Cup Sleeve Instructions

1 - Check you have everything in your kit:

1. Pre-cut and Punched Leather Piece
2. 3 x Canvas Cloth for burnishing & protecting
3. 2 x Binder Clips to help you stitch
4. 2 x Colours of Handmade Waxed Thread
5. 1 x Keyring Loop
6. 2 x Sewing Needles

You will also need:

• Small pair of scissors
• A little pot of water
• Your quality time, 2-3 hours

2 - Measure the thread.

Your Mug Sleeve has 1 stitching section, so you will need to cut a 60cm length of thread. Start by choosing the thread colour that you would like to stitch with, then measure and cut the 60cm piece of wax thread.

3 - Burnish the edges.

Burnish around the whole piece of leather.

4 - Thread the needles.

• A. Thread the eye of the needle with the 60cm piece of thread. 

• 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 - Bend piece and clip in place.

Bend the piece as shown, lining up the holes and then clip in place with the binder clips. Use the canvas cloth to protect the leather. 

6 - Start your stitch by creating a bar tack, do this by sewing the same looping stitch 3x at the top edge, this will strengthen the join. 

7 - Use saddle stitch.

• A. With your left hand, take the needle from one side of your coaster 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 - Secure the stitches.

At the end of the stitching section, loop the thread around 3 times to create a bar tack (like at the beginning of the stitch section).

Stitch back 3 stitches to secure the thread. 

9 - Cut the threads.

Cut the thread as close to the hole as possible and tuck away any visible ends with the back side of your needle. 

Ta-daa! Congratulations - you have now finished your personally crafted .Ar:ti|sans Mug Sleeve! Perfectly classy and practical for your morning coffee and commute.

We would love to see your creation! 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), drop us an email or leave us a review on our website 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 now practice your leathercraft skills further by crafting your very own leather keyring! Click here to access the Keyring Craft Kit instructions blog.