How to Make a Patchwork Guitar Strap
The use of a guitar strap is to create support for the guitar as the musician plays. Although functional, guitar straps can be fashionable too. A perfectly acceptable strap can be bought at most music shops and online, but you can add a personal touch to your instrument if you take the time to create your own. A patchwork guitar strap gives a hippy and bohemian feel to the instrument.
Things You'll Need
- Good quality leather
- Scraps of fabric (or fabric printed with a patchwork design)
- Fabric scissors
- Leather-cutting scissors
- Leather hole punch
- Sewing machine or heavy-duty needle and thread
Instructions
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Instructions
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1
Cut a good-quality piece of leather to the width and length you would like your guitar strap to be. Every musician and guitar are different, so you will need to find a measurement that feels comfortable for you. It's better to err on the longer side, allowing you to punch holes in the leather to make the strap shorter if necessary.
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2
Make your own patchwork fabric by sewing together various scraps to make one long strip of fabric that is approximately the same size as the piece of cut leather. Fabric swatches can be sewn together by using a needle and thread or a sewing machine. To save time or to achieve a different look, you can purchase a single fabric that is long enough to use by itself instead of creating a patchwork quilt.
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3
Measure and cut your patchwork fabric to the exact size. Envision the fabric laying inside of the leather strip, with the leather forming a border on either side of the fabric. Using your cut leather as a guide, the fabric should measure 1/2 inch narrower than the strap and 2 to 3 inches shorter in length.
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4
Use a sewing machine or heavy-duty needle and thread to sew the patchwork fabric to the leather. Position the fabric so that it is centered over the leather with 1/4 inch leather border along both long edges.
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5
Punch a hole on either end of the guitar strap to attach the strap to the nubs that are present on acoustic and electric guitars.
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References
- Photo Credit guitar image by Darren Nickerson from Fotolia.com
