Hands on leatherwork

[Tengu]

At the Crannog Centre we are all requested to do hands on with visitors.

Currently I do leather braids.

This goes down well but is dependent on a supply of cheap thongs.

Any other suggestions?

Needs to be easily done by all abilities in 5 mins.

And cheap materials. (Such as sofa leather)

 

[Wildgoose]

Hair barrettes? I’ve seen some leaf shaped one that are effective

 

[Pattree]

Are leather bootlaces too thick/stiff?

How good are you with a Stanley knife?

Aberkhan often do offcuts of upholstery leather. I don’t mean the bags of scraps but anything up to a quarter hide, probably with a blemish at some point. I made a floor length, wrap around leather apron out of a piece. I can’t see any at their on-line shop right now but I’ve never been to the Holywell branch and not found leather.

Does the project pay for your materials?

 

[Pattree]

Upholstery leather is chromed so you can’t easily punch patterns into it but you can get many colours.

This:



Can become THIS


…..that can turn into a scarf ring / woggle via a pop fastener which is hardly period but a hole punched into each end might be tied with cordage.

If it were punched at each end this too could become a barrette by addition of a stick (couldn’t it?)

Edited to add:
I routinely wear a leather headband (don’t like pony tails on me) and a couple of them are decorated with plaits like that above. It only works in threes so my headband has the pattern repeated to make six plaits.

Edited again:

This is veg tanned so you can punch patterns with metal or stones.

Any use?

 

[Tengu]

And I dont know how to do that!

(Just ordered another box of thongs...)