First Time Leather Working! | Making a Potion Belt for My Witch Halloween Costume
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- Опубліковано 5 сер 2024
- This video is a little on the longer side, but I taught myself how to make a leather belt with lots of youtube tutorials! This is my very first time doing any kind of leather working and for a first attempt I think it turned out pretty well 😊 I got all of my supplies from Tandy Leather and in addition to the belt base I also made a bag and some potion bottle carriers. I'm super happy with how it turned out and I can't wait to wear it for halloween and for the renaissance festival! Since it was a first try, I obviously made quite a few mistakes along the way so if you have any feedback or tips I'd love to hear them!
Tutorials I followed:
⭐How to Make a Leather Belt From Scratch - • How to Make a Leather ...
⭐Learning Leathercraft with Jim Linnell Pt 1. - • Learning Leathercraft ...
(this is just the first video, the entire series is super helpful and where I got most of my information!)
✨Materials + Tools
○ Kit with Stamps + Swivel Knife - tandyleather.com/products/cra...
○ Belt Blank - tandyleather.com/products/hea...
○ Craft-Aid Stencil - tandyleather.com/collections/...
○ Rivets - tandyleather.com/products/rap...
○ Rivet Setter - tandyleather.com/products/cra...
○ Ballpoint Stylus - tandyleather.com/products/cra...
○ Waxed Thread - tandyleather.com/products/wax...
○ Water Stain - tandyleather.com/products/280...
○ Gel Antique - tandyleather.com/products/eco...
○ Satin Shene - tandyleather.com/products/eco...
○ Cutting Board - tandyleather.com/products/pol...
○ Mini Leather Punch Set - tandyleather.com/products/min...
○ Edge Kote - tandyleather.com/products/fie...
○ Skiver - tandyleather.com/products/sup...
○ Bag Kit - tandyleather.com/products/win...
Skip Ahead:
0:00 Intro
1:23 Tools and Materials
2:44 Prepping Belt Ends
5:33 Clean-Up
5:52 Stabilizer Tape
6:08 Tracing Pattern
6:30 Swivel Knife Carving
8:36 Leather Stamping Tools
11:14 Potion Holder Plan
12:19 Leather Stamping
14:37 Edge Beveling
14:46 Potion Holder
15:18 Talking About Leather Stamping
15:59 Leather Staining Process
18:12 Leather Staining
19:21 Edge Kote
21:11 Making the Winsor Bag
23:24 Assembling the Belt
24:55 Reveal
25:28 Discussion
🧵Other Videos in this Series:
○ Making Witchy Stays - • Making 18th Century Wi...
○ Witchy Chemise and Skirt - • Sewing a Chemise and S...
○ Making a Witchy Hat for Halloween - • Making a Witch Hat for...
📷 Filming Gear:
○ My camera - amzn.to/3sQBLrb
○ Microphone - amzn.to/3sQC3hL
○ Lighting - amzn.to/3kvMVxF
○ Softbox - amzn.to/3BfEj52
All Music is from Epidemic Sound:
(www.epidemicsound.com/referra...)
“Mastermind” - David Celeste
“Still Water Flows” - Claude Signet
“British Royalty” - Trailer Worx
“Da Capo” - Gavin Luke
“Toy” - Carl Henriksson
“Unpainted Canvas” - David Celeste
“I Remember” - Victor Lundberg
#costube #halloween #witchcostume
Insta: / minjalinjee
Links included in this description might be affiliate links. - Навчання та стиль
One tip for caring for you leather: get some good saddle soap and leather conditioner. It will make your final leather accessories soft and supple and much more manageable.
good to know, thank you so much for the advice!
Diving into the deep end when trying new skills is my favorite way to do things. Love the feeling of "I have no idea what I'm doing but I sure am doing it!" Leather work is so cool and seeing your first foray into it was so fun. The belt and bag are gorgeous. I really like the stamping you did! Super super impressive work. I'd love to see leather armor, I bet that would be super neat in the future! Really entertaining video!
yesss and definitely less pressure when I'm just starting a new skill - like it's ok if it kind of sucks because then I have more room to improve haha
Gorgeous! When i saw the the cover pic for the belt I assumed you'd done leather work before, it looks so good! I am inspired to try it out myself now!
thank you so much! you should definitely try it out!
First off your mushroom sweater
thank you! Yes I did use veg tan leather, so that's good to know! I think the super-shene is the tandy brand of sealant, though maybe I need something more.. sealant-y? Thank you for bringing that to my attention though, I'll have to do a little more research! I definitely don't want to mess up all the work I did for something as silly as not sealing correctly 😅
@@moth.faerie yeah, honestly I wouldn’t have thought it was needed at all, had you not mentioned anything about lining I would have just assumed that the inside of the belt didn’t need finishing. I honestly had to look up the difference between chrome and veg tan and I still don’t really get it. Leatherwork is Greek to me.
As someone who once spent over 300 hours tooling her own saddle, along with many belts, pouches etc. I would like to offer you a bit of advice. The point of moistening the leather is to swell it. The more moisture the more it swells, the easier it is to tool and the better the impression. You don't want to over saturate it, but you don't want to just spritz it either. I like to use a wet wash cloth to get a good amount of water into the leather and then wring most of the water out of the cloth and just lay it over the area to be worked for about 15 minutes. The leather is then soft and pliable, ready to take the tooling and have it last a lifetime. Dying dries the leather out so be sure to wash with saddle soap and apply a good leather balm. Leather breathes so use only products made for it. Tandy has all you need as well as other leather shops.
I am so glad you have started doing leather and that you had such a great experience! I had a similar experience trying it out and found out I really love working with leather and would love to see even more of the costume makers I watch using it.
Since you asked, for the back of the best, you should look into burnishing it. You can use the slicker you showed us. It takes a lot of arm power. For armor, you wear it over things, so you don't tend to line it. You can line a bag though!
Anyway, you did really great! I hope you do a lot more with leather!
Aah thank you so much for the tips, I really appreciate it! I would never have thought to burnish the back but that totally makes sense 😊 I was surprised I liked it so much! I didn't think it would be unpleasant by any means but I'm actually really excited to try it again
Finishing ideas for the backside of the belt:
You can dye it the same as the front. It will absorb differently, so if you have scrap 1/2 inch, try wetting the back and then applying dye for testing purposes. The dye may smooth down some of the texture but in my experience it just makes it hard.
You can burnish the back with the same technique the slicker uses, maybe try the ball end of the slicker.
You can add more coats of the satin shene, but it might not help as well without burnishing.
Hope that helps! I love the design you chose. All your experience with cosplay and design really transferred well into trying this new thing! Steady hands and patience I find are the most valuable skills to have when trying a new craft. Do I always have steady hands? Mostly. Do I always have patience? Rarely.
Again, loooove the results, and loved watching the process!
thank you so much for sharing! I honestly don't have any scrap left from this project, I used every last bit! But I definitely want to do more leather working in the future so I'll have lots of chances to try all the techniques you suggested 😊Thank you for watching and thank you for the helpful suggestions!!
You've done an amazing job for your first piece of leather working. This is something I'm considering (as a larger woman it's almost impossible to get a belt that fits) and your project is very encouraging and I'm even closer to giving it a go.
you definitely should try it out! do you post your work anywhere? I'd love to see if you do give it a try!!
I always love your sounds (scissors cutting,unwrapping things, hammering etc.) But that fast forward hammering was just so incredibly satisfying to watch!
haha thank you
teaching yourself to make this? incredible
The belt is amazing, I cant believe you've never done any leatherworking before, it came out so well! I love the bag attachment and bottles as well, so cool 🖤
thank you so much! haha i'm obsessed with the little big even if it only holds my wallet or a tiny apple 😋
I've been daydreaming of a sturdy leather belt that _actually_ fits me. Enough to, say, carry the weight of a fishing pocket.
I actually had an opportunity back in Feb of 2020 to try some leatherworking projects. It was so much easier than I thought. This is what I get for listening to the old boys of this world. Speaking of which. How's your basic woodworking skill set?
Back when I was a kid my Dad built me a dollhouse. I Spent most of the rest of my childhood using an X-acto wood kit to make furniture and accessories. This is a really accessible skill... Will you cut yourself with the chisels and knife edges - probably. Will you ever make that same mistake again - probably not. My studio table has a wood vice and an vintage hand-crank pencil sharpener bolted into the table... which will serve double duty for sewing and some basic woodworking.
OK... I'm typing as I'm watching. My jaw Literally just dropped. "Just working in the details a little bit". Um, Ms.Minja, I have a hand-held leather clutch that I bought back in the before times. I adore it for all the level of work and you just cranked that belt detailing out in most of an afternoon.
Me and Mister Husband need to finish rearranging this apartment so I can start playing around with this stuff (and, maybe, a YT of my own...).
- Cathy (&, accidently, Steve), Ottawa/Bytown/Pimisi
Yeah it was much easier than I thought it would be! All the leather guys make it seem so intimidating, I'm glad it wasn't as bad as it's made out to be 😅 I've never tried woodworking! I'm super interested in learning to woodwork for props but I definitely need to do a ton of research, I have no idea were I would even start! That sounds so cool though, I always wanted one of those big dollhouses but they weren't really popular when I was a kid unfortunately. I love all the tiny furniture though!
Thank you for the encouragement!! I'm glad I can compare to a professionally made pice of leather working haha (oh ps my name is Minjee! I guess I never actually said that anywhere.. oops!)
@@moth.faerie Hi Minjee - sorry for the name mix-up.
Total agreement. The leather-men of The YT make out their craft to be dark and dangerous. Amazing what you can do with good editing software...
Your work is lovely. Don't sell yourself short, Ms.
As for woodworking - it's the same as leatherwork. Lot's of hype but not nearly as hard as it's made out to be. Lots of overlap with sewing as far as order of operations go.
Rex Kruger here on the You Tubes is a good place to start for not-expensive options to start making stuff
As for starting with woodwork - maybe one of those X-acto box-kits, And the X-acto miter box and straight saw combo. And some balsa wood (there are different sizes and thicknesses). Few different grits of sandpaper. It's enough to get you started on props. I learned with balsa and then moved up to basswood and soapstone for sculpture.
@@stevezytveld6585 no worries! I should probably list my actual name somewhere 😅 minjalinjee was a nickname in highschool! that sounds much less intimidating when you list out materials! Next time I make a costume with a prop I'll have to give it a try, it sounds like a lot of fun!
@@moth.faerie Include your name and explain the nickname in the full Banner Treatment for your Studio Tour.
Woodwork is like sewing. There is So much stuff as far as tools go. The hard question I always have to ask myself is 'do I need the tool for this project; or am I doing this project only because I wanna play with the tool'.
With balsa wood you can do a whole lot with a basic hand-sized carving knife (the smaller the blade, the more the control - usually). and some basic files. Haven't tried it yet, but I suspect you can bake polymer clay onto balsa...
Hi Cathy! Always nice to see you. Just came in to say I would instantly subscribe to a Channel of yours ☺️
I love leather working! I am happy you are trying it
I was surprised I liked it so much but now I really want to do more projects with it!
It was so nice watching you just jump in feet first. Leatherworking can be very intimidating and unforgiving. You did so good!
For the backs, I usually use the skiver to shave off some of the bigger fuzzies, then use the slicker to compress everything. Because of how I wear some of my belts, the back can be seen, so I'll dye and seal the backs the same way I treat the front.
I made a set of the Skyrim Steel armor in HD foam a few years back and when I made my first leather belt, I also immediately wanted to redo it in leather lol
ooh thank you so much for the advice, I'll definitely have to do that next time! I really want to make leather armor now, I've been seeing so many cute armor girls on tiktok and now I need to make my own!!
The potion belt looks super cool!
It looks really good! It's probably a great thing that the thread was so heavily coated in wax cause it likely would have been more difficult to sew with, that's a great thing to be included in the kit. I'm excited to try leatherworking for myself now. I think you can make a lining and sew it through the waxy threads so you don't have to puncture the leather. That's what I would try.
yes the wax thread definitely helped even if it was a little messy! that's a good idea, i'll try that and see if it works next time!
I was going to go to sleep, but then your notification came up and here I am. You're so talented and brave for experimenting with all the new techniques, watching you is truly a pleasure. The acorn pattern is just so cute and the reveal is gorgeous as always. Can't wait for the final reveal!
aw thank you for watching then! and thank you for the sweet comment, you're so kind! 💕 I looove the acorn pattern, I was going to try to come up with a design myself but saw the stencil for it and immediately added to cart haha
I think you did a lovely job, and I would gladly buy something as lovely as that!
aw well thank you so much, I really appreciate it!
My husband and I tried leather tooling years ago. It was fun, but somehow we didn't keep up with it. You did absolutely AMAZING for a first project!
thank you! I had a really fun time doing it! I totally get you though, I would love to keep doing it but I have so many other hobbies to keep up with too
This is gorgeous!😍 Thank you for a relaxing and inspiring video.
That belt is so beautiful!
thank you!
Soo beautiful! You're so artistic
Great Vid! I know this is a couple years too late but, I just started leatherworking myself! So far, for the backs I've been dying to match the front and then using GumTrag to burnish/flatten/smooth the rough side either with that burnishing stick or the rounded part of a super cheap bondo spreader (don't have a glass slicker yet). I haven't lined anything yet, but in DieselpunkRo's tall sneaker vid he just used something called leathercraft cement to glue the back with a flannel looking fabric (around the 8:20 mark in his vid). What I'm not sure about with that is that he is using chrometan, not vegtan, but I don't see why it shouldn't work similarly. Leatherworking is super intimidating and can get expensive in a hurry, but it's super fun with so many different kinds of skills related to it to learn!
Your belt turned out great! Been through my Tandy several times and have yet to see that stencil, but I'll be looking for it now!
It looks really awesome 😎😎😎😎😎
It came out so good! This whole thing was super impressive - leatherworking seems so intimidating haha. NerdForge here on youtube has a video on making leather armor if you haven't seen their videos! Its... amazing. Now I want to try leather working... but then again... do I really need ANOTHER hobby?!
thank you so much! It's not as scary as it seems! i also thought it was really intimidating but once I got going it was a lot of fun and easy to get into a good rhythm. I'll have to check them out, thank you for the recommendation!
These look so gorgeous! It makes me want to try leather crafting but I have too many hobbies already XD
omg same though, I try not to think about it haha
@@moth.faerie it's learning though, it's teaching yourself practical skills and connecting yourself to history! That's how I justify stuff anyway XD I'm being ~resourceful~
SmallTownSpells teaching yourself new skills consistently staves off dementia! Alzheimer's runs in my family so I'm always using that as an excuse to buy new things for learning 😅
I'd like to mention you were talking about the back side of the belt. Thats called rough out leather. And once you apply conditioners or non spray stain it will get smoother but it'll never return. Something to think about in case you keep on
This was so interesting! And I LOVE the reveal in the apple orchard. ❤️
thank you, I'm so glad you liked it!
I’m 9:04 into your video and you’re saying you’re not very good at this and I’m like……omg it’s looking amazing!! Love this tutorial!!
Total success! Really enjoy your videos…..and your cats are adorable and I enjoy seeing them too.
aah thank you for watching! haha the cats are the real stars of my videos
Very pretty 😀
Your belt etc is amazing!
thank you!
looks great. Lovely videos. You've got a very cool style!
aw thank you so much, this is so sweet!
This turned out really good! I think you should totally look at making some armour! Also - if you're looking for a decent saddle soap, I use Fiebing's on all my tack.
thanks! and thank you for the suggestion, I'll have to get some!
How are you so good at everything? it looks amazing
aw thank you so much! haha if you had seen me working on that foam armor you wouldve thought I was only good at hurting myself 😅
great belt! if you want to help with the fuzziness of the back oil it. but also leather will eventually turn smooth over time, especially if it's rubbing on something.
Thanks! Will oiling the back let oil transfer where it touches my clothes? But good to know it’ll just sort itself out eventually haha
The satchel was totally designed to fit cellphones....but only ones from 2004.
YOU'RE SO RIGHT I didn't even think of that being when the pattern was probably made
I do actually have useful information for you about leather working!
(First of all let me say that you did So Well for your first try. Your bag and belt and bottle holders create such a wonderful characterful piece.)
When it comes to the back of the belt it is normal to stain it. Whether or not you seal it with and additional coat of something is up to you and I have seen pieces done either way. A little leather conditioner might also help soften up those fuzzies?
About your bag seams, they were looking a little lumpy and like they were desperately trying to go back to being the other way out. That's normal. It is also normal to hit the seams with a hammer to make them behave. A good way to do this is over a stake or something to help provide a solid surface below the hammer blow. Nicole Rudolph makes historical footwear and works with leather a lot and might have some good tips for you in her videos, especially the ones where she makes a turn shoe. Morgan Donner also made a turn shoe on her channel and that might also have some good tips. Hammering the seams into submission might also give you some extra room in your bag.
Also if you buy another bag kit, it is totally legal to work it so that you have your seams on the outside instead and have sharper edges that way. You just might need to change up what sort of stitch you use.
I'll finish this comment here but reply to myself if I think of anything else.
I thought of more.
About sewing the lining for the bag. Yeah, it would totally perforate the leather to do it normally. However I have a trick I saw from a textile conservator that might help with that.
First use an awl to punch holes all around the top edge of the bag, and do a simple saddle stitch all the way around. (You can do this plain or use it to essentially top stitch in your lining. Or you can take the other option.)
Then sew in your lining, but instead of going through the leather, use the stitches you just made as your anchor point. Sew into the stitches. Because leather working thread is pretty strong, this shouldn't be a problem. Just whip stitch it.
Fun thing I learned about a work surface for leather working, is that many people enjoy working on marble. You can absolutely pick up marble cutting boards/cheese plates pretty cheaply and they make an excellent surface to work on. (As long as they don't have anything raising them up off the table. If they do, take those feet off.)
(And a fun fact for you. Burnishing tools made of animal bone are considered the best ones out there, can last for generations, get better over time, and haven't changed for easily over a thousand years. Bone burnishers have been found in archeological digs and are immediately recognizable to a craftsmen.)
aah thank you for all of the information! I'm hoping to do a fairly leather heavy project next summer so I'll definitely keep all that in mind!
What tool are you using at 3:33?
Where did you get this sweater from though 😍
which one?
@@moth.faerie all of them to be honest! Such yummy fall vibes 🎃🍄🍁
@@Roxestar the green mushroom one is from carmico, the red is s2heartbunny, and the last white one was my great grandmothers!
Omg, where are your sweaters from?😍😍😍
the green mushroom one is from carmico, the red is s2heartbunny, and the last white one was my great grandmothers!
Thankyou so much!!!
make witchy shoes.
Leather working isn't very hard, it's just like any other skill. Practice...practice....practice. lol. The belt and bag turned out 👍 👌 👍 👌 👍
thanks!
Oh im brand new to this! (Spends 1000$ on tools right away)
Aah I definitely didn’t spend that much!! Probably around $200 😅
minjalinjee what about the rivet machine??
@@angryraven i already had that for corset making! I bought that about 2 years ago 😊
minjalinjee nice well great job for your first leather project looks very professional i love carving i just carved out a whole lotr map on leather
@@angryraven OMG new goal thank you
Your belt and the accessories look super good! Especially considering this is your first project. I've never done any leatherwork myself, but I have watched almost all the videos by Cxizent (ua-cam.com/users/Cxizent) and I found them super interesting. He started with a super elaborate Witcher cosplay, and recently he has been making some tutorials. Maybe they can help you as well!
ah so cool thank you for sharing!!!
minjalinjee: So i've been practicing on the back
Me: (☉_☉) that's just the practice?!
aah haha thank you for the vote of confidence
Next time you need leather working tools, buy the generic stuff. Tandy is seriously overpriced and there's little if any quality difference in the tools.
i heard a lot of mixed reviews on generic tools and that there's a big variance in quality, so I figured if nothing else Tandy will at least have consistency in their quality!