Leatherworking is one of the oldest trades on earth and a valuable skill for any artisan. Say to purchasing expensive handbags, clothes, and shoes, because you’ll soon be crafting your own one-of-a-kind pieces. Equal parts form and function, leather goods are built to stand the test of time and make a statement.
A craft that requires finely-tuned motor skills, an artistic eye, and a clear, calm mind, learning leatherworking can be a fun new way to explore your creativity and encourage personal development.
You can learn more about the ways that you can benefit from leatherworking and how it can enhance your life by reading below. Regardless of your overall goals, learning leatherworking can be a fun and impressive skill to learn.
What is Leatherworking?
Leatherworking, or leather crafting, is the craft of turning leather into practical items or unique pieces of art using techniques like molding, dyeing, carving, stamping, and fabrication. A part of human history since 50,000 BCE, the crafting of leather goods is perhaps one of humanity’s longest and most time-honored traditions.
Discover Leather
- Up to $20 off your first class
- 10% Reward Points
- Price lock guaranteed
- No added fees
Thousands of classes & experiences. As featured in Time Out.
During the Bronze and Iron Ages, leather was even used for crafting shields, shelters, and jewelry. Leather crafting has always been in high demand and was most notably utilized by the Greeks and the Romans. Throughout the Middle Ages and Renaissance, leatherworking experienced a creative boom with tooling, painting, dying, and carving used for decoration. New tanning methods and further developments in the Industrial Age helped to streamline the practice into what you see today.
Both handmade and machine-made leather goods can now be found across the globe and serve as valuable, functional, and stylish pieces fit for any occasion.
Benefits of Learning Leatherworking?
Are you interested in learning leatherworking but wondering what’s in it for you? There are several benefits to learning this tactile art form. Below are the top four benefits of learning leather crafting and a few class options for you to consider.
Physical Benefits
Did you know that working with leather can improve your physical health? The precise hand movements of leatherworking can help improve your hand-eye coordination and working with small tools will help improve your fine motor skills and dexterity. Plus, cutting, punching, and molding leather requires a certain amount of exertion and can help you build strength.
Nazz Forge in Brooklyn hosts Leather Belt Making, a 2.5-hour course where you can learn the fundamentals of leather making. You’ll utilize skills like cutting, edging, riveting, and stamping to create a high-quality custom leather belt. (These are the same skills that can help improve your dexterity and fine motor skills!) COVID-19 vaccination is required for all classes at Nazz Forge, as is a signed waiver form.
If you’re in Chicago, check out Wet-Formed Leatherwork at the Evanston Art Center. You’ll explore wet-forming, an ancient technique used to sculpt hide into a strong and rigid form, and will gain the basic skills needed to craft a variety of your own handmade leather goods.
Improving Your Mental Health
It’s a relatively well-known fact that artistic practices can be therapeutic and are often incorporated into clinical therapy. Leather crafting, while different from painting or drawing, involves repetitive motions done by hand. These motions use different neural pathways that help the brain to send calming signals throughout the body. Working with leather requires your sole focus and allows you to exercise control over something, both of which can provide a boost to your mental health.
Are you a doting dog parent? A devoted cat lover? TIMMY MAYS in Alameda, CA offers a course just for you. Students will design and make a custom leather pet collar while learning the basic tips and tricks of leather crafting. You’ll begin with a leather strip and hardware and, with the assistance of an expert instructor, you’ll learn to cut heavyweight leather, use a leather punch, and practice how to stain and bevel leather. Pets are known to help alleviate stress and designing something just for them is sure to put you in a good mood.
Making New Friends
Have you recently moved or are you looking for a new way to meet people? The practice of leatherworking could help you to form new connections. Leather artisans are a niche community of passionate craftspeople, one where you can easily plug into groups like the International Leather Club. You can also join forums or peruse local meetups of like-minded leather workers near you.
Looking for a fun date night for your new relationship? Try out Date Night: Craft a Custom Leather Bag at Craftsman Ave in Brooklyn, New York. Each couple will create one bag together. You’ll plan out your pattern, choose your leather, and then learn the basic skills to craft your unique design. You’ll also be introduced to the tools of the trade such as bevelers, dies, anvils, and rivets, as well as our state-of-the-art Sailrite Sewing Machine.
Potential Profits
The art of leather crafting holds so much potential as a creative career. An expert in the field could find themselves working for a large retailer or designer or running their own small business selling bespoke leather items. Those that set out on their own could sell at markets, pop-up events, and festivals locally or nationwide.
Want to learn to craft items that you can sell for a profit? Try this sandal-making workshop put on by The King’s Roost in Silver Lake. You’ll learn to make a pair of sandals from sturdy leather soles, stacked leather heels, and soft leather straps and insoles. Choose from four simple sandal designs and four unique leather colors to create a custom-fitting pair of sandals. Completed sandals will be ready for pick-up the following day, and students will also take home an outline of the sandal-making process including a list of local leather and shoe supply resources, to jump-start your new side hustle.
If you’re in New York, you can learn to sew your own handmade moccasins at Brooklyn Shoe Space in Williamsburg. Students will learn how to use a sewing machine and the techniques needed to sew by hand. You’ll need to provide your shoe size before class because you’ll take home your one-of-a-kind moccasins when it’s over!
Looking to level up your skills so you can start your leatherworking career? Located in Washington, DC, Finch Knitting + Sewing Studio has a two-class course called Leather Tote Bag Intensive that’s designed for intermediate leatherworkers. You will choose materials and tools, design your bag for both style and function and then complete your bag by sewing it together and installing hardware.
How to Start Learning Leatherworking
It can be difficult to decide if in-person or online classes are best suited for your particular needs. Easy questions to ask are: Are there in-person classes available in your area? Does your schedule require more flexibility? Would you prefer to learn from the comfort of your own home?
In-person classes are the best way to gain in-depth knowledge in a short period. You’ll have face-to-face time with a highly-skilled teacher and can ask questions as soon as challenges arise. Your supplies are also typically provided for in-person classes, so all you need to bring is your artistic eye and a desire to learn.
The Denver Design Incubator hosts Leather Sewing 101 in Jefferson Park. This class is designed for those just starting out and will teach the basics of sewing leather on an industrial sewing machine. Students will make two leather credit card cases, one sewn by machine and one sewn by hand. You’ll also learn the proper techniques for rotary cutting so you can cut the perfect square and make rounded corners. Leather and supplies are provided but you are welcome to bring your own leather or tools.
For those located on the west coast, Los Angeles offers several leather crafting classes. Santa Monica College hosts Leather Hand-Sewn Basics, where students will make a bespoke leather wallet. This hands-on workshop will teach you how to smooth leather edges, punch holes, saddle stitch, and install a button. There is a $25 supply fee that will be collected at the start of class but no prior experience is necessary.
Do you live in the Big Apple? Brooklyn Shoe Space offers a two-hour course called the Wallet Making Workshop. Students will learn the basics of hand-sewing leather and studding techniques while they create their own personalized wallets. This course is ideal for beginners and offered to anyone 15 years of age or older.
Also located in New York, this leather tote bag class will have you completing your own handmade tote in just two hours. Located at the New York Sewing Center in Manhattan, this class includes all supplies but does require you to have basic to intermediate-level sewing skills.
Online leather crafting classes, whether live or on-demand, offer more options for areas without in-person classes and more flexibility for those with difficult schedules. It’s important to note that virtual classes don’t typically supply your tools and materials so it will be your responsibility to source those. Regardless of if you choose live or pre-recorded, virtual leather crafting classes are ideal for those who need or want to learn from home.
Coastal Design Workshops offers a leather koozie class that’s perfect for beginners. You’ll learn to stencil, cut, punch, and stitch genuine leather with special leather working tools and waxed cord. This class will ship a kit to you containing all your tools and materials before class and they even throw in a few extra supplies so you can make a matching keychain, too!
Atelier by Héna offers three virtual courses. Firstly, they offer an online cardholder-making class that will introduce novice artisans to basic leather making tools. You’ll learn the best beginner techniques like saddle stitching, sanding, and edge painting to complete your very own handmade leather cardholder. Tools are not included in this class, but they’ve provided a list of what you’ll need to source before attending.
Their second offering is an online handbag-making course that teaches students how to design and create their own handmade leather goods. An accomplished instructor will teach you pattern making, cutting, bonding, edge painting, and saddle stitching. As with the previous course, students are responsible for bringing their own tools.
And finally, if you’re interested in combining leather crafting and jewelry making, Atelier by Héna also has an online bracelet-making class. This course teaches the same fundamental skills but with a focus on designing bespoke pieces of jewelry. Students will attend “live” with an expert instructor, allowing for timely troubleshooting.
Key Takeaways
- Leatherworking is one of the oldest trades known to man and has stood the test of time thanks to its unique combination of form and function.
- Learning leather crafting can improve your physical health by helping to fine-tune your motor skills, improving your dexterity, increasing your strength, and encouraging your hand-eye coordination.
- It can also help improve your mental health by encouraging your brain to send calming signals to your body. Leatherworking will require your total focus, allowing you to clear your mind. You can also exercise control over your leatherworking process, helping to create order in a sometimes chaotic world.
- Leatherworking can help you to make new friends, especially if you attend an in-person class. You’ll get to interact with your talented teacher and the other students, offering you the opportunity to create friendships based on a shared interest.
- Want to start a side hustle? Leatherworking is for you! Bespoke leather goods are always in-demand and you could find yourself selling your handmade items in local boutiques or at markets and festivals.
- Choosing between in-person and virtual classes ultimately comes down to your specific needs. Both will provide an expert instructor but only in-person classes can offer face-to-face interactions and a chance to meet your peers.
- Looking for a more custom way to learn? CourseHorse offers private lessons and private group classes that can be structured to fit your exact needs. Contact CourseHorse to find options for online or in-person training, including private group sessions.