leather Archives - Candie Cooper

Moonlit Owl – DIY Leather Bracelet

February 19, 2016 By candiecooper Leave a Comment

This post brought to you by LeatherCord USA.We’ve had a break in the weather today—-perfect for you know what this weekend! Yes! A cozy fire in our new fire pit.Sitting around a fire in nature is so restorative for my soul (not to sound dramatic, haha). I just love the ambience of it: the sounds, being outside, toasty hoodies…. We like to make sandwiches and treats in our pie irons for these winter picnics. It is these simple pleasures that make life sweet.

Today’s project is brought to you by LeatherCord USA.com I put this little DIY owl bracelet on my Instagram feed (@candiecooper if you want to see behind the scenes in real time) and had a few people ask about buying it! I love that. I’ve worn it a few times and gotten compliments too so I think it’s worth sharing so you can make your own.

The secret is having large holed beads that work perfectly with the 1.5 diameter natural blue round leather cord. You can braid and weave the leather easily through beads like this to get a solid look. These beads are from Tierra Cast and the owl from Green Girls Studio.Once you get the beads in place, it’s time to CAREFULLY measure. Michelle at leatherCord USA and I have a joke about measuring many times before cutting–somehow we always make things too small. I want to show you a trick so you can get yours to fit just right.

Do as I say…not as I do. Haha.These are leatherCord USA’s Glue and Go findings. They come in all different diameters, styles, and metal colors. The key to sizing your bracelet is remembering to account for the recessed area inside the finding.Measure this piece end to end and subtract it from your finished bracelet size, then add 1/2″ (1/4″ on each side) for the recessed areas and this is what length you should cut your leather pieces.

Clear as mud right?You can always shave a little off at a time and test the fit as you go.When you’re positive you have the right length, use the Loctite Adhesive to glue the ends in.The natural leather finishes are some of my very favorites. With the earthy fashions this spring, these leather cords for jewelry making are going to be hot! You’ll find them on this page at the bottom of the color chart–look for natural before the color name.

Get fine leather and the special Glue and Go findings from leatherCordUSA.com.

Filed Under: Leather

Easy Leather Jewelry

July 30, 2015 By candiecooper Leave a Comment

This post brought to you by LeatherCord USA.What’s a girl to do with a pile of delicious flat leather braid that she brought back from her visit to LeatherCord USA headquarters? Make hot bracelets. That’s what.
In this post we are climbing on the gray and gold fashion jewerly train to make this slick bracelet. Like it? You’re really going to like it when you see how easy it goes together.
Here are the basic supplies needed: razor blade, gold Glue and Go magnetic clasp, 9 strand braid in natural gray, and Locktite adhesive. LeathercordUSA.com is a one stop shop for the supplies (sans blade). This is the 9 and 5 strand flat braid. You can use this clasp with the 5 strand braid. If you’re shopping the LCUSA site, look at the bottom of the page for the product dimensions to help with matching clasps and cords.
The bracelet is so easy to make, I feel guilty! Grab your Locktite adhesive for leather and metal joining. Put a bead of glue along the backside edge of the leather braid.
Slide it in one side of the metal clasp. The braid and clasp are off in size by 1mm, but it doesn’t matter because the braid can “smoosh” a little to fit.
I stuck this shot in for a detail of the clasp. It’s pretty. Not too shiny and just the right amount of texture for a great designer look.Check the fit of the bracelet and then cut with a fresh razor blade. Do not use the one that has scraped windows with a lot of paint on them during a rennovation project just because it’s near by. Stop. Get up. And go get a fresh blade. I might be talking to myself here.

A note of safety: Carefully dispose of razor blades or store in a safe place…for obvious reasons.
Put a line of glue on the back edge of the leather and slide it into the other side of the magnetic clasp. Guess what?
We’re done.
Now do you see why I feel guilty?

Let the adhesive sit up according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Chic in gray and gold or brown and silver…
Are you making Christmas gifts this year? Need an idea for how to make some extra cash? This is it.

LeatherCord USA for the goods

Filed Under: Jewelry, Tutorials, Uncategorized

Leather Jewelry Making

April 26, 2015 By candiecooper 5 Comments

This post brought to you by Leathercord USA!Tonight finds me with an Eric Church song stuck in my head. I didn’t even like country music until I met my husband and now it’s stuck in my head? The things we do for love.

Know what else I love?

Blank leather cuffs! That’s what I used to make this project for LeatherCord USA–Sari ribbon wrapped cuff bracelets.
Check out all the colors and sizes. You can even pick the snap color. In my eyes, these cuffs are blank canvases. The sky is the limit. I’ve got a list of things I want to try out on them. You can get some of your own HERE.
I fell in love with the red brown color and the distressed tan color cuff bracelets. That’s what I used in the post.
One of my favorite art tools is a nail file. The fine grit makes it perfect for distressing surfaces, like the red brown cuff I have here.
You can embellish it with the sari silk ribbon. Leather and silk go together like peas and carrots. I use hot glue to secure the ribbon to the back of the cuff like this…
Now start wrapping! It’s worth mentioning that if you don’t have sari ribbon, you can cut strips of silk from a shirt or scarf.
Add other colors and patterns of ribbon on the sides,
gluing and trimming as you go.
This is a punch especially used for leather. I got it at Harbor Freight. It was super cheap and went right through the ribbon.
How about that?
For a little bit of flare, I’m adding a concho I picked up in Taos. Did I ever tell you that I went on a road trip with my family across America last summer? Actually I met them along the way in Albaquerque because I was doing Jewelry Television. From there, we went to California and back to Indiana. Basically, I spent 5 days in the car straight with my husband, mom, dad, sister and her kid. Yeah. And we still love each other!

The concho has a screw that goes through the leather to attach it. If you want a permanent bond, you could add epoxy to the screw.

To add a little bit more flare, I added some LeatherCord USA deertan lacing. This stuff comes in a ton of earthy bright colors as well as various widths. That’s why I love it.
You can knot it like this or knot it on the front and glue the ends on the back like I did for the other cuff.
I wore this one today with a blue maxi dress and cowboy boots. Cue Eric Church…
Here’s the link to LeatherCord USA cuffs!