I’m back using more of my leather swatches (thrift store find!) You can usually find leather furniture swatches/samples on ebay and most craft stores carry small leather craft pieces.
Similar to my leather photo wallet project, these pieces were pretty easy to make with a T-shirt transfer sheet for DARK fabric and more great graphics from The Graphics Fairy. I also designed a couple with art from my blog & Etsy store banners.
Using The Graphics Fairy images, I created a narrow collage measured to fit the size crimp bars I’ll be using, which are 3/4″ wide. I also made a repeat pattern from a pretty frame image she had on her site. You can grab the art from here and reduce or trim to size. You may also notice that when I print on the transfer sheets, I usually fill up the whole sheet with art & images that I can always use later. I hate to waste any space on these sheets, especially if there’s not enough left over to feed back through the printer. I made a few images for patches I’ll sew to something one day.
{CLICK ON ANY PHOTO TO ENLARGE FOR DETAIL}
[1]-[2] I printed out my graphics onto the transfer sheet and trimmed out each design.
[3]-[4] Following the directions for the transfer sheets, I peeled off the backing of each piece and ironed onto the smooth surface of the leather.
[5] You can see what happens if you move your iron when pressing instead of holding it in place. But this little mishap was fixable, you’ll see. [6] Once all my images were transferred to leather I cut out the strips, leaving some extra space around the edges.
[7] I stitched along the strips and [8]-[9] trimmed out each to size.
[10] The stars of this project are the crimp bars. For this post I wanted to link to my original supplier, but found that they are out of stock. So by googling, I located more: LINK.
[11]-[12] I placed the crimp bar on the ends of the strips and covered with a scrap piece of leather before crimping with my pliers to avoid scuffing the metal. The cuffs have teeth that sink into the leather and grip well.
[13] I punched starter holes into the repeat frame strip and then [14] pressed in metal eyelets.
[15]-[16] To complete the bracelet cuffs, I added jump-rings and clasps to the crimp bars and on my blog cuff, also attached some beads
For the keychains, I simply hooked the openings of the crimp bars onto a metal key ring. The keychains are perfect for looping over a hook and have less chance of getting lost in my purse!
I’m a total lurker on your blog, but I have finally reached the point of total inspirational overload and consequently have to blurt out, “You are a complete genius and I have a creative crush on you!”
Keep on creating!
These are AMAZING!!!
amazing.
sandy toe
You make the coolest things! I am still after those luggage tags….I’m waiting!
Looking forward more great things.
these are really cool! Thanks for sharing!
Wow you just wow me everytime I check your blog. I love all of your ideas. You have such great ideas…..Keep em coming!
Those are pretty darn neat!
PussDaddy
Such a cool idea! I just love visiting your blog and being inspired by all the creative things that you do Cathe!!
(((HUGS)))
Robin
This is stunning, your leather work is exquisite and I’m super impressed. I posted a leather project today on my blog, but now I feel woefully inadequate after seeing your gorgeous creations. Thank you so much for the tutorial.
……..if I just had a FRACTION of your creativity I’d be a happy girl!!
These are too cute! not to mention AMAZING!!
~TidyMom
You really need to write a book…I always look forward to reading your blog and being inspired to create!
Those are great!
One of my supply stores has small pieces of scrap leather and I’m always so tempted to try a small project like this with them.
I may just need to go and grab them.
Kimberly
you have such WONDERFUL tuts and i thank you so much for sharing!!
Have a MARVELOUS day!!
Love, love, love it!
I really enjoy reading your blog and this is such a great project to do! Thanks for sharing & have a great day
Cathe, Two things…why aren’t the cuffs listed in your store? Why is your store inventory low when you have so much creative energy and output? Oh, three things – is your JSIM button for your stalkers to put in their sidebars?
OK, I love this bracelet! But I have to ask if you use Photoshop or some other software to create the strips.
Beautiful! I second the suggestion that you write a book, Cathe… you have such a creative spirit.
Thank you for all the wonderful comments everyone!
PJ, was that a scolding? LOL. I completely enjoy crafting new things, but producing multiples to sell, well, that’s a whole other thing. I find enough pleasure in just blogging them. I still have a day job, desinging, which keeps me pretty busy. I am hopeful that my crafts may inspire others to take the ideas, make them their own and sell if it works for them. I love Etsy for all it’s creative energy.
Judy, yes, I use Adobe Illustrator. I placed the images into a file, reduced each and lined them up in a row adding a color background. The frame image was elongated and had a flower in the center. I condensed the image to make it sqare and placed a circle of color over the flower to knock it out.
Chandra and AnvilArtshop, I would love to have a book. Not sure how to make that happen, I may look into it. In the meantime, I need to spend more time over at Blurb.com and at least make a book from my blog.
Have a great day!
Oh, PJ, I almost forgot, YES! That is a stalker button!
You should rename your blog…”Just Something GREAT that I made”.
awesome! I need to try this.
Cathe, you are amazing!!! Thank you so much for always being such a sweet, sharing soul ~ this is such a neat project!!! xxoo, Dawn
Very neat key wristlet! I have those crimps, now I can get busy and make things. Thank you for sharing! White Linen ~ Lavender Field
Wow,
What a cool idea, I found your blog on Feathered Nest and so glad I did.
STephanie
Hi Cathe,
I love love love your blog especially this entry. i hope you don’t mind my asking, what type of Epson ink-jet printer do you use? Your print-outs always look sharp and crisp. I’m currently looking to buy a printer mainly for printing graphics. Hope to hear from you soon!
Kim
Hi Kim-
I use an Epson Stylus NX400. Under $100 if I remember correctly.
Hope you find a great printer, even the cheaper ones don’t print half bad for projects like this.
this is such a great tutorial – i had no idea that something so beautiful could be so simple! (in concept anyway – i'm probably not talented enough to actually execute it easily!!)
i just discovered your blog today and will definitely be stopping by again.
Great project… I love it!!
Just one question, did you use a "normal" sewing machine? or a special one for sewing the leather?
thanks a lot for sharing!!
Hi Alice, I used a plain ol' sewing machine: )
it's a wonderful tutorial and look relatively easy, i'm definitely going to try it, however i have no experience with leather.. just wondering where can i get the tool that you used to punch holes on the leather?? and the metal thingy around the holes?
Thanks very much!
Hi Jo.
Leather is sooo easy to work with. You can create your own scrap leather from a second hand purse or jacket. There's a link to the end pinch brackets in instruction No. 10 of the tutorial. There may also be some on Etsy. For holes, that's just a plain ol' hole punch, smaller size from the craft store.
Hope that helps!
Hi, Cathe! Yet another amazing project!! As far as book companies go, I know that you can send photos of your work to them through their 'submission' link on their website, and I'm sure other publishing companies have the same link. I think Quarry is another company that focuses on craft books. You should definitely get to submittin', girlie!!
Oops, the first company I was talking about was Lark
These are super cool. Thanks for sharing!
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Oooooooh! I love this idea! Awesome tutorial. I will never look at leather scraps in the same way again.
I have been trying to print on leather for awhile now. I have used my laser engraver but it smells in my room and it takes forever.( I want to do 100 keytags minimum) I had a die cut so I can punch out the leather tags after I print the leather this way. My only concern is how durable is the print?