Tutorial: Leather Wrap Clutch

I was pretty excited when the Leather Hide Store contacted me about sewing up something up with some of their leather.  I took a look around their website and picked out some leather remnants I liked, they sent me a few samples, they were all great, but I fell in love with this Dark Copper Mountain Saddle leather.  A few days later, a leather remnant arrived at my door. I would not wait to rip into that box! 

I had never sewn with leather before, but I love a new challenge.  After a bit of brainstorming, I decided to sew up a simple wrap clutch and I was very pleased to find out that sewing with leather is really quite easy!

 

I love the soft suede back of the leather so I decided to leave my clutch unlined.  And since leather won’t fray like fabric would, you don’t even have to hem the edges or finish the seams.  This little clutch can be sewn in just minutes!

 

The clutch is about 10 inches x 5.5 inches so it is big enough so hold my wallet, keys and phone.  It closes with a little leather strap so no fancy tools are needed to make it. 

 

Want to make your own clutch?  Here’s how!

You will need:

• Some leather (mine is the Dark Copper Mountain Saddle from the Leather Hide Store)
• Matching thread
• Clips (you can’t use pins on leather, I picked up some sewing clips at my local craft store but clothespins or binder clips will work too)
• A leather needle for your sewing machine
• A craft knife
• I found my rotary cutter and walking foot helpful, but they are not necessary

First, cut a rectangle of leather that is 16” x 11”

 

On one end, trim both sides ½” x 5” curving the last ½”.  This will give you a little extra on the sides for your seam allowance.

 

The part where you have trimmed the sides will be the front flap of the bag.  Use a plate to curve one of the flap, then use the piece you cut to curve the other side so they are symmetrical.  You can curve the flap as much or as little as you like, or even cut it into a different shape you like, maybe a point like an envelope or cut it at a slant all the way across.  I used my rotary cutter for this part, but the craft knife would work as well. 

 

Fold the bottom of the bag up, with the shiny side of the leather together, so the bottom lines up with the edge where you trimmed.  Use your clips to hold it in place.

Use a couple of leather scraps to practice sewing on.  I found that a stitch length of about 3.5 worked well on my machine.

Sew up the sides of the clutch with a 3/8” seam allowance, removing the clips as you come to them and backstitching when you start and stop sewing. 

 

Clip the seam allowance at an angle at the bottom to reduce bulk when you turn it.

 

Turn the clutch right side out. Push the bottom corners out.

 

With your craft knife, cut a small 3/8” slit in the middle of the flap 1” from the raw edge.

 

Cut a strip of leather that is 3/8” wide and 28” long.  Cut one end of the strip at and angle and tie the other end in a knot.

 

From the front of the flap, feed the slanted end through the slit.  Pull it all the way through so just the knot sticks out.

 

All done!  To close your bag, wrap the leather strap around the clutch and tuck it under itself and then loop it back through.

 

Now for the really awesome part… the Leather Hide Store is going to give a $50 gift card to one of you so you can make your own leather project!  All you have to do is like the Leather Hide Store on Facebook and enter the drawing using the rafflecopter below.  Good luck and thanks for reading!

Sorry! The giveaway has ended