Hand Tools Leather and Walnut Purse/Bag

I had a bunch of leather (like half a hide) and some walnut off cuts so I decided to make something with them. I decided I would craft a bag that combines my passion for wood and my newfound love for leather working.

So, what is it you might need?

-Some sort of wood, any species will do, I used walnut, at least 2"x6"x3/4"

-Leather, any colour will do, but it needs to be pretty malleable. I used a 3-4 oz leather and it think it worked perfectly. Minimum area of 5"x14", also leather for a strap, and area of at least 1"x30" .

-Wood Glue (I used Titebond 3)

-4 Upholstery Tacks (If you want to add a bit of an accent, it is not imperative to the build)

-4 Small screws (I used #4 1/2" screws, black finish)

Tools:

-Sharp Knife

-Hand Saw

-Drill and (3/32" bit)

-Mallet or Hammer

-Hand Plane (any will get the job done, I used a #5 Jack Plane)

-Rasp/File (Rasp is good for speed, though not necessary)

-Sand Paper (from 150 grit to as high as you like)

-Metal Ruler

-Try Square

-Pencil

First off, find some wood that you like, shouldn't be too thick, shouldn't be too thin. I used two 1" thick pieces of walnut. You can skip this step if you already have wood of appropriate size and are not dressing your own lumber. Then, you need to cut them down to size. I marked out a piece that is 2" x 6", then once cut with the hand saw, I used my hand plane to bring them down to the same length and width. Then, I used my planer to bring them town to a thickness of 5/8". Once the two pieces are cut out, dressed and square, I marked a round-over on two of the corners, this will make up the bottom of the bag. I used a dime to mark the round over and then used a rasp and a file to shape the corners to said marking (see photos). Once complete, each piece should have two square corners and two round corners (see photos). Once complete, sand all surfaces smooth, my plane blade has recently been sharpened and left a clean finish; I started at 220 grit and worked my way up to 400. 400 grit is not necessary but I had some, 220 grit is enough. If your surfaces are rougher you should start at a lower grit and work your way up.

I finished my wooden sides with a beeswax and mineral oil mix I purchased at a local wood shop, any finish that you desire will do, as long as glue will still adhere to the surface. Once the finish has cured, you can move on the cutting out the leather.

First, begin by measuring out how long the leather should be, even if you have followed along and made the same size wooden sides, it is a good idea to measure for your specific bag. Use a piece of string, twine, fishing line, anything similar to a string to measure the length you will need, which will be:

The distance along the edge of your wood, starting at one right angled corner, going around both rounded corners at the bottom, and finishing at the other right corner, the flat face should not be measured (see photos for example). I used twine for said measurement and cut it to length. Lie the string/twine along a scrap piece of wood, holding it taught, mark each end on your scrap piece. Then, measure the distance between each mark, this will be the length of leather you will need. Mine worked out to exactly 13 7/8".

I decided to make my bag 5" wide, so that would mean I need a piece of leather that is 13 7/8" x 5". The width can be scaled to fit any desired width. I marked these dimensions on my leather and, using a straight edge and sharp knife, I cut the piece out (upholstery scissors can be used too, however, I find a sharp knife and straight edge make a cleaner and more accurate cut).

Then, for the strap, I again used a straight edge and a knife to cut a 30" long 1" wide strip to form the bag strap. Using the same method as the wooden sides, use a dime to create a nice round profile on the ends of the leather strap. This should be done 4 times for all 4 corners. Mark the curve with a pencil and then, using a knife or a chisel, cut the profile in pieces until it is rounded to your line.

Once all the leather has been cut to size it is time to glue the leather to your wooden sides. I used wood glue as holds pretty well, other glues could work but I cannot speak to their performance. Glue the two ling edges of your large swath of leather and place the wooden pieces along this edge, ensuring the edge of the wood is flush with the edge of the leather (see picture for example). Then begin rolling your wood pieces along the glue line until the leather is fully glued to the edges of the wood. You should now have something that resembles a bag (see photos). Once complete, add some weight on top of the wood to apply some pressure between the wood and leather (as you can see in the photos, I piled some pieces of wood on top of the bag). Allow the glue to dry for a few hours before continuing.

Once the glue has dried (see your glue's instructions) add a tack to the 4 upper corners of the bag (where the leather ends on all 4 corners, see photo for context). You can use upholstery tacks like I have, or you can use any other tack, nail, or screw that you like, the idea here is to prevent the leather from peeling off of the wood at its most vulnerable points. If using screws, see next step for context on how to properly affix leather to wood with screws.

The final step is to add the strap you cut out to your bag. I opted to glue and screw the straps t the wood sides. To do this, I placed the strap on the side of the bag (wooden side) and figured out where I wanted it to sit (which worked out to be center, and 1 1/2" down). I the marked out two spots where I would drill holes and affix screws (location does not matter, I spaced mine where I thought they looked good, but both were down the center of the side). I did this using a scratch awl (a knife would work or anything pointy like a needle), marking through the leather and onto the wood, providing me with the same points to drill/punch on both the leather and the wood, do this on both ends of the strap and both sides of the bag. I used a 3/32" drill bit to make some pilot holes in the wood (don't go all the way through the wood, just deep enough for the screw) and used a 3mm punch to create holes in the pre-marked locations in the leather. Using a leather punch is not essential, you can simply drill using the same 3/32" bit used to make the pilot holes to make holes in the leather. Once all holes have been punched/drilled, apply wood glue to each end of the strap, then, screw the straps into the pre-drilled holes in the wood (I used four #4 1/2" screws with a black finish). Do this on both sides.

Congrats, you are done. This is a basic bag, I like the simplistic look, however, it can be personalized further. Additional pockets can be added on the exterior or interior, designs can be stamped/pressed or burned into the leather or wood, anything can be done to personalize each bag.

I hope you enjoyed making this bag!