Saturday, December 22, 2012

super easy-to-make, cheap & cool leather cuff


If you have a last minute gift or two to get, and not much money to spend, here is an idea for something you can easily make: a leather cuff bracelet out of an old belt. You can use a belt you are done with, or go to Goodwill and buy one. All the belts are $1.99 here in the Dallas area. You want to use a belt that is one solid piece of leather, not one that is pieced together and sewn around the edge. If you use a belt that slips through the buckle and cinches without a prong, you will not need any extra equipment besides the sharp scissors. If you use a buckle with a prong, you will need a leather hole punch. These are easy to pick up at crafting stores and do not cost much. Here's what to do:


1. Slip the belt over your wrist, or ascertain the wrist size if you are making it for someone else. Figure out how much of the end you want protruding past the buckle, and mark there with a marking pencil. This is where you will cut it. 

2. Slip it off, and cut off the excess, using very sharp, strong scissors. I like the Fiskers 9921 Softouch Micro-Tip Pruning Snip ones shown, but beware. Especially if you enjoy having all of your fingers intact, as they are insanely sharp. You can decide if you want to cut straight across or use a curved or pointed edge. If you have a pronged buckle, you now need to punch a hole in the appropriate place or places. I like to do a line of punches down the entire cuff. You decide.


3. I like to then sand it using fine sand paper. Now you are done, but you could also choose to rough up the whole cuff a bit with the sandpaper for a rustic effect. You could also go over the cut edge with some shoe or leather polish in a matching color if you happen to have some handy. Enjoy!



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