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A blue leather backpack on a wooden table
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How to Sew a Leather Backpack

See how easy it is to sew a leather backpack from a kit.
Keyword DIY leather bag kit, leather backpack kit
Author Tracy Ariza, DDS

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Follow the instructions in the pamphlet in the box to go to the tutorial video. Or click to go to the tutorial video now.
  • Unbox all of your materials and make sure everything is there. (The video shows you what should be included in your kit.)
    Pieces of leather from a leather kit on a brown counter.
  • Find the main zipper piece and the strips of leather that go on either side (as shown in the video). Cut a piece of thread four times the length of the zipper and thread a needle onto each side of the thread (as shown so the needles don't slip off).
    leather zipper and leather strips
  • Sew a strip of leather onto each side of the zipper as shown. Also sew the second seam on each side.
    sewing the leather strips to the zipper
  • Sew the side sections onto each side (lengthwise) of the zipper section.
    sewing the sides onto the zipper section
  • Sew the strap by sewing the long edges of the strap strip to each other.
    sewing the leather strap
  • Sew the strap onto the back piece for the backpack by sandwiching it between the small rectangular piece of leather with rounded edges and the large back piece. At the top of the rectangle, between the ends of the strap, sew the small strip of leather to form a loop for the strap clip.
    leather strap on back of backpack
  • Sew the 2 rectangular metal rings into their corresponding strips of leather, holding them together with the leather triangles, as shown in the video.
  • Sew the pieces with the metal rings in place as you sew the back piece of the backpack to the center section.
    sewing the metal rings into the seam between the back and center sections of the backpack.
  • Sew together the edge seams of the top and bottom sections of the front pocket. This helps form their shape.
    sewing the edges of the leather pocket
  • Sew the zipper between the pocket pieces.
    sewing the zipper onto the pocket pieces.
  • After sewing the pocket onto the front leather pieces, sew it to the center piece, forming the top part of the backpack.
  • Flip the backpack inside out and cut off any excess thread from your seams. You can carefully burn off the excess thread with a lighter for a tidy, professional look. (Make sure you have back stitched before cutting your threads off.)
    Sewing the front of the backpack to the back and center pieces
  • Sew the soft bottom piece onto the bottom of the backpack, carefully following the instructions in the video. You will be forming piping as you sew along the bottom by slipping a plastic cording into the long strip of leather as you sew. You can use the enclosed clip to hold everything together and out of the way as you sew.
    sewing the bottom onto the backapck
  • Carefully turn the sewn backpack right-side-out.
  • Fasten the leather straps onto the rectangular metal loops on the bottom of the backpack as shown. Clip the round metal loop to the top leather loop on the backpack after stringing the top loops of the straps onto the ring.
    fastening the straps to the backpack
  • Place the stiff leather bottom piece into the bottom of the backpack. Hold it in place by fastening the metal "feet" to the bottom of the backpack. To achieve this, push their screw shafts through the 4 holes (through both layers) in the bottom of the backpack and screw the feet on. (Screw tightly so as not to lose the feet with use.)
    The bottom leather piece next to the metal feet and the backpack.

Video

Notes

Find the kit here: Leather backpack kit 
Use my coupon code  for 20% off.