The Leather Scout Bracelet

This post brought to you by LeatherCordUSA.com.
Good morning, campers!  Autumn is here and the mornings are brisk, making that hot coffee taste extra amazing.  I call this the scout bracelet because of the colors, textures and the fact that it seems kind of multi-purpose:  you can wear it as a bracelet, a necklace, or tie the tent pulls together (you know, if you need too).
Where do you find inspiration?  For me, it’s often in the materials.  I was collecting and gathering things around my studio to use with the LeatherCord USA  suede and 10mm wide deertan lace.  It comes in a ton of colors, but this green and brown combo was perfect for a fall statement bracelet.
I really didn’t want to cut this nice long piece of lace so the first thing I did was experiment with stitching the two leather types together.  The pair has a nice contrast with the matte suede and smooth deertan lace surfaces.
Not going to lie—it was tricky keeping the leather and stitches in the center.  I slowed the machine to “as slow as it would go” speed.  This is an all purpose needle, but I plan to put a new one in before I start piecing fabric together again.  After a yard of sewing leather, it’s sure to be dull.
Not in the photo is this buckle clasp and rivet from Tierra Cast.
You’ll need to hole punch the leather so it fits perfectly with the rivet diameter.  Put the skinny part in through the layers back to front and top with the mushroom piece.
I changed the buckle piece up a bit by adding the wood ring to make the bracelet a little more chunky.  Place the rivet section on top of a steel block and tap the top of the rivet with an eyelet setter or simply a plastic mallet.

Tip-seal the back side of the leather at the end with Fieblings Leather glue to keep the stitches from unraveling.
Wrap and roll.  I love lots of wraps, but you could do a couple and trim the leather exactly how you want.
Did I mention I love lots of wraps?
Here’s another experiment with zig zag stitching and colorful leather.  Only a couple wraps here…and you don’t have to “walk the line” while sewing!  For the free spirits in my life.
This would make a great steampunk jewelry accessory piece too.

Visit LeatherCord USA for great leather products and more ideas.