How to Braid Leather Bracelets

Learning how to braid leather bracelets is fun and easy. Braided leather bracelets are a great craft for young and old alike.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• leather, thin enough to be workable
• ruler
• utlity or craft knife
• block of wood (work surface)
• Sharpies (to add color, optional)
• riveting tool and rivets (or snaps)

1. 
   Measure leather

   Select leather thin enough to be manipulate easily. On your block of wood cut leather to the width dimensions you would like for your bracelet. The example in these pictures are 1 inch wide, but to wear myself, I'd go with 3/4 inch, widest. (You need thinner strips for a tighter braid!) For length, the example pictures are 11 inches long, but once braided, that shrinks to 9 inches. For myself, I'd go with 9 inches long to make a 7 or 7.5 inche bracelet.

2. 
   Cut twice to create three strips in the center

   Measure 1 inch down from the top edge and the bottom edge. (You need to leave room for your rivets or snaps!) Cut 2 equal sized strips in your leather with your utility or craft knife, leaving you with 3 strips total.

3. 
   Color your central strips, if desired

   If you'd like, color your strips with Sharpies. I colored mine in the example to make it easier to read these instructions and decided I liked the way it looked as a finished piece! The right strip (blue) is labeled A, the center strip (neutral) is labeled B and the third strip (red) is labeled C. If you can't see these pictures clearly, click on each to enlarge them!

4. 
   Move Blue A to the right over Neutral B

   Move Blue A to the right, over top of Neutral B.

5. 
   Move Blue A to the right, underneath Red C

   Move Blue A to the right, underneath Red C.

6. 
   Move Neutral B to the right, over Red C

   Move Neutral B to the right, over top of Red C.

7. 
   Feed the Bottom Tab through the hole created by Blue A and Neutral B

   The bottom edge is labeled Bottom Tab. Feed the Bottom Tab through the hole created between Blue A and Neutral B.

8. 
   Halfway point

   Looks weird, huh? You're halfway through your first braid!

9. 
   Move Blue A to the left, over Netural B

   Move Blue A to the left, over top of Neutral B.

10. 
    Move Red C to the right, over Blue A

    Move Red C to the right, over top of Blue A.

11. 
    Move Neutral B to the right, over Red C.

    Move Neutral B to the right, over Red C.

12. 
    Feed Bottom Tab through the hole created by Blue A and Red C

    Feed the Bottom Tab through the hole created by Blue A and Red C.

13. 

    Your first braid of your leather bracelet is now completed! Continue steps 4 through 12 as a whole (no stopping halfway through steps 4 through 12 or your braid won't lay flat!) as long as you have room to braid your leather strips. Add a rivet or snap at the center of each tab at the ends and you're done! You have now braided a leather bracelet!

Tips & Warnings

• You can also do this in suede.
• This craft is actually very easy. The hardest part is following the instructions. Print this article out and take it one step at a time!

Resources

• Tandy Leather Factory

[musicdeb]

on 5/14/2009 I love the pics and instructions on how to braid leather bracelets.5*

[FrazzledNanny]

on 4/17/2009 Thanks for the clear steps and easy to follow pictures with your braiding leather article. WELL DONE! 5*

[mkh1958]

on 4/8/2009 I love this article! My brother-in-law braided a set of leather reins for my dad with this method, and they were among his prized possessions.

[kattwoman2]

on 4/8/2009 Nice illustrations!

[Smireles]

on 4/8/2009 Thanks for the instructions on how to braid leather bracelets. Good job!