Grab your leather working tools and get started making yourself some great new leather items you'll be proud to carry! Well-crafted leather pieces are always in vogue. And minimalist modern styles are easy to make following the step-by-step instructions and templates provided in Making Leather Bags, Wallets, and Cases. From statement handbags to chic wallets, eyeglass cases, portfolios, and more, this book includes projects even a novice leather worker can make but that look so high-end people will be astonished if you tell them you made it yourself.

From casual totes to stylish clutches, this compilation offers an irresistible assortment of chic leather projects. The simplicity of the techniques adds to its appeal; a novice can easily make each bag, using basic sewing, braiding, and tooling skills. Photos of the purses in each phase of construction, as well images of the finished items, provide guidance and inspiration on working with this supple and durable material. Discover a variety of ways to tool, brand, punch, cut, stitch, glue, and embellish leather, and see how to add hardware, such as clasps and latches. Anyone would feel proud to show off the fringed Cell Phone Bag, Suede Hip Purse, Alligator Grain Cowhide Handbag, and Travel Tote with Stamp-and-Tooled Personalized Accent. A Selection of the Crafters Choice Book Club.

For anyone who feels she can never have too many handbags, this book is for you. Crafters, sewers, and lovers of handbags and leather goods are invited to take a one-on-one course in handbag and accessory construction and design with this new title. Written by three accomplished professors from the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York City, this book takes a fun approach to fashionable designs that are not only beautiful but also simple to create. Learn to construct fabulous handbags as well as other related accessories including cell phone cases, eyeglass cases, a belt and belt bag, wallets, an agenda book cover, and a cosmetic case. All projects are made from garment weight leathers and can be created on a typical home sewing machine. Numerous photos, step-by-step illustrations, and, best of all, insiderÆs tips for constructing these pieces and customizing the patterns to your own personal style are included.

All you need are strips of leather or suede and a few simple materials and you'll be weaving gorgeous purses, pouches, bags, and wallets. No prior leather working experience required! Step-by-step illustrated instructions walk you through how to create each piece. There are 17 projects with endless variations, plus a chapter on how to take what you've learned to create your own designs.. These bags are fun and easy to make, sure to be admired and appreciated wherever you go!

Handbag Designer 101 is the bible for handbag designers or women who aspire to make their own bags. Included in the book are instructions for creating the fifteen essential bag styles—clutch, hobo, tote, and more—made simple with easy-to-follow how-to illustrations, suggested difficulty levels, and color photography. Advice from famous bag designers and today’s hottest indie designers accompany each pattern.Also included is the inside scoop on turning your handbag hobby into a successful business. From designing, to making, to marketing, Handbag Designer 101 teaches you everything you need to know.

This book shows how to make 40 bags and miscellaneous goods with very simple, clear-cut instructions that even total beginners can follow. What makes this book special is that it has patterns with stitch marks at the end of the book. Leather is usually sewn after piercing holes for stitching, which means that punching the holes is the most important part. If the number of holes and their stitching positions match, all that is left to do is sew the item together along the holes. Tanned leather gradually softens. In this book, since thick leather is used and linings are not, the shape of your bag may change depending on age and use. This is actually one of the wonders of aged, tanned leather, that you will enjoy.

Create perfect, beautiful leather handbags and accessories with these 14 fashion-forward projects to make at home! This comprehensive and beginner-friendly how-to--written by Kasia Ehrhardt, who studied handbag design at the Fashion Institute of Technology--explains all the basics: how to work with different types of leather; techniques for cutting leather and sewing zippers, straps, and more; and advice on customizing and caring for your new bags.