To know the value we associate with leather products, walk right into a premium leather retail store and observe any product’s price tag. However, it shouldn’t come as a surprise. Why? Because we've forever been fascinated with the functionality and luxury of leather.
From crafting out leather shoes, bags, belts and rugs, leathercrafting has been an integral fabric in our lifestyles.
However, as time progressed, the art of leathercrafting was somehow lost. As of today, most people associate leathercrafting as being ‘complex’ primarily due to the abundance of information available online. Try to solve a query by referring to an online source, and chances are that you’ll have more queries than when you started.
Through this article, we, therefore, attempt to clear the misconceptions around leathercrafting. Via these leathercrafting hacks, you'll be able to make the most out of your leathercraft experience.
After reading this article, you'll be better positioned to decide on the tools you need in your ensemble and the stitching techniques to add to your leathercrafting repertoire.
Why is Leathercraft Important?
Leathercraft is a form of art that humans have practised through generations. And it has always been synonymous with elegance and luxury. If you’ve ever come across a leather product, you know how superior its quality is. Each stitch reflects a distinctive blend of finesse and rawness, the only question being, why haven’t you ventured into leathercrafting?
Leathercrafting is a practice that's not only therapeutic but also contributes to developing a sense of patience in an individual. It’s a routine that actively works the cognitive ability of the craftsman, thereby allowing him to reach an elevated state of flow.
At Artisans, we’ve created an online resource that caters to all your leathercrafting needs. Whether you’re a novice or a proficient leather crafter, we extend DIY projects with varying degrees of difficulties so that with each project, you sharpen your leathercrafting skills.
Also Read: The Complete Guide to Understanding Leathercraft
Hacks For Leathercraft Lovers
Contrary to popular belief, leathercrafting is not as difficult as it may look. With proper guidance and the right resources, leathercrafting is no more difficult than regular stitching. If you’re a leathercrafting enthusiast and are facing difficulties in pursuing DIY templates to completion, chances are that your fundamentals are wrong.
Therefore in this section, we'll be going through some guidelines and leathercraft hacks that will help you simplify your leathercrafting experience and create top leather products.
Also Read: 7 Tips & Hacks Everyone Needs For DIY Leather Craft!
Always Have A Stropper Handy
One mistake that leathercrafting enthusiasts make is that they buy tools with disposable blades. More often than not, these tools wear out within a month.
So why go through these constant roadblocks and waste a tonne of money when you can simply sharpen the blades using a stropper?
Thus, instead of buying a subpar blade, you should build yourself a stropper at home and indulge in buying a premium quality blade for your leathercrafting needs.
Use Blunt Knife Markings For A Seamless Corner Finish
Why indulge in buying expensive tools like a corner punch to obtain premium finishing? What if we tell you that there's a way around it? Use a blunt knife or any other tool to mark out the corners and then create multiple minor cuts with a knife before making the final cut.
This ensures a smooth finish for your leather product. Use this ingenious leathercrafting hack and craft leather products of exquisite finishing.
Allow For Some Extra Space For A Flush Finish
This little hack will save you a lot of time and add to your project’s finishing. Usually, people use sandpaper to smoothen down the edges of the project to get that exquisite finish.
Instead, you can allow for some extra space towards the edges of your work so that you can trim it off later and create the flush finish that you’re after.
This hack can be the game changer in your leathercraft projects!
Use A Speed Reducer On Your Sewing Machine
This tip will help you elevate the quality of your leathercraft projects, especially if you’re a beginner. Using a speed reducer for the sewing machine makes the handling of the tool incredibly efficient, and you can quickly go around corners. It helps you to steady your hand and create a straight stitch.
Additionally, the speed reducer creates more torque in the sewing machine, enabling you to stitch through even thick layers of leather.
Hammer Down Your Leather Before Stitching
Pricking irons aren’t the most reliable when you’re looking for that seamless smooth leather finish. These create holes that are uneven and raised, thereby preventing the stitching from snug into the leather.
By hammering down on the stitches, you create a more even surface for your stitching and the result is a closer, smoother finish. If you haven’t already, do give this leathercrafting hack a try!
Burnishing The Edges Of Your Leather With Dye
If you’re a leathercrafting enthusiast, you know the effects of burnishing on your leather’s edges. Instead, why don’t you apply dye to the edges of your leather before you burnish it? This process helps in the burnishing process in terms of the quality and the time it takes.
So, the next time you’re finishing up on your leatherwork, do use this hack before burnishing the edges!
Use A Heat Gun To Fix Up The Scratches
This hack may be handy for leathercrafting enthusiasts who are starting on their very first leather project.
The emphasis on keeping the base leather pristine is unparalleled, but just as you’re about to finish, you accidentally scratch your leather. And now you think to yourself that all your efforts are wasted.
This hack teaches you how to fix up those accidental scratches and help you craft out an immaculate leather product. Use a heat gun to heat the surface of the scratch gently. While the leather is warm, gently rub it and experience your scratch disappear magically.
Use Cuticle Remover To Get Rid Of Ink Stains
This hack will help you eliminate those stubborn ink stains from your base leather. If the ink stain is relatively recent, then you can treat the leather by dipping a cotton swab into an alcohol-based solution and gently blotting the stain.
Dry the leather with a blow-dryer. However, if the stain remains even after drying, you can apply a thick coat of non-gel cuticle remover. Leave the leather for 12 hours, and then wipe off the solution with a damp cloth. Just like that, your ink stain will disappear.
Also Read: Our Story Of Why Artisans Started; Reliving The Ancestral Leathercraft Experience
There’s a particular spellbinding nature of handcrafting your leather products. Customisable, elegant and authentic, DIY leather crafted products present you with the perfect opportunity to venture into the world of leathercrafting.
With years in the leathercrafting ecosystem, we at Artisans have accumulated many DIY tutorials that are self-explanatory and cater to leather enthusiasts. Additionally, our wholesome leathercrafting kits enable you to follow through with these DIY tutorials independently.
If in case you encounter a roadblock, do not feel disheartened. Take a deep breath and try to develop a solution that helps you overcome the problem calmly. Only then will you progress as a proficient leathercrafter!
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