Leather is a natural substance that requires special treatment for various repairs. The only way to un-crack leather is to replace it. One approach that leather repair specialists use is to clean the leather and then re-color it. The result is that the leather will have a uniform appearance. The cracks will still be there but will be less apparent.

You can also have a leather repair professional replace the cracked areas and match the new leather to the original color. This works best when you are working with a panel of leather, for example on a car seat or the surface of a furniture cushion.

Dog and Cat Scratches can easily damage a valuable piece of leather furniture.
For dogs, most damage occurs while climbing on and jumping off. If you are a cat owner, leather fillers or tanner’s resin will cure the symptoms but not the problem. You might consider buying your cat a scratching post and put it near the area where the cat is scratching before using the filler.

You may be able to repair slight scratches on leather furniture. Spray water on the scratch and cover it with a small square of 1000 grit wet sand paper from the hardware store. Sand very lightly until the surface is smooth and you cannot feel the tear from the scratch anymore. You may end up needing to re-color the furniture if the scratch damage is extensive. That would be a job for a pro. more…

Creating your own bead jewelry is a creative hobby that allows you to produce unique pieces for yourself, family and friends. It is actually a lot easier than one would think. Here is how you can get started.

If you ever asked yourself “couldn’t I do that myself?” as you looked through rows of bead bracelets, necklaces or earrings at a trendy boutique, the answer is “yes”. Beading is a creative and entertaining hobby that not only will have you produce unique, handmade items of jewelry, but will also be a great source of gift ideas for family and friends. Your unique beaded gifts will be pleasing to most everyone.

The first step would be to find a good bead source. While there are wonderful mail order catalogs and websites that will sell you all the supplies, nothing substitutes for the support and advice of experienced sales personnel. Ideally, this store would also offer a number of beginners’ classes that would help you learn basic techniques (if there is no bead shop in your town, some introductory books such as The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Beading will have to do). more…

The Fiebing Company formulated both Tan Kote and Bag Kote as leather finishes long before the advent and common use of acrylic leather finishes.

Fiebing’s Tan Kote is a casein or gum finish that is a good dressing for a beginner or for the crafter looking for an inexpensive top coat. Tan Kote when mixed with Fiebing’s Antique Finish makes a fantastic and easy to use Antique. Tan Kote can be applied with a cotton ball swab, lambs wool or a damp sponge.

Fiebing’s Bag Kote is a unique resin based formula that leaves a finish and luster like no other. Bag Kote needs to be applied at room temperature or warmer. If it is applied cold, it will streak. Bag Kote can be applied with a cotton ball swab, lambs wool or a damp sponge.

When applied to light colored leather, Bag Kote results in a brighter and darker finish than Tan Kote. The resulting finish after applying either Bag Kote or Tan Kote is described more as a rich finish as opposed to a shiny finish like a lacquer or acrylic. Bag Kote will dry a little brighter than Tan Kote. For more side by side comparison see the chart below.

There are many leather goods sold on the market today ranging from office chairs to designer handbags. Just as there are many types of leather goods, there are also many types of leather used in their manufacture. This article will take a look at some of the different types of leather that are used to make the many different leather goods we use in our daily lives.

Vegetable tanned leather. This type of leather uses tannin which is found in vegetable matter to ‘tan’ the hide. In fact, this is where the term ‘tanning’ was derived from. Vegetable tanned leather does not hold up to water very well and it becomes hard when submersed in hot water. This was beneficial when leather was used as armor in olden times. Other leather goods made from this type of leather include book bindings because it is lightweight.
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People purchase leather for many reasons. The most common basis for purchasing leather is to complete a variety of leather craft projects. If you are working on a leatherworking task, it is essential that you make certain the leather is correct for the task that you wish to complete. Here, you will find many useful guidelines on how to select leather by weight and type.

The primary article that you should determine when selecting leather is exactly how much leather will be necessary for your leatherworking project. It is essential to understand that most leather is sold by the square foot. Of course, if you purchase leather from a thrift store, or a flea market, you may find that it is sold by the hide rather than by the square foot. You should also settle on the thickness of the leather that will be required for your project. Choosing the wrong size and thickness of leather can make or perhaps break your leatherworking job.

There are certain types of leather that are referred to as vegetable tan. This type of leather is useful for leatherworking projects that require the leather to be stamped. If the leather needs to be tooled, this is the type of leather that you should select for your leatherworking project. This type of leather makes a wonderful selection for projects such as book covers, belts, and leather purses with designs. The color is often a natural color and it makes a wonderful type of leather to select when choosing to dye the material.
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People purchase leather for a variety of reasons. The most common reason for purchasing leather is to complete various crafts and arts in leatherworking. If you are working on a leatherworking project, it is important that you ensure care when selecting leather that is right for the task that you wish to complete. Here, you will find many useful tips on how to select leather.

The first thing that you should determine when selecting leather is exactly how much leather will be required for your leatherworking project. It is important to understand that most leather is sold by the square foot. Of course, if you purchase leather from a thrift store, or a flea market, you may find that it is sold in a larger size initially than a square foot. You should also determine the thickness of the leather that will be required for your project. Choosing the wrong size and thickness of leather can make or possibly break your leatherworking project.

There are certain types of leather that are referred to as vegetable tan. This type of leather is useful for leatherworking projects that require the leather to be stamped. If the leather needs to be tooled, this is the type of leather that you should select for your leatherworking project. This type of leather makes a wonderful selection for projects such as book covers, belts, and leather purses with designs. The color is often a natural color and it makes a wonderful type of leather to select when choosing to dye the material.
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A good starting point for cleaning leather is to establish if your leather item is finished or unfinished. In general finished leather items will have a shiny or smooth surface which may be luggage, garments, handbags, wallets, or garments. Unfinished leather and suede usually have a natural dull finish or nappy finish like saddlery, work boots and shoes or sport gloves.

Buy good leather cleaner and rub it into leather furniture in even circular motions. Next use a leather conditioner. Leather Balm with Atom Wax Leather Conditioner is an excellent dressing, which will clean, soften, and condition leather. Whatever you do, do not use saddle soap on a leather couch, as it is too harsh for furniture.

Leather should be kept out of direct daylight. The reason for this is it will fade or discolor. One suggestion for removing spots from leather is to dip a soft cloth into rubbing alcohol and rub the spot. Water spots can be removed from leather by putting a little water on the spot again, then let it dry or gently blow dry. Oil leather with a leather treatment such as mink oil.

Be sure to wipe leather shoes with a damp cloth often, and keep them well polished with a paste. For waterlogged leather shoes, insert shoe trees and let air-dry. Leather garments, gloves and bags that are discolored can be refreshed by using a leather spray designed to restore color.
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Today’s tanner uses many different processes to manufacture nature’s fines material, “leather”.

Vegetable or Bark tanning is the most common process for the tooling leathers often referred to as oak tanned. This tannage results in crust type leather that will tool, stamp, mold and allow dyeing, oiling and finishing.

The most common tannage in the leather industry in chrome tannage. The chrome tannage creates strong, tight leather suitable for garments, shoes and personal leather goods. Another tannage is termed Retan which is vegetable tanned leather retanned with chrome to make strong strap-type leather suitable for boots, straps and gaskets.

If you work with leather, you probably like to experiment with various types of activities to improve your leatherworking projects. One of the many things that you can do when you work with leather is to make the color of your leather different. You can accomplish this by doing many different things; however, using leather dye seems to be the most common method of adding color to your leather materials. Here, you will learn how to dye leather.

Before learning how to dye leather, it is important to know what type of leather that you are working with. When you decide to purchase a dye for your leather that you will be working with, it is extremely important that you ensure that the dye will work with the leather. If the dye is not appropriate for the type of leather that you are working with, then you will find that the dye does not hold well in the leather. You will also stand the chance of destroying the leather material that you are working with. This can prove to be a very difficult and costly mistake. more…