Leather Card Holder - Beginner Friendly

In this guide, I’ll walk you through the process of creating a beautiful holy cross card holder from start to finish. Even if you’re a beginner, this step-by-step tutorial will help you easily craft a stylish and functional card holder. We’ll cover everything from preparing the leather to adding the final touches, ensuring that your holy cross card holder is not only practical but also unique. Let’s embark on this creative journey and bring your leather crafting vision to life!

First, grab a piece of leather that’s big enough. Use an awl to trace the outline of the card holder on the front side of the leather using the template.

Use an X-Acto knife to cut the leather along the lines you just traced.

Use an edge beveler to press a decorative line. Next, use a No. 0 beveler to trim the edges of both pieces of leather at the top. Wet the edges, then sand them progressively with 400-grit, 2000-grit, and 5000-grit sandpaper until the edges are perfectly rounded and smooth.

Use white glue to bond the two pieces of leather together, then apply pressure to ensure a strong bond. Let it sit for 24 hours to allow the glue to fully dry.

Use an edge creaser to mark the stitching line, then punch the stitching holes. (I use a silent stitching machine to assist with this step since I live in an apartment, and hammering would disturb the neighbors.)

Use 0.45mm thick white waxed thread for stitching. Be sure to reinforce the starting and ending stitch holes with double stitching.

Next, use the beveler to trim the remaining three edges. Then, sand those edges progressively with 400-grit, 2000-grit, and 5000-grit sandpaper to make them smooth and rounded.

Then, use a hot stamping machine at a temperature of 110°C to emboss a leather-colored cross in the center of the front side of the card holder.

You can use different colors of foil to match the leather color and emboss crosses in various colors. For example, I also made a card holder with a silver cross.

Finally, insert your card into the card holder, and you're done. I hope everyone likes it. If you have any questions, feel free to ask here or add me on Facebook to reach out. Thank you!