Making my first leather card holder

[silasrobinson]

I finally finished my very first leather wallet after spending months learning the craft. I used a popular design called the Big Finn as my inspiration and spent an entire week just getting the cardboard pattern right. The actual build took me two days of steady work. I definitely made some mistakes while I was putting it together but I learned a lot from them. It feels great to actually use something I made with my own hands. I plan to make another one soon so I can fix the errors I made this time around.What kind of leather did you choose for your first project?

 

[skull panda]

Try using a wing divider to mark your stitch lines for a straighter look.

 

[li'lpowh]

I finally finished my very first leather wallet after spending months learning the craft. I used a popular design called the Big Finn as my inspiration and spent an entire week just getting the cardboard pattern right. The actual build took me two days of steady work. I definitely made some mistakes while I was putting it together but I learned a lot from them. It feels great to actually use something I made with my own hands. I plan to make another one soon so I can fix the errors I made this time around.What kind of leather did you choose for your first project?

Sand your edges with high grit paper before you apply any burnishing gum

 

[midNight]

Use a heavier thread if you want the stitching to stand out more on the leather.

 

[silasrobinson]

Thanks for your feedback! I will definitely try it. Can someone recommend a shop where I can buy cheap leather? I have been enjoying this hobby and I forgot that I am almost running out of leather.

 

[K00rra]

For my first one I used vegetable-tanned leather around 4–5 oz because it’s forgiving and burnishes cleanly on the edges. It also makes mistakes easier to correct since it’s not overly stiff or coated.