Tom Parker

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Make a simple wallet - Leatherwork for beginners

A friend of mine owned this style of wallet (1,2). There's no stitching or gluing required to make the wallet, so it was simple enough to attempt as my first leatherwork project. Years later, I still use it and would recommend others try making one themselves rather than buying one.

>>> Download the DXF, STEP and 3MF files here <<<

Material - I used 1.2 - 1.6mm Natural Veg Tan Cowhide. This can be dyed different colours if you want to experiment.

Making the stencil - Print the PDF onto paper, 3D print the 3MF or lasercut the leather directly using the DXF

Tools and hardware - You’ll need to buy snap fasteners, most sets will come with the tools required to attach them to the leather. A scalpel is also useful.

Tips

  • There is a bounding box (the inner one) which you can use to scale the DXF correctly, it should be 400 x 280mm

  • Make sure you decide which way around you want to flip the stencil, and which side of the leather you cut. I designed the stencil to be placed on the rough side of the leather to hide any pen/pencil marks

  • If you want to fit more in the wallet, you can tweak the location of the holes for the snap fasteners

  • Make a cardboard or paper version first if you want to test the size

  • You can buy an inexpensive set of punches on Amazon or eBay for the holes

  • The leather will age over time as you handle it more, which improves it’s finish

ProjectsTom Parkerleather, leatherwork, 3d print, laser cut, stencil, wallet, simple, diy, maker