How to Make a Native American Leather Amulet Necklace

You can find natural gemstone beads at your local bead shop.

Native American healers and shamans use leather pouch necklaces to hold sacred amulets that are charged with metaphysical and spiritual energy to bring healing, luck, protection, prosperity or love to the wearer of the necklace. These pouches are also referred to as medicine bags or pouches. An amulet is a natural crystal, bone, or tooth. Amulet necklaces are decorated according to personal preference and different tribal customs. Natural beads, shells and feathers are traditional decorative materials.

Things You'll Need

• 1/2 yard leather
• Measuring tape
• Marker
• Shears
• 1 leather cord spool
• Leather sewing hand-needle
• 1 sinew spool
• Amulet
• Beads

Instructions

1. Lay the leather material out in front of you and turn it over to reveal the back side of the fabric. Fold the piece of leather fabric in half.

2. Place the amulet in the middle of the material and measure an inch from each side of the amulet. Draw your pattern line in the shape of a capital "U" along these measurements to leave adequate space inside the pouch for your amulet.

3. Leave the top of the "U" open and cut the shape out on both sides of the fabric with the shears. You now have two "U" shaped pieces of leather fabric.

4. Pick up your amulet and move it off to the side. Thread the hand needle that is designated for leather sewing with the sinew. Sew the "U" shaped sections together. Remember to keep the top open.

5. Position the pouch where you want it to rest when it is worn. Unravel enough leather cord from the spool to go completely around the circumference of the pouch at the top and then up and around the neck.

6. Cut the leather cord and fold it in half. Hold the the fold point together and position it inside the top edge of the pouch in the middle of the back panel of fabric.

7. Unfold the cord and bring the ends around the top edge on each side until you reach the middle of the front panel of fabric.Make a small cut in the fabric at this middle point. Tuck the fabric down over the cord and sew it down.

8. Feed the cord through the hole you just cut. Thread natural beads onto the ends of cord and tie the ends together in a knot. Place the amulet into the pouch and slide the pouch down the cord to seal it shut.

References

• "Native American Beadwork: Projects & Techniques from the Southwest;"Theresa Flores Geary;2006