The Craft
Techniques and Projects
← The Craft · 124 how-to articles in 19 groups · People of the Society →
How-to and project articles from the Society’s own newsletter, 1951–2026 — turks-head knots, the hinged box, saddle stitching, lacing, cuir bouilli, embossing, the Ranger belt, sharpening a swivel knife — grouped by kind and linked to the transcript page each came from. This is not everything the newsletters mention in passing, only what teaches or shows how to make something.
Bags, pouches and carriers
- Soft Shoulder Bag Fall 1982
- Let’s Make a Leather Bag Summer 2008
- How to Make a Leather Bird Carrier Summer 2012
- Your Simple Shopper by Peter Grove FCSCL Autumn 2013
- Simple Shopper Continued, Christmas Greeting Autumn 2013
- Puzzle Pouch Winter 2019–2020
Belts
- Belt Making Autumn 1962
- Ranger Belt (1993 original) Fall 1993
- How To Make “Ranger” Belts Fall 1993
- Ranger Belt by Ruth Haig FCSCL Summer 2005
- How to make Ranger Belts Summer 2005
- How to Measure Belts Summer 2008
- Things to Know About Making A Belt Winter 2018–2019
- Ranger Belt January–April 2023
Boxes, frames and cases
- Picture Frame Construction (continued) Fall 1981
- Carrying Case for Bird Book Summer 1982
- Personnel Card Case Spring 1992
- Hinged Box with Lauch Harrison Summer 2020
- Hinged Box — required skills, continued Summer 2020
Braiding and knotwork
- The Turks-Head Knot Winter 1956–57
- Magic Braid Kit by Karen Gunna Summer 2018
- Five Strand how to September–December 2021
- Sharpening Punches September–December 2021
Carving and embossing
- Leather Plaque Carving Summer 1952
- Carving Pine Cones Winter 1952–53
- How to Emboss Autumn 1955
- Inverted Leather Carving Summer 1962
- Tooling and Carving Techniques for Leaf Designs Summer 1971
- Order of Tooling Fall 1985
- Filigree Summer 1993
- Old Oak Carving: How Old Is the Tradition? Fall 1995
- Creating a Leather Applique with Peter Main Spring 2012
- Embossed Eagle Head Flask Carving Winter 2016–2017
Dyeing and colouring
- Finishing Steps (polish coat, shading), continued Autumn 1961
- Dye and Antique Finish, continued Summer 1962
- Swab Dyeing Summer 1972
- Cross Dyeing by Irva Ford Summer 2012
- Cross Colouring Chart with Basic Colours Winter 2017–2018
- Buffalo Plaid January–April 2022
Finishing and edge work
- Edge-Finishing Tips (critique-style) Summer 1959
- Notes on Tan Kote, Acrylics and Lacquers Spring 1984
- Using a head Knife? January–April 2021
Garments and gloves
Jewelry, pins and buckles
- Pendant Construction, continued Summer 1980
- Christmas Pins Winter 1989–90
- Learning How to Make Conchos Winter 1996–97
- Cliff McTavish — Raised Inlay Buckle Fall 1997
- Poinsettia Pins (1998 original) Winter 1998–99
- Peter Grove’s Fashion Wrist Band Pattern Winter 2007–2008
- Leather Pendants Summer 2008
- Let’s make some poinsettia brooches Autumn 2018
- Poinsettia Pins by Madeleine Mitchell September–December 2022
- Fashion Wrist Band by Peter Grove January–April 2023
Key fobs
- Molded Tray Workshop, Who Remembers This Leathercrafter? Winter 2017–2018
- How to make a Key Fob Fall 2020
Lacing and stitching
- Needles Autumn 1961
- Shoulder Straps (Adjustable) Winter 1965–66
- Saddle Stitching (as demonstrated at the Barrie Annual) Spring 1967
- Seam and Decoration Combinations January 1982
- How to Make a Simple Lace-Cutter Spring 1985
- Round Lacing on a Carved Quiver (Eugene Pik, continued) Summer 2013
- How to Stitch “Eskimo Laced Edge” by Lauren McPherson Summer 2013
- Throwing the Stitch January–April 2022
- Saddle Stitching - How too January–April 2023
- Saddle Stitching, continued January–April 2023
Leather basics, care and tanning
- Vegetable Tanning and Bleaching Notes March 1952
- Tanner’s Art Helps Fashion Moccasin (newspaper reprint) Summer 1979
- Brushing Up On the Basics and More! Summer 2008
- Some Types of Leather Summer 2008
- Another Use for Neat’s Foot Oil by Marilyn Harry Spring 2011
- Parts of a Cow Hide Winter 2018–2019
Moccasins and footwear
- Making Steerhide Moccasins Spring 1954
- Making Steerhide Moccasins (reprint) Winter 1961–62
- Moccasin Construction, continued Fall 1968
- Baby Moccasins Spring 2020
Moulding and cuir bouilli
- Cuir Bouilli, Part II — Practical Spring 1957
- To Cover a Bottle January 1982
- Moulding to a Bottle Form, continued January 1982
- Instructions for a Wet-Molded Leather Pocket Winter 1989–90
- Scanner-Store Case, layout and moulding Fall 1992
- Scanner-Store Case, dyeing and finishing, continued Fall 1992
Ornaments
- Molded Christmas Deer by Jana Zehr Autumn 2007
- Angel Barrette Autumn 2008
- Poinsettia Project Idea Fall 2020
- Make a Dove to hang in your Christmas Tree Fall 2020
- Recycled Leathercraft – Two Christmas Ornaments September–December 2022
Patterns and design
- Tracing a Design onto Leather (teaching notes, continued) Autumn 1956
- Making Gusset Patterns Autumn 1957
- Clutch Purse Winter 1983–84
- Shirt Pocket Saver Winter 1990–91
- Spanish Don’s Hat September–December 2021
Small projects and novelties
- Leather Covered Shoehorns Summer 1960
- Preparation and Construction (skiving and seams), continued Fall 1982
- Hole in Bottle for Lamp Base Spring 1984
- How to Make a Leather Bird Toy Summer 2012
- Dog Tag Silencer Summer 2016
- Angel Fish continued, Elephant Bookmark Winter 2017–2018
- Angel Fish Mobile Winter 2017–2018
- Making a Leather Feather (workshop, with photo sequence) Spring 2018
- Horse-Hair Hat Band (workshop) Spring 2019
- A Summer Study of Acorns Summer 2019 / Fall 2019
- Projects from the MAL January–April 2021
- SEE - What Can You do with Scraps of Leather September–December 2021
Tools and shop practice
- Leathercraft Tools — Knives Autumn 1961
- Tips and Hints Spring 1981
- Tips on Leather — Norland Branch Summer 1981
- Health Hazards of Cements and Solvents January 1982
- Shop Hints Winter 1983–84
- Handy Hints from Norland Winter 1987–88
- Leather Shop Safety by Robert Regan Autumn 2010
- Making a Buffing/Strop Pad Autumn 2013
- Make a Tool Holder – can hold up to 70 tools Winter 2013–2014
- Buying and Sharpening a Splitter Winter 2015–2016
- Forgotten Tools of the Harness Trade Fall 2016
- How to Sharpen the Swivel Knife Winter 2018–2019
- Sharpening the Swivel Knife, continued Winter 2018–2019
- How to Hold the Swivel Knife Winter 2018–2019
Wallets
- How to Make Expansion Wallet Interiors (1969 original) Fall 1969
- Tips for Carvers of a ‘Duck Hunter’ Wallet Fall 1973
- Wallet Interior Suggestion Summer 1979
- How to Make Expansion Wallet Interiors Summer 2017
Drawn from the Society’s own "In this Edition" contents entries and the instructional vocabulary of all 253 surviving issues: 124 articles that teach or show how to make something.