How to make a traveler's leather cuff
On the unpredictable roads and torturous wastelands of a post-apocalyptic landscape, it helps to have a few tricks up your sleeve. And if you're short on sleeves or whatnot, this upcycled leather cuff will do in a pinch. Equally at home in several genres, including steampunk and post-apocalyptic, this traveler's cuff features a handy exterior pocket to store a knife, a hidden interior pocket to keep valuable papers and maps safe from the casual eye, and a detachable compass to help you find your way.
Materials
-Old leather purse
-Purse strap with clip
-Miniature compass
-Snap fastener
Tools
-Needle/thread
1. Gather the materials
This is a pretty simple materials list. I used the remains of a thrift store leather purse I'd used for the Dresden shield bracelet project for the cuff material and strap. I found a miniature compass in the paracord project section at the craft store, 3 for about $3. Really you can salvage it from a lot of random keychains and stuff, but this had the advantage of having a slit on the bottom designed for use in making paracord bracelets. I already had needle, thread, and snap fasteners.
2. Cut material for cuff
I used the bottom panel of a leather purse as the basis of the cuff. The width is perfect, about 3.5 inches. One end of the bottom panel has a ring already attached to it, which on the purse would have been where the strap could be attached or removed. I cut down the length to about 8 inches, which is long enough to entirely wrap around my wrist.
3. Reinforce any loose edges
Cutting free the bottom purse panel was a bit imprecise, as I did not want to cut through any seams on accident. I tidied up the loose edges with a reinforcing line of running stitch.
4. Cut material for exterior pocket
For the exterior of the cuff I wanted one pocket for easy access to a pocketknife. First I determined that I wanted the knife to be on the side of the cuff closest to my body, so the right side of the cuff when worn on the left wrist. I also tried to imagine where I wanted to site the card-sized hidden pocket. Use a bit of chalk or other temporary marking to determine where the pockets should go.
Next I cut a piece of leather larger than the pocketknife, as material for the pocket. This'll vary depending on the size of the knife or other item you want on the outside. The material is a little shorter lengthwise, because I need the end of the knife to stick out a little for a easy draw from the pocket.
5. Sew on exterior pocket
Pin the pocket material into place around the knife at the marked site. Then use a running stitch around three sides of the pocket. I chose to put the lip of the pocket on the forearm end, so that when worn with arms at sides the top of the pocket will be upright and will reduce the chance of the knife slipping out.
Here's another angle on the unfinished pocket.
4. Cut material for inner pocket
I started out with this piece of leather, although ideally this should cover the entire back of the cuff. Pin it into place and stitch three sides of the material, leaving the side that would be upright when arms were held at your sides open.
Here's how it looks after sewing the three sides. It should start to look like a wallet.
Add a couple of stitches at the open end at the points marked for a card's width. This will help keep something like a driver's license or credit card from shifting around in the pocket. When worn tight around the wrist it will kept in place even better.
6. Re-attach clip to strap
In the process of removing the strap from the purse, I'd had to cut free the stitching that held the clip in place on the end of the strap. I looped the end of the strap through the clip and added a double line of running stitch to keep it in place.
7. Cut down strap to size
Cut down strap to a length that will be long enough to encircle the wrist, but tight enough to keep the cuff in place. For this particular strap the strap leather is 6 inches long, or 7.75 inches with the clip.
8. Attach strap to cuff
Use a double line of running stitch to secure the strap to the cuff as shown.
9. Cut detachable strap for compass
I wanted the option of removing compass, so I cut a strap from leftover leather, about 7/8inch wide (which is the width of the compass' slit for a bracelet) and about 4.25 inches long (long enough to encircle the cuff's strap and overlap ends).
10. Attach snap fastener
Test wrap this small strap around the cuff's strap to determine where to site the pieces of the snap fastener. With a thin enough leather or leather vinyl this should be easy enough to attach the fasteners.
11. Attach compass strap to cuff strap
This last step is easy enough, just wrap the compass strap around the cuff's strap and snap the ends together.
And this is what it should look like when attached.
And there you have it, an upcycled leather cuff with a secret pocket and a detachable compass. Here are some extra shots to give a better idea of the end result. Good luck and keep crafting!
Materials
-Old leather purse
-Purse strap with clip
-Miniature compass
-Snap fastener
Tools
-Needle/thread
1. Gather the materials
This is a pretty simple materials list. I used the remains of a thrift store leather purse I'd used for the Dresden shield bracelet project for the cuff material and strap. I found a miniature compass in the paracord project section at the craft store, 3 for about $3. Really you can salvage it from a lot of random keychains and stuff, but this had the advantage of having a slit on the bottom designed for use in making paracord bracelets. I already had needle, thread, and snap fasteners.
2. Cut material for cuff
I used the bottom panel of a leather purse as the basis of the cuff. The width is perfect, about 3.5 inches. One end of the bottom panel has a ring already attached to it, which on the purse would have been where the strap could be attached or removed. I cut down the length to about 8 inches, which is long enough to entirely wrap around my wrist.
Cutting free the bottom purse panel was a bit imprecise, as I did not want to cut through any seams on accident. I tidied up the loose edges with a reinforcing line of running stitch.
4. Cut material for exterior pocket
For the exterior of the cuff I wanted one pocket for easy access to a pocketknife. First I determined that I wanted the knife to be on the side of the cuff closest to my body, so the right side of the cuff when worn on the left wrist. I also tried to imagine where I wanted to site the card-sized hidden pocket. Use a bit of chalk or other temporary marking to determine where the pockets should go.
Next I cut a piece of leather larger than the pocketknife, as material for the pocket. This'll vary depending on the size of the knife or other item you want on the outside. The material is a little shorter lengthwise, because I need the end of the knife to stick out a little for a easy draw from the pocket.
5. Sew on exterior pocket
Pin the pocket material into place around the knife at the marked site. Then use a running stitch around three sides of the pocket. I chose to put the lip of the pocket on the forearm end, so that when worn with arms at sides the top of the pocket will be upright and will reduce the chance of the knife slipping out.
Here's another angle on the unfinished pocket.
4. Cut material for inner pocket
I started out with this piece of leather, although ideally this should cover the entire back of the cuff. Pin it into place and stitch three sides of the material, leaving the side that would be upright when arms were held at your sides open.
Here's how it looks after sewing the three sides. It should start to look like a wallet.
Add a couple of stitches at the open end at the points marked for a card's width. This will help keep something like a driver's license or credit card from shifting around in the pocket. When worn tight around the wrist it will kept in place even better.
6. Re-attach clip to strap
In the process of removing the strap from the purse, I'd had to cut free the stitching that held the clip in place on the end of the strap. I looped the end of the strap through the clip and added a double line of running stitch to keep it in place.
7. Cut down strap to size
Cut down strap to a length that will be long enough to encircle the wrist, but tight enough to keep the cuff in place. For this particular strap the strap leather is 6 inches long, or 7.75 inches with the clip.
8. Attach strap to cuff
Use a double line of running stitch to secure the strap to the cuff as shown.
9. Cut detachable strap for compass
I wanted the option of removing compass, so I cut a strap from leftover leather, about 7/8inch wide (which is the width of the compass' slit for a bracelet) and about 4.25 inches long (long enough to encircle the cuff's strap and overlap ends).
10. Attach snap fastener
Test wrap this small strap around the cuff's strap to determine where to site the pieces of the snap fastener. With a thin enough leather or leather vinyl this should be easy enough to attach the fasteners.
11. Attach compass strap to cuff strap
This last step is easy enough, just wrap the compass strap around the cuff's strap and snap the ends together.
And this is what it should look like when attached.
And there you have it, an upcycled leather cuff with a secret pocket and a detachable compass. Here are some extra shots to give a better idea of the end result. Good luck and keep crafting!
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