Leatherworking Foundations

The key to getting into leatherwork isn't just learning basic skills. It’s about meta-skills. To be successful, you need to learn how to learn leatherwork.

Our five-day Leatherwork Foundations course will teach you the fundamental leatherwork skills required to successfully complete intermediate level projects. Importantly, you’ll also learn how to avoid wasting money on tools and material and how to choose projects that will end in success and growth. This course is suitable for anyone aged 16 years and up, no prior leatherwork experience necessary.

Leatherwork is a gratifying practical hobby that enables you to affordably craft timeless luxury goods. It’s easy to setup a home workshop and you can even subsidise the purchase of tools and material by selling your creations. With a solid understanding of the fundamentals you can also teach friends, family and children how to do basic projects alongside you.

Our course will provide you with:

• the knowledge and skills to immediately undertake intermediate level projects at home
• a slection of leathers to use during the course (with extra left over to continue with at home)
• a selection of leatherwork tools to use on course and keep for yourself
• the knowledge needed to set up your own leatherwork studio at home
• the ability to choose projects appropriate to your skill level
• the knowledge needed to plan your growth as a leatherworker and attempt ever-more complex projects
• the ability to cheaply source speciality tools, materials and leatherwork patterns
• a huge amount of individual coaching and feedback
• the opportunity to talk to experienced leatherworkers and ask them questions specific to your needs

During this course you’ll make four projects of increasing complexity, culminating in an ambitious final project you choose from our library. Asides from teaching you a wide range of skills, this approach allows you to develop an understanding of your learning style when it comes to leatherwork. Armed with this knowledge, you’ll be able to go home and grow in competency by setting realistic goals and choosing projects that will end in success.

Here’s what you’ll learn day-by-day:

Day 1

• types and characteristics of leather
• reading and following patterns
• cutting and preparing leather
• basic stitch types

1st project: needle cushion

Day 2

• colouring leather
• wet moulding / shaping
• basic stamping / designs

2nd project: customised pouch

Day 3

• edging and burnishing
• shaping 3D objects
• basic fasteners
• additional stitch types

3rd project: tool bag for leatherwork tools

Day 4

• working with complex patterns
• embellishments & decoration
• more complicated fasteners / buckles / attachments

Major project: choose from our range of complex projects including bags, hats, and masks

Day 5

• finishing / sealing
• leather care

Finish your major project

At the end of the course you’ll go home with a small selection of leatherwork tools and the left-over leather from the leather you started with. This means that after a trip to the hardware store to grab things like a hammer and a Stanley knife you’ll be all set to keep going at home on your own projects.

Cost - $2500 inc. GST

Suitable for anyone aged 16 years and up.

Included: Tuition, insurance, materials, use of tools, workshop consumables, safety gear, morning and afternoon tea.

You’ll need to bring: Lunch, notebook and pen, appropriate clothing and covered footwear

Designs featured in this gallery are from a variety of makers including Dieselpunk.ro; Vasile and Pavel, MakeSupply Leather Craft Co., and TreeHouse Patterns UK - we have a relationship with these makers and feature some of their designs on this course with permission.  If you'd like an idea of the type of projects you'll be comfortable tackling after this course, make sure you take a look at their websites for some great examples.