower and leaf combination in all of your designs, especially if they work well and you can draw them quickly.

I don’t think there is anything wrong with using only a few different combinations of these elements in the majority of your designs and this usually will lead an artist to develop his particular style.  The thing that I want to challenge you to do is to work on at least stretching your skill set in designing some new ones from time to time.

In this article I will show you my process for brainstorming new designs and how I use the process within my pattern layouts.  Designing a new flower and leaf combination can lead you to discover a completely new style within your work.  This is also a great way to rediscover some of those older ideas you had and make them work a little better now.

Continue reading