Leathercrafting is a classic craft and skill utilizing a unique material. In this post, we've compiled a few resources to get you started on your leathercrafting journey at home today!
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Introduction to Leathercrafting
Until recently, leathercraft seemed to be a dying art. But lately, it's experienced a resurgence of interest as a sustainable craft and a unique material with qualities that fall somewhere in between wood and fabric.
Few leathercrafters today are lucky enough to learn under a true master craftsperson. Many are self-taught through books, videos, and kits.
That's how we got started: in 2009, Geoff began bicycle commuting to work in Portland, Oregon. He was inspired by a book, The Golden Age of Handbuilt Bicycles, that showed modern photos of vintage Italian bicycles. The vintage leather bar wraps looked as good today as they did back then!
When he looked for such high quality bicycle bar wraps on the market, he couldn't find them. So he decided to make them for himself. Although he had no one to teach him leathercraft, he knew design as a graduate of the University of Oregon School of Architecture, and basic fabrication as an artist.
He began by getting to know his local leather supply store, Oregon Leather. One of the managers there, Abdul ("Abi") took him under his wing, and taught him about leathers, and dyes. Abi helped point him in the right direction to products and tools when he had questions. Abi really encouraged Geoff to keep going!
Looking back on our earliest creations now, they seem rough and overbuilt. But that's how everybody gets started! Start where you are, then practice, practice, practice.
Today, although many of the masters have passed, there are more classes and instructors in leathercrafting available. Here are a few resources to get you started on your journey.
Where to Learn Leathercrafting
This post focuses on learning leathercrafting at home, on your own pace, partly because leathercrafting schools and old-school master craftspersons are rare.
Tandy Leather holds a special history in the US because of its special use in treating PTSD in veterans since WWII. But since its beginnings, Tandy has mostly focused on selling kits and self-learning materials.
Leathercrafting Schools, Conferences, Magazine, Forums
Perhaps because of the history with Tandy, or perhaps it's because we leathercrafters have often been lone wolves, but there are no widely-recognized, long-established leathercrafting institutes or member organizations like there are with other crafts like glassblowing or ceramics (in the US, that we know of).
Sometimes there are leathercrafting classes available at local arts and crafts colleges, traditional skills or folk schools, or leather supply shops.
If you're lucky, you can find a master to apprentice with (check with your local leather supply shop for recommendations or bulletin boards with business cards). Adjacent popular crafts that often have an overlap with leather are shoemaking and bookbinding.
Here are some resources we're familiar with, although we do not have personal experience with them and cannot vouch for their quality:
Online Forums
Stores, Classes, Conferences
- Tandy Leather Stores (Locations Nationwide)
- Weather Leather Supply (Mt. Hope, OH)
- Fine Leatherworking (Berkeley, CA)
- Elktracks Studio
- Alden's School (Burns, OR)
- Chicago School of Shoemaking and Leather Arts
- Leatherwork School (Augusta, GA)
- John C. Campbell Folk School (Brasstown, NC)
- Pendleton Leather Show
Magazines and Journals
- Leather Crafters Journal
- Illume Magazine (formerly Shop Talk!)
- International Leather Club
Learn Leathercrafting at Home: Books, Videos and Kits
We teach basic leathercrafting tools and techniques in the book we wrote for DK Publishing in the Idiot's Guide series. Our book is now out-of-print, but highly-reviewed and still available at most major booksellers. (Note: we were paid a flat free and don't earn commissions on book sales, we're just very proud of what we've done! We arranged the crafts in order of difficulty, from easy to hard, with each project successively introducing a new technique or tool.)
There are plenty of other self-learning books, too many to count! Many of them focus on old-school Western tooling techniques, where the leather is used as a canvas for artwork. Al Stohlman is the grandfather of these tooling books. More modern books focus on fine arts, or functional craft projects with a minimum of decoration.
These are the top four books recommended by Redditors:
- Traditional crafts: Leathercraft by Nigel Armitrage
- Minimalist, modern crafts for beginners: Idiot's Guide to Leather Crafts by Valerie and Geoffrey Franklin at Walnut Studiolo
- Fine art: The Leatherworking Handbook by Valerie Michaels
- European leatherwork: Leatherwork School by Ellie Valentine
Here are a few leather supply stores that sell books, have videos, and offer kits:
- Buckleguy
Attention US Veterans: get free leathercrafting kits from the nonprofit organization Heal Vets. (Learn more about this wonderful organization!)
Free "Leather 101" Learning Series
In 2019, we wrote a free leather learning series sharing everything we know about our favorite material. Updated and refreshed in 2025!
Leather Learning Series
Get the full series delivered to your inbox in one email per day for 11 days:
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About the Leather Learning Series >>>
- Lesson 1: Leather Basics
- Lesson 2: Leather Sources
- Lesson 3: Leather Processing
- Lesson 4: Leather Tanning
- Lesson 5: Recap: The "Best" Leather
- Lesson 6: Leather Finishes
- Lesson 7: Leather Variability and Product Quality
- Lesson 8: Recap: The "Most Sustainable" Leather
- Lesson 9: Vintage Leather in the Store
- Lesson 10: Leather Rescue and Rehabilitation
- Lesson 11: Leather Care and Crafting
We wish you every success on your journey into leathercrafting!
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