4 Easy Leather Remnant Projects: Bleed Knot Keychain, Square Ring Link Cuff, Tassel Keychain, and Feather Earrings

Project Summary: Four beautiful projects are created with a single pack of leather remnants and a few basic leathercraft tools. Our projects include a bleed knot keychain, square ring link cuff, tassel keychain, and a pair of feather earrings. Our projects are both basic and beautiful, so take these ideas and let your creativity thrive!

Approximate Time to Complete: Project completion times vary from 10 to 30 minutes.

Bleed Knot Keychain

What You'll Need:

• Assorted Leather Remnant Bag (75-4916)
• Poly Cutting Board (65-2916)
• Cushion Grip Snap Off Knife (65-2860)
• Brass Plated Key Ring, 1" (06800-BP-1)

Step-by-Step Instructions (with pictures):

1. Place your Cutting Board on your workbench. Using your Knife, cut a piece of Leather at ¾" by 8" or 10" (whatever is possible from the remnant length) and cut a taper on both ends.
2. Slide a Key Ring on, and hold this in the center of the strap.
3. With the strap unfolded, and the Key Ring in the middle of the strap, cut a slit lengthwise in the front strap roughly ½" down from the Key Ring and about ¾" long.
4. Take the back strap and bring the tapered tip through the front strap and pull tight. Now this strap becomes the front strap.
5. Cut a slit lengthwise on the front strap roughly ¾" below the last cut and roughly ¾" long.
6. Pull the back strap through the slit and tighten. This strap now becomes the front strap.
7. Pulling the back through the front twice is good, but feel free to add as many “pull-throughs” as you wish.

Square Ring Link Cuff

What You'll Need:

• Maul, 24 oz. (65-2500-24)
• Assorted Leather Remnant Bag (75-4916)
• Cushion Grip Snap Off Knife (65-2860)
• Poly Cutting Board (65-2916)
• Quartz Tooling Slab (3238)
• Steel Square, 12" x 8" (3608)
• Economy Punch (CSO223)
• #4 Heavy-Duty Scratch Awl 3-1/2" (CSO4-2)
• Deluxe 4P Snap & Rivet Setter (65-6275)
• Brass Plated #4950 Non-Welded Loop, 1" (04950-BP-1)
• #2206 Snaps Brass Plated (02206-BP)
• #2200 Double Cap Rivets Brass Plated, 1/4" (02200-BP-1/4)
• Master Tools Round Strap End Punch, 1" (00076-1)

Step-by-Step Instructions (with pictures):

1. Place your Cutting Board on your workbench. Using your Knife and Steel Square, cut 5 pieces of Leather at 1" by 2 ½".
2. Take one of these pieces and fold in half, and this will give us the center of the strap. Using your Economy Punch, punch a hole on this line centered widthwise.
3. Punch an additional hole ½" in from each end. This should give us three holes.
4. Place your Tooling Slab on your workbench to use for the remaining steps. Take two of the Brass Plated Loops and, with the weld line inside, slide your leather piece on from each end and hold outside of the center hole.
5. Fold the two outside edges around the Brass Plated Loops and put a ¼" Double Cap Rivet Post in from the back on one end hole. Push the Rivet Post through the hole on the other end and then through the center hole while keeping the Brass Plated Loops on either side of the center rivet.
6. Set this Rivet with your Rivet Setter and Maul, and this will give us our first “segment.” Repeat with as many leather pieces as is needed to create a cuff, belt or purse strap.
7. When enough segments have been completed, take 2 additional pieces 1" x 2 ½". These will be our “tabs” for Snaps. Punch one end hole and the center hole just like the segment pieces. Punch a hole on the other end at ¾" in from the end (You can use your Awl to mark ¾" before you punch it); then, punch a Round Strap End Punch on this end only for both pieces.
8. Take these pieces and rivet these on just like the loop segments, but we’ll only have one Brass Plated Loop to rivet on. Leave the hole on the end with the Round Strap End Punch open.
9. Using the Anvil from your Rivet Setter kit, set a Snap in the open holes, and your cuff is complete!

Tassel Keychain

What You'll Need:

• Assorted Leather Remnant Bag (75-4916)
• Cushion Grip Snap Off Knife (65-2860)
• Poly Cutting Board (65-2916)
• Steel Square, 12" x 8" (3608)
• S-18 All Purpose Cement (50-2125-8)
• #226 Mini Swivel Snap Solid Brass, 3/8" (00226-SB-3/8)

Step-by-Step Instructions (with pictures):

1. Place your Cutting Board on your workbench. Using your Knife, cut a piece of Leather to 2" width by 7" or 8" long (both measurements are up to you).
2. With the Steel Square, come down 1" from the top or end of the strap (this will be the “spine” of the tassel”) and start to cut parallel strands at ¼" moving across the 2" width.
3. When the strands are cut, put the leather on your work surface with the top grain down (You can place the suede side down as well, depending on the look you want) and the 2" ends to the right and left.
4. Take the strand closest to you and fold this up and over the spine. While leaving a small loop of leather above the spine, fold the strand back over the spine and make a small mark with your fingernail on the strand where it crosses over the bottom of the spine. This will be the end mark for our glue on both sides of the tassel.
5. On this side of the tassel (suede side) add the All Purpose Cement to the entire spine and down to the marked point on the first strand and let dry for 10 minutes.
6. Flip the tassel over and, with the first strand (same one as previously glued) now away from you, add All Purpose Cement from the top of the spine down to the same point on the strand as the other side. On the spine, add glue one-third of the way across from this strand and let dry for 10 minutes.
7. Once dry, flip the tassel back over so the top grain is down. Take the first strand and fold it up and over the spine and press down so the glue will adhere. Before bending this back down, slide the Swivel Snap on and leave enough of a loop so that it moves smoothly and bend back down over the spine and press for the glue to adhere.
8. Take the looped end and start to roll away from you, and the glue on the spine will hold it together. Your tassel is done, but remember, you can always add a bead, wrap or tie as a more permanent closure. Also, you can taper each strand for a more rustic look.

Feather Earrings

What You'll Need:

• Assorted Leather Remnant Bag (75-4916)
• Poly Cutting Board (65-2916)
• #4 Heavy-Duty Scratch Awl 3-1/2" (CSO4-2)
• Art Knife (65-2866)
• Angelus Brand® Acrylic Leather Paint, Gift Box Blue
• Small Paint Brush
• 2 Jump Rings
• 2 Earring Wires

Step-by-Step Instructions (with pictures):

1. On your Cutting Board, use an Awl to “draw” two feathers on your leather. Cut these out with an Art Knife. These need to be a little rough, as feathers can be, so an exact measurement is not necessary. Any general feather shape will work nicely. Secondly, you can cut both pieces “up” or you can cut the first feather and then flip it to mark for the second feather and they will be opposing/matching shapes.
2. With an Awl, mark a quill down the center of the shape. This won’t be highly noticeable, but we’ll use it as a stopping point for our slits.
3. With an Art Knife, make cuts starting at ¼" away from the quill line. Again, perfect isn’t necessary, but try and cut these as parallel as possible to each other working from the top of the feather down.
4. Brush on paint in any color or design you wish. Add two Jump Rings and two Earring Wires, and your project is complete!