Last week I shared my little sewing chair makeover that got super glam-ified thanks to a delicious swath of snakeskin embossed leather from the Leather Hide Store.
This wasn’t my first time working with leather, you may remember the ostrich-embossed leather pillows I made last year, which I still love!
Even though leather has always been a classic material, it’s enjoying a surge in trendiness right now. I seem to always be drawn to the embossed leathers, but the Leather Hide Store has a wide selection of textures and colors, so check them if you’re looking to add a little (or a lot!) of oomph to your next project.
Oooh, I wish you had touch-o-vision, because this stuff is so soft, like buttah!
It’s not cheap, that’s for sure, so I wanted to make sure I made use of every single scrap. So I took some leftover pieces and covered an IKEA mirror.
It was actually really easy, I just cut four pieces to match up with the sides and glued them on. After fumbling around for a bit, I realized that instead of cutting the pieces exactly the right size, if I trimmed them down smaller, the stretch in the leather made up for it and the pieces came together nicely and looked much more fitted.
Oh wait, there’s more! I made some earrings too! Awkward selfie alert:
Now I can match my chair perfectly if we ever go out on a date.
Hold the phone. There’s more. I really couldn’t stand to waste any of it, so I made some tassels too. I put one on my keychain, and I don’t even know what I’m going to do with the rest, but they were so easy and fun that I couldn’t stop! Here’s a quick pic tutorial:
How-To:
1: Cut strips in the leather, leaving about 1/2 inch space at the top. (Don’t stress yourself out making it perfect).
2: Trim the edges to a point. (Optional, but I think it looks much nicer).
3. Cut off one of the strips and glue together to make a loop.
4: Roll the leather tightly around the loop, and add a dot of glue (I used hot glue) to hold it together at the end.
So easy! I added one more strip around the top just to dress it up.
Here’s a Pinterest-y graphic, y’know, if you’re into that sort of thing:
And now you can win $50 to the Leather Hide Store too! I’d love to know what you’d do with it if you won! I’m sure you are full of all kinds of creative ideas. Tell me, tell me!
Entering is easy, simply use the Rafflecopter widget below.
Good luck friend, I hope you win! Happy 4th of July weekend!
71 Comments
LeeAnn
July 4, 2014 at 2:03 PMWow! You are a crafty one! I think you should make matching leather pants for you & your hubby. That would be the talk of your blog, your family, your neighborhood, your city…..
Cath
July 4, 2014 at 2:03 PMWell, if I had won yesterday, I would have used it on the cedar chest project we (er, my husband and his dad) are working on. So I guess I’ll have to use it to make awesome throw pillows for our bedroom, which we are finally, slowly redecorating. Does it count as RE decorating if you never decorated in the first place?
Allison
July 4, 2014 at 2:31 PMI have a large, beat-up wooden coffee table that I’ve been thinking about turning into an upholstered ottoman for a while now. Some leather would be great for this project!
Ashley
July 4, 2014 at 2:41 PMProbably some kind of chair or footstool recover.
Marci
July 4, 2014 at 3:07 PMI have a vintage Ekornes chair and ottoman upholstered in leather that is completely trashed. My mother presented it to me one day and said she’d bought it at a garage sale for $50. I was going to tell her “No Thanks,” but she insisted that I try sitting in it. I was in love! I brought it home and showed my sister, with whom I lived at the time. She didn’t want it in the house, but I told her she had to try it out. She fell in love, too. Now it’s on my list of future projects. In the meantime, I’ve been covering it with a blanket. I’d always planned on reupholstering it in ultrasuede or some other fabric, but one day I looked behind the cushion and noticed the “Ekornes” name and looked it up online. It turns out that I have a piece of classic MCM furniture. I think it deserves a nice new leather upholstery.
Stephanie
July 4, 2014 at 3:33 PMI’m honestly not even sure what I’d do with it but I want to win so I can do crafty stuff, too! I love the mirror and the earrings are freaking great!!
Mumzy
July 4, 2014 at 3:39 PMPILLOWS!!!!! lol oboe
Michelle L
July 4, 2014 at 3:40 PMI loooove the earrings! And the tassel! What a fun way to use those classy scraps.
KimberJ
July 4, 2014 at 3:41 PMLove the earrings <3 Just sitting here thinking of all the "trouble" I could get into with $500 in leather… sighhhhhh. I think I'd start with custom guitar straps.
Mumzy
July 4, 2014 at 3:44 PMPILLOWS!!
Emma
July 4, 2014 at 4:07 PMLove these ideas! I’d like to make leather slipcovers for my visual diaries, kindle, table, etc. There are some incredible colors at the Leather Hide Store & the ostrich pattern is gorgeous.
Remmukk
July 4, 2014 at 4:09 PMI have an antique chair that was my grandfathers … It’s one of the “S” chairs. I re-upholstered it about 10 years ago. I’d LOVE to re-do it in LEATHER! It would be so, so awesome!
Amy U
July 4, 2014 at 4:56 PMA customized, lined leather handbag would be soooo perfect!
Shannon
July 4, 2014 at 7:11 PMA purse!
Carrie B
July 4, 2014 at 7:32 PMI have a chair in my guest room that is dying for a makeover!
Jessica H
July 4, 2014 at 7:41 PMI’d make a purse or tote bag.
Cara
July 4, 2014 at 8:07 PMLove that leather! The earrings turned out great
Monica C
July 4, 2014 at 8:20 PMI have been getting leather jackets from the thrift store and cutting them carefully apart to make purses. This would be great! Thanks!
Sheila Keyport Octaviano
July 4, 2014 at 11:35 PMI would finally recover that footstool that I’ve had for years. Just been waiting for the right fabric.
Darlene
July 5, 2014 at 1:30 AMA new purse for sure!
Amber
July 5, 2014 at 2:43 AMI would love to make some leather pillows!
Ming
July 5, 2014 at 5:43 AMI’d love to cover an ottoman I have with something that would make it pop!
Amy Lynn
July 5, 2014 at 7:44 AMI think I’d have to go the earrings, picture frame/mirror route, or a chair pad cover. I can’t do pillows here with nice fabric because my dog thinks they are toys for him to toss around the house! 🙂
Elisha @ Pneumatic Addict Furniture
July 5, 2014 at 9:58 AMOOO! I hope they have hair-on hide. I’ve been dying to making a new sling for a directors chair.
Sandra O
July 5, 2014 at 10:38 AMOoh, I would cover any chair seat, or… I would cover the front of old dresser drawers to give a new life! Thanks!
Cody
July 5, 2014 at 11:43 AMYou are so beautiful <3
Thank you for holding this contest :).
Rita@thissortaoldlife
July 5, 2014 at 12:15 PMI have that same chair (found at a thrift store last week)! So I guess I need to get some leather for it. 🙂
Kelly
July 5, 2014 at 1:26 PMWe just bought a house, so once we move in I’m sure I will have a project (or 4) to use this on!!
Nancy K
July 5, 2014 at 3:36 PMThose are great projects … love, love, love the chair. I would do the tassels though. I have a thing for tassels and would love to hang some from the ends of my curtain rods.
Haley
July 5, 2014 at 4:48 PMI have an ottoman I would love to recover!
Emily
July 5, 2014 at 5:42 PMI need some leather to make straps for quilted tote bags. Thanks for the chance to win!
Kelly P
July 5, 2014 at 5:56 PMI need to recover some barstool seats and some embossed leather would be perfect!
Julie
July 5, 2014 at 7:07 PMI’d love some leather pillows for my bed!
Megan Rose
July 5, 2014 at 11:49 PMI have a chair that seriously needs some love! Or maybe something cool for my baby boy’s nursery!!
sangeetha
July 6, 2014 at 6:24 AMI would love to make small glam storage cube for my makeup and jewellery
Nie Yile
July 6, 2014 at 9:50 AMI’ve been dying to make a tote bag!! 😀
Jo @ Let's Face the Music
July 6, 2014 at 11:41 AMI don’t know yet for what (maybe pillows) but I would love some blue leather. Jo @ Let’s Face the Music
Moni
July 6, 2014 at 1:47 PMI have a couple old chairs that need recovered.
Trina
July 6, 2014 at 3:22 PMI’ve made leather baby shoes before. The leather throw pillow idea is intriguing to me too.
Gloria K
July 6, 2014 at 6:15 PMI need to recover a vanity bench for my new master bathroom!
Jody
July 6, 2014 at 7:58 PMThose earrings are great, would love to try that!
Patty S
July 6, 2014 at 9:55 PMSuch great projects with leather that you have shown. I am ready to try something – DR chair seat or something as ambitious as a tote bag?
Laurel
July 6, 2014 at 10:50 PMI’ve been searching and searching for the perfect medium tan leather to make some accent pillows for my bedroom.
Sarah @ 702 Park Project
July 7, 2014 at 5:43 AMI’d love to make a tassel…so cute! 🙂
Tess Matthews
July 7, 2014 at 7:50 AMWow! I love that you used up every little piece. Waste not want not =) Now I’m thinking of all of the projects I could do! Ha.
Shea
July 7, 2014 at 8:50 AMI would totally get some of that ostrich feather if they still have it and copy your pillows. Cause the only thing I am good at is copying!
KWolff
July 7, 2014 at 8:59 AMI would love to make some leather bowls for my home. I have also seen some ideas for cord holders and coin purses that would be fun for my kiddos to complete. Thanks so much for the opportunity!
Jessica
July 7, 2014 at 10:44 AMI have all these fancypants gilt-framed mirrors, and some of them are cracked. Yay for yard sales! I’d like to repaint the frames and replace the broken mirrors with some awesome textured leather, then hang them up in my long dark hall.
Katie Baney
July 7, 2014 at 11:05 AMOOoh, I want some. I have a chair to recover and I’ve been putting it off long enough.
carrie eastman
July 7, 2014 at 11:10 AMI would def. re-vamp some chairs!
Samantha L
July 7, 2014 at 12:52 PMI would reupholster a chair and make cushions!
Jaclyn Miller
July 7, 2014 at 1:00 PMi have some bar stools that could use some recovering! would look awesome in my new house this fall.
Megan T
July 7, 2014 at 2:46 PMI was so CRAZY about your ostrich pillows, I may have to copy-cat that right away if I win!
KELLIE
July 7, 2014 at 2:49 PMLove all your projects – especially the tassel. May make one for my briefcase and/or purse to jazz it up. Would love to be able to recover the arms of my husband’s leather recliner if I win!
EllenQ
July 7, 2014 at 8:28 PMGorgeous! I have a trunk I’ve been wanting to cover in leather forever!
Katherine
July 7, 2014 at 9:06 PMOH… so many things I could do! I LOVE your tassels, but I think ultimately I would use the leather to start recovering the mid century dining chairs we just got from my m-i-l. They haven’t seen an update in 30+ years…. and I will leave it at that!
Marilynn Raatz
July 7, 2014 at 11:11 PMLOVE the picture frame!!! I think I would make a bag!
Jessica
July 7, 2014 at 11:27 PMI am SO SAD that they don’t seem to carry the silvery snakey leather any more. Boo, Leather Hide Store! Bring back the awesome!
MARY EGUIA
July 8, 2014 at 5:58 AMI would make a baby bag for my niece.
Bethany
July 8, 2014 at 9:04 AMOhh I love nice leather! I think I would probably make a purse out of it, or I also have a little chair in my room that has been waiting for to have its seat reupholstered that might win out!
Jennifer
July 8, 2014 at 11:13 AMOooh! I would either make a tote bag or recover a little chair that I have that desperately needs attention.
Shelly S.
July 8, 2014 at 12:32 PMI would love to redo a chair like that. I love the leather look!
Sarah Fouquet
July 8, 2014 at 12:38 PMUm, totally diggin’ the keychain! And I’d love to add some leather in my life, in a noncreepy way.
JD Georgia
July 8, 2014 at 1:23 PMI want to use leather to top a small side table that is still sturdy, but the veneer on top is split. Thank you!
laura j
July 8, 2014 at 4:25 PMI would probably make some new handbags for myself or my friends 😉
Maevis
July 8, 2014 at 6:09 PMid love to recover a bench!
casidy
July 9, 2014 at 4:21 AMI would love to do a list bench for our music room.
Stacey
July 9, 2014 at 4:26 AMI entered!
Darcie Wiley
July 9, 2014 at 8:03 AMI saw a tutorial once on making leather carry cases for kindles, ipads etc, I would love to give one of those a try.
Melissa
July 9, 2014 at 12:23 PMTotes on the tote bag!
Karrie
July 9, 2014 at 6:33 PMFoot stool!!