Getting Started in Leatherworking, Part 5

There are many blogs and forum posts out there answering the very common question, "How do I get started in leatherworking?" While I certainly don't have all the answers, and there are people who are more experienced, I figured maybe it will help someone to hear the things I wish I'd known when I got started.

Step 5: Be proud of your first project! (And every project!)

So you've gotten interested in leatherworking, you've purchased some tools, maybe bought a kit, and then got to work. Maybe you followed the instructions exactly as written, or maybe you did everything while completely guessing the entire time.

Whatever your method of learning, be proud of what you did. It doesn't matter if you just stamped a few letters to spell out your name on a wristband, or used your crafting skills from other hobbies (such as sewing) to put a wallet kit together. The item you made is YOURS.

Here's the challenge: It's really easy to look online at items that other people have made and compare yourself to them. Please try to avoid comparing yourself to others! Even if someone shows off THEIR first attempt at leatherwork, you don't know what other skills they had first.

Of course, now that you've made an item, you may be jumping the gun to start your own leatherworking store. If you really enjoyed what you did, then making an Etsy or selling at markets and conventions may be a ways off in the future. But keep it in the back of your mind as a goal for the future.

You can tell when someone has passion for what they are creating, versus those who crank out a bunch of items that look exactly the same. Nurture your passion for leatherworking while you improve your skills. THEN consider where you want to take it and what you want to do with it later. Perhaps you'll be content making items for friends and family and don't want it to be a second job, and that's perfectly fine! No one should hold it against you for keeping the craft as a hobby you enjoy. That doesn't make your projects any "less" than someone who is a professional leatherworker, aside from just the time and experience you are working on.

Whether it's your first project or your five hundredth, you probably learned something. Compare your own projects to see how far along you've come, but remember that one of the best parts of making a hand-crafted item is that the little "flaws" also make it unique, and uniquely yours.