This is the perfect first project. It takes about 30 minutes, uses a scrap of leather roughly 1″ x 5″, and requires only the most basic tools. It also makes an excellent gift that looks genuinely handcrafted because it is.
What You Need
- Vegetable-tanned leather (3–4 oz), about 1″ x 5″
- Stitching chisel or single-prong punch
- Needles and waxed thread
- Mallet
- Metal key ring (split ring or D-rings work also)
- Leather punch or hole punch (optional — for a more polished finish)
- Beeswax
Instructions
1. Cut your strip. Cut a strip of leather approximately 1 inch wide and 5 inches long. Use your metal ruler and leather knife for a clean edge. This will be folded in half to create a loop around the key ring, so the finished tab will be about 2.5 inches long and 1 inch wide.
2. Mark your stitch line. Use a wing divider set to about 4mm from the edge to run a light line along both long edges of your strip on the grain side (the smooth side). This is your guide — your stitches will sit along this line.
3. Create the loop. Fold the leather strip in half around the key ring, aligning the edges evenly. Hold it in place with a binder clip. The key ring sits at the fold, and your stitch will close the open ends together.
4. Mark and punch stitch holes. Starting about 5mm from the open end, use your stitching chisel and mallet to punch evenly spaced holes through both layers of leather along your stitch guideline. Work your way toward the fold, stopping about 5mm from the ring.
5. Saddle stitch. This is the signature stitch of leatherworking and it’s sturdier than any machine stitch. Thread two needles, one on each end of a length of waxed thread about 3x the length of your stitch line. Push the first needle through the first hole from left to right. Pull it through until there’s an equal length of thread on each side. Now pass the second needle through the same hole from right to left, but loop it over the thread of the first needle as you pull it through — this locks the stitch. Repeat for every hole.
When you reach the last hole, backstitch two holes to lock the thread. Pull tight, trim, and use your mallet to tap the thread flat.
6. Finish the edges. Use an edge beveler to slightly round the corners and long edges — this one step makes a huge difference in the finished look. Apply a small amount of Tokonole to the edges with your finger and rub briskly in a circular motion until the edge smooths and burnishes.
That’s it. Your first leather keychain. It won’t be perfect, and that’s completely fine. Mine looked a little rustic. My third one looked pretty good. My tenth one looked like I knew what I was doing.
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