Leather items great for Father’s Day

Lately it seems that no sooner do we finish with one special occasion, than another one comes along.

Mother’s Day 2004 is history, but now Father’s Day is just a few weeks down the road.

Even though the Memorial Day weekend is in between the two, it’s not to early to start thinking about gifts for Dad’s special day, especially if you’re thinking homemade.

We’ll offer several suggestions for Father’s Day projects in upcoming Craft Corner columns, beginning this week with some leatherwork kits that are perfect for kids.

Leatherwork kits come in an array of designs, including wallets, knife pouches, belts and even moccasins, and can be found at most area craft stores.

Most of the kits fall in the $7.99 to $14.99 price range.

Our photos show some of the projects available:

* The woods tool sheath (shown completed), which includes a knife pouch and small flashlight holder on the side, is an intermediate-level project that can be put together in about an hour.

Even though the pieces are pre-punched with stitching holes, young children may need a bit of help with the stitching, as they’ll be sewing through five thicknesses of leather at one point.

* The wallet (shown unassembled) is one of the simpler projects available and is suitable for beginners.

Again, young children might need a little help getting started as the instructions can be confusing, but once they get going, they should do just fine.

* Regular Craft Corner readers may remember the fringed pouch (shown completed) from Mother’s Day suggestions a few weeks back.

When we took the pouch in to be photographed, it was such a hit with men that we decided to include it in the Father’s Day suggestions.

The pouch is a beginning-level craft that can be completed in about an hour with little or no help from an adult.

All of the kits we found contain everything needed to complete a project; however, you may need scissors or other nonspecialty tools in some cases. The package will indicate when and which additional tools are needed.

Also, the pictures on the packages show decorated leather in most instances, while the leather in the kits is plain in all cases.

If you wish to decorate the leather, you’ll need to purchase additional tools and materials to complete the job.

Don’t forget to decorate your leather before putting the projects together.

Of course, you can add beads to fringes or ties without additional equipment.

A couple of helpful tips to remember when working with the leather kits are to use pliers to pull the needle through when stitching gets tough, and to wet the leather slightly to make it more pliable if necessary.

You can send e-mail to Jonetta Rose Coffin at jrocoffin@aol.com.

What you’ll need

* Kit of choice

* Scissors or pliers (if indicated)

* Leather decorating tools and materials (optional)

What you’ll need

* Kit of choice

* Scissors or pliers (if indicated)

* Leather decorating tools and materials (optional)

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