How to Transfer Tracing Patterns to Tooling Leather

Tooled leather decorates shoes, handbags, belts and other leather items.

Once you have traced a pattern, you can transfer it onto your leather material and then tool it into place permanently.

1. Dampen a sponge with plain warm water and wipe the water onto both sides of the leather to moisten it. Do not soak the leather with water, because that will make the material too soft to accept the pattern accurately.

2. Apply folded tape to the back side (the rough side) of the leather and adhere the leather to your table or workspace. This will prevent the leather from sliding while you transfer the pattern.

3. Hold your traced pattern onto the right side (the smooth side) of the leather. Hold the pattern as still as possible so that you do not slip when forming the pattern.

4. Trace the pattern onto the leather with a ballpoint stylus, a leather-working tool available at most arts and crafts stores. Press firmly with the tool so that it leaves indents in the form of your pattern on the leather.

5. Lift the traced design to check on the pattern. You should be able to see the indent of the pattern on the leather. Continue until you trace the entire pattern.

Tip

If you do not have a ballpoint stylus, remove the ink cartridge from a ballpoint pen and use the tip to trace the pattern. If you make any mistakes while tracing your pattern, smooth them over with the back of a spoon.