Working with leather is not as difficult as you may think. For centuries, people have made various goods out of leather, such as, shoes, clothing, satchels and pouches, etc. Nowadays, leather clothing and shoes are readily available and affordable to most of us. Leather satchels are cute and easy to make. What is more, they make excellent gifts or accessories for you. This article will show you two ways to make your own leather satchel. One of the methods is easy, simply doesn't even require any sewing. Instructions Instructions for Sewn Satchel Step 1 Lay out the piece of leather flat on the workspace. Using the ruler, measure 1/4 inch from the edge of the leather and begin making a straight line of holes spaced 1/4 inch apart. Use the punch tool to make the holes and then push the awl through the holes to make them bigger. Holes only need to be punched on three sides of the leather. Step 2 Fold the leather in half so that the holes on each side line up properly. Using a whip stitch, sew the pouch closed. The needle and thread may need to be coated with the beeswax to make hand stitching easier. Step 3 Turn the leather pouch right side out. Using the same technique described above, punch at least eight holes in the open end of the satchel. You will use these holes to thread the leather cord through. Insert one end of the leather cord through one of the holes closest to the seam. Continue threading the cord all the way around the top of the satchel. Trim the ends of the cord to the desired length. Instructions for No-Sew Satchel Step 1 Lay out the piece of leather flat on the workspace. Using the compass, mark a large even circle onto the leather. Carefully cut along the circle to create a round piece of leather. Step 2 Using the ruler, measure 1/4 inch from the edge of the leather and begin making a line of holes spaced 1/4 inch apart. Use the punch tool to make the holes and then push the awl through the holes to make them bigger. Punch holes all the way around the circle. Step 3 Take one end of the leather cord and then thread it through one of the holes. Do not stop threading the cord in and out of all of the holes until it is totally threaded around the circle. The leather will close to create a satchel once the ends of the cord are pulled tight.
