Making leather wallets and bags involves designing and creating paper patterns, cutting the leather hide to precise shapes, and assembling the pieces through gluing, punching, and hand-stitching or machine-sewing.
Design and Preparation
- Design & Patterns: Draw the item on paper or cardboard to scale and cut out template pieces.
- Leather Selection: Choose full-grain or top-grain leather (typically 2 to 4 oz for wallets, and 4 to 6 oz for structural bag panels).
- Skiving: Thin out the edges of leather pieces where multiple layers fold or overlap to reduce bulk.
Cutting and Assembly
- Cutting: Place templates on the hide and cut out the leather using a sharp utility knife, rotary cutter, or die press.
- Gluing: Apply leather contact cement to temporarily hold pockets, gussets, and lining layers together before sewing.
- Punching Holes: Use stitching chisels, a rotary punch, or a pricking iron to create clean holes for sewing
Stitching and Finishing
- Sewing: Join the panels using a strong two-needle saddle stitch by hand or a heavy-duty walking-foot sewing machine.
- Edge Finishing: Trim any uneven edges, sand smooth, bevel the sharp corners, and apply gum tragacanth or wax with a slicker to burnish edges to a polished finish.
- Hardware: Attach snaps, zippers, D-rings, or rivets where needed for bag straps and wallet closures.