Leather Fundamentals 1: Choosing & Dyeing Leather

Welcome to the first episode of our Beginner’s Guide to Leather Craft series! Do you dream of mastering leather crafting but don’t know where to start? If you’re interested in learning how to craft bespoke leather bags, wallets, upholstery and more, you’ve come to the right place.

Leatherwork can seem intimidating, but it’s an achievable DIY hobby anyone can master. That’s why we created this leather fundamentals masterclass series. In every episode, Corbin, our Sailrite® Leather Specialist, will teach you a basic leatherworking skill or technique. As you progress through the series and learn new skills in simple, digestible videos, you’ll grow more comfortable in your leather crafting and soon your confidence will soar. You’ll be a master leatherworker in no time!

In this first video, you’ll learn about two of the most common project leathers and the four qualities to consider when choosing leather for a DIY project. The most popular leather types for accessories, clothing, upholstery and more are vegetable tanned leather and chrome tanned leather. Corbin discusses the weight, temper, tanning method and finish of veg tan and chrome tan to help you decide which leather is right for the types of projects you’d like to make.

After covering the types of leather, you’ll learn about the various leather finishes. Watch as Corbin demonstrates how to dye leather for a splotch-free finish. Then he’ll finish with the proper way to condition and polish the dyed veg tan to seal in the color and create a nice shine.

Watch this leatherwork for beginners video now to take your first step toward expertise in this timeless craft.

Materials & Tools List:

• Vegetable Tanned Leather
• Chrome Tanned Leather
• Fiebing’s Leather Dye
• Sailrite® Large Wool Daubers #125829-L
• Work Surface
• Sailrite® Leather Thickness Gauge #123326
• Fiebing's Leather Balm #123841
• Fiebing's Neatsfoot Oil #123802
• Fiebing’s Neutral Resolene #123806

Click here to view all episodes of our Beginner’s Guide to Leather Craft series. And if you’re interested in more leather crafting resources, our leather crafting page has excellent blog content, videos, product recommendations and more. Sailrite has all the tools and know-how you need to start your leather crafting journey.