So this is the first backpack I have ever made. 

I originally wanted to make a bag that I can use as a video camera case. So this bag was the smallest size possible that I can make it fit my video camera. It’s great to see a final product but a lot of people want to know how I made this so let me start.

One of the easiest part leathercraft is tooling the leather. I used raw veg tan leather, and did a free hanf tooled pattern. It didn’t really take that long but the end results came out amazing. What I love about tooling is that it has an outcome of the achievement. Be able to create something from scratch and knowing that you did this is what grows character and life skills. I encourage anyone and everyone to try this out.

All the little details are just premade stamps. It’s creating the pattern that makes this leather tooling pop out. It does take a little bit of time and a little bit of practice but anyone with a steady hand can do this. It only takes a little bit of time, but time well spent. 

Once the tooling is done. All you got to do is dye the leather. Which is pretty much the process of having the dye come out of a squirt bottle, and literally slather it all over the place. The dye pretty much is the same color when its applied. When you apply it at the same time, it would just need to be an even coat. All of these skills I learned with trial and error, but this was my first time doing this so I got really really lucky.

Once everything was dyed, all that was left was to stitch it all up.  That is a whole beast on its own. It literally took me 30 minutes to tool, dye, and stud the whole bag, but took me over six hours to hand stitch everything. I learned the hard way that there is so many different ways to do something and not one way is the right way. Just like in life, there are always obstacles to overcome. I was getting so frustrated the stitching is this bag I was going to quit halfway through but I didn’t. Being able to have something at the end that is tangible ends up being and achievement.

I’m glad I made this bag, it helped me learn the do’s and do not’s of leather working.

If you’re looking for a custom bag to be built, go to my contacts page and send me a message.