Leather Bookmark From Belt Scrap

My son loves the How To Train Your Dragon books, so I used the scrap end of an old belt blank to make him a bookmark with Toothless sitting on Hiccup's head. This is a simple project, but it shows the process I usually use to tool a new leather design.

For this project, you need an old scrap of vegetable-tanned leather (like the end of this belt blank) and some standard leather-working tools:

• Mallet
• Sponge
• Swivel knife
• Modeling tool or scribe
• Beveller stamp
• Background stamp
• Edge beveller
• Skiver
• Stain, oil, or antiquing gel
• Resolene or other clear-coat

I thumbed through one of the How To Train Your Dragon books until I found an illustration I thought I could adapt well to the shape of the bookmark. Then I sketched a version onto a bookmark-shaped section of paper. You can do this yourself, or use my design (attached as a PDF).

Wet your leather scrap with a sponge. Tape the back side to keep it from stretching while you work it. Lay your pattern on the smooth side and use something pointy (like this modeling tool) to trace the pattern onto the lather.

With the leather still damp, cut all the main lines about 1/3 of the way through the leather with a swivel knife.

Use a beveller stamp to bring out the edges (angle the stamp away from the areas you want to appear raised).

Use a background stamp to fill in the shadows.

Use an edge beveller to chamfer the top edges.

If your leather is thick (like this 8-oz leather from a belt blank scrap), you might want to thin it by using a skiver to cut some off the back. I kept skiving until it was about half the original thickness, then used the beveller to chamfer the back edges.

I wanted Toothless and Hiccup's eyes to stand out in the final design, so I started by applying clear coat with a paintbrush to these areas only. This will protect them from the stain and make them appear lighter.

I used some fudge-colored all-in-one that came in a kit to color the leather. Notice how the previously clear-coated portions didn't soak up the stain as well and now stand out.

After everything is dry, apply a final clear-coat (this is especially important for a bookmark, since you don't want any of the stain leaking into the pages of the book).

There you have it - an easy afternoon and a way to use up an old scrap of leather for a fun little gift.

Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this Instructable, I hope you'll consider reading one of my fantasy novels - this one in particular has a main character whose mentally disabled father is a master leatherworker. Also, check out my blog (DIY and engineering analysis of fantasy fiction), and connect with me on Facebook or Twitter.