Pencil Pot Instructions
1. Check you have everything in your kit
- Pre-cut and Punched Leather Piece
- 3 x Canvas Cloth for burnishing & protecting
- 2 x Binder Clips to help you stitch
- 2 x Colours of Handmade Waxed Thread
- 1 x Keyring Loop
- 2 x Sewing Needles
You will also need:
- Small pair of scissors
- Your quality time, 2-3 hours
- A small pot of water
2. Measure the thread
Your Pencil Pot has 2 stitching sections so you will need to cut 2 lengths of thread, measuring 50cm each. Start by choosing the thread colour that you would like to stitch with, measure, and then cut the two 50cm pieces of wax thread.
3. Burnish the top sides (the edge with no stitch holes)
Burnishing leather is the process of sealing and smoothing the rough, raw edges of a leather item to produce professionally finished edges.
Start burnishing by using your fingertip to gently wet the longest sides of your Pencil Pot (the edges without the punched holes) and around the edges of the cut-out shapes. Be careful not to get any liquid on the leather surface. Using one of the canvas cloths provided, rub the outer edge until smooth and shiny.
Top Tip!
Use a cotton bud for extra precision when wetting the edge so as not to damage the leather surface.
4. Thread the needles
A. Thread the eye of the needle with the thread measuring 40cm.
B. Pull through 6-8cm of thread and then pierce the thread.
C. Pierce the thread again at 1cm distance along the long piece of thread.
D. Holding the needle tip, pull down the entire thread. This is called locking the needle.
E. Follow steps A-D with the other end of the thread and second needle.
5. Line up the holes and clip in place
Line up the holes along the side of part A and part B and clip the pieces together, with right sides facing out. Use the cloth to protect the leather from being marked by the clips.
6. Sew the sides together
Pass one needle through the top hole and pull the thread through until you have an even amount on both sides.
Did you know?
Vegetable tanning processes use tree bark from trees such as Oak, Chestnut, Quebrancho and other natural vegetable extracts.
7. Use Saddle Stitch
A. With your left hand, take the needle from one side of your Pencil Pot and pass it through the next hole. You will be stitching along the piece towards yourself.
B. Pull this needle through, leaving a loop of thread about 10cm long on the side.
C. Take the second needle and push it through the same hole as the first. Avoid piercing the thread as you do this and pull the other thread tightly to the side as this will help.
D. Pull both needles away from the leather to form a tight stitch. Repeat this for every stitch hole.
8. Backstitch (backwards 3 stitches, instructions from previous) cut thread and tuck any visible ends
9. Bend piece A
Gently bend piece A to line up the the other stitch section of the bottom rectangle, and clip in place, again using the canvas cloths to protect the leather.
10. Re-thread the needle with the other 50cm length, referring to step 4.
11. Repeat steps 6-8 to the other side
12. Give a final burnish to the joined edges
Burnish by using your fingertip to gently wet the joined edges of your Pencil Pot. Be careful not to get any liquid on the leather surface. Using one of the canvas cloths provided, rub the outer edge until smooth and shiny.
13. Gently mould piece A to give the curve a nice rounded shape.
Finished Pencil Pot!
Ta-daa! Congratulations, you have now finished your personally crafted .Ar:ti|sans Pencil Pot!
We would love to see your creation and what you do with it! You could use your handcrafted Pencil Pot to organise art materials on your desk or fill it with dried flowers and place it in your hallway. Share it with us and our crafting community so we can celebrate your leathercraft dexterity. Tag us @artisans.life on Instagram (using the hashtag #artisanslife) to tell us what you enjoyed most about the making experience.
P.S. Did you recognise our Keyring Kit wrapped in your thread? Now you can practice your leathercraft skills further by crafting your very own leather keyring! Click here to access the Keyring Craft Kit instructions blog.
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