
If you are thinking of picking up a new hobby, then leather crafting Singapore can be something engaging for you. You can find many exclusive leather crafting courses in Singapore that will help polish your leather working skills. Here, we have listed some of the important techniques and skills that will prove helpful for you, especially if you are a newbie.
To start with, you must understand what leather crafting is. It is a unique approach to arts and crafts, which leads to ornate leather artwork. It works by molding, carving, and dyeing leather into everyday practical objects or aesthetic pieces of art.
If you are interested in attending leather crafting Singapore workshops, you will find dozens of options. However, we suggest that before enrolling in any course or workshop, you should know the basics of leather working. So, the following are some of the essential skills and techniques you must know:
Leather Crafting Techniques
There are dozens of techniques and methods when it comes to leatherworking. However, for a beginner, you ought to know some of the basic ones. For starters, you must know how to select the desired leather and store it, dye it, or cut it. For a beginner, you must start with economy-grade leather and then move to the expensive ones. The color or type of leather depends on the project you are working on. For example, you will learn in a leather wallet-making class that if you are looking for a softer texture, you can go with lambskin leather. However, for more durability, you must work with full-grain leather.
When it comes to leather painting and leather dyeing, you must understand that both methods are different from each other. Leather painting applies water-based pigments on the upper crust of the leather. So, there is a risk of wearing out the pigment. In contrast to this, dyeing is a more durable process. It involves alcohol-based dyes that absorb deeply into the skin and therefore are more reliable, especially for flexible textures.
Cutting is one of the most important things you will learn in a leather goods workshop. Different projects or objects require various kinds of cutting. Before you learn how to cut leather, you must know the necessary tools. A strap cutter, rotary cutter, and utility knife are some critical cutting tools you must have in your leather DIY kit Singapore.
Must-Have Tool for Leather Crafting
A seasoned craftsman will have tons of leather crafting tools, but for a beginner, you can start working with some essential tools and upgrade your kit later.
Following is some of the tools to buy for leather crafting Singapore:
- Round Knife – For cutting and skiving
- Rotary Cutter – To slice curves
- Strap Cutter – For cutting straight lines
- Stitching Awl – For creating and widening holes for sewing
- Sewing Thread
- Stitching Needles – For stitching
- Stitching Horse – For holding leather while stitching
- Edge Beveling – For rounding out edges
- Punches – For making holes in leather
- Rivet Setters – For attaching rivets
- Rubber Hammer – For hammering rivet setters and punches
- Diamond Chisels – For punching stitching holes
What can you make with leather?
Once you start working with leather, there are countless objects that you can make. From wallets to shoes to purses, there is a wide variety of leather projects that you can master. When it comes to clothing, you can make belts, boots, jackets, bracelets, or watch bands out of leather. You can make furniture, sports equipment, and different tools after learning leather crafting. Leather bags and purses are popularly in demand, so you can initially go for a leather bag making course Singapore.
Is it challenging to learn leatherworking?
In a word, the answer to the question mentioned above is NO. However, learning it as a hobby is easy, but to master this skill, you must invest your time and money, work on different projects, and then after a few years of experience, you can call yourself an expert leather craftsman. It might take a little extra effort, but it’s worth it as a hobby or a skill. It requires a low setup cost; once you start earning from your projects, you can upgrade your equipment. Look for the best leather workshop Singapore and invest some time and money in this artwork if you are dedicated to learning leatherwork.
Leather crafting Singapore can be a perfect way to invest your energy into something productive. From buying the basic tools to learning the required skills, you will be able to complete your first leather project in no time. Once you are done, kick back, and move on to your next project!