Orange Peels in DIY Home Decor

I accidentally recreated a 70s crafting fad. And I want to do it again, only this time on purpose. I used dried orange peels to make a coaster, some trays and a lampshade. The technique is much older, probably ancient, but I learned it from a faded "how to be a proper hippy" crafting book.

Two oranges had been left in my refrigerator's crisper drawer for way too long. You know those flavorless, dry, stringy oranges that you don't want to eat, but feel bad for throwing out so you save them until they are too wrinkled to eat? 

The tray and bowls are made from dried orange peels. The rinds are hard and leathery, so they are sturdy enough to stand on their own. But they are so small, they can only hold a few beads.

Leather Stamp Alternatives

Our craft club just started working with leather. A handful of us are making our very first leather wallets and tool holders. Even though we have no idea what we are really doing, we started happily crafting away.

When the other members saw us, they were inspired to also try their hand at leather work. They weren't ready to cut and punch and stitch. But stamping their initials onto blank coasters appealed to them. Luckily when we made our initial leather purchase, we included a pack of coaster blanks for just such an event.

However, we hadn't purchased any stamping or carving tools. We thought our basic collection of bevelers and punches would be all the tools we needed for at least a few months. Although stamps and carving tools are not very expensive, we had just made a large purchase, and nobody wanted to spend more money right away. 

We'll likely purchase a set or two of "real" leather stamps (affiliate) in the future, but until then, we are having lots of fun finding alternative ways to make impressions on leather. A few of us had played with leather enough to know that you can make a mark or stamp it with objects we already had around the studio. The other members thought we were crazy, thought that you had to have the exact leather-specific tool in order to get good results. But us old timers gathered some items and proved to them that you can get good results using tools intended for other uses.

Everybody was happily surprised with the good quality of the results. But the combination of initial disbelief and eventual embracing of these alternative tools convinced us a blogpost was warranted.

First Leather Purchase

When our crafting group started leather work, we had no leather and no tools. We had to research and make a lot of decisions about which leathers and tools to purchase. We got a little overwhelmed with all the tutorials and new information. It took us a couple of weeks to make a decision, but eventually we placed our first order.

After realizing that we all wanted to make different kinds of projects, it was apparent that we would have to buy a selection of leather types, finishes and colors. Luckily, all of our projects were small. We all wanted to try something simple before attempting a luxury handbag or jacket. Our plans were to make standard beginner projects, things like a wallet, a tool holster, valet tray, bracelet or a drawstring pouch.

Basically, we needed a sample pack of the standard types of leather:

• Something thick and durable that could be tooled, formed and used as a structural element.
• Something a little more supple, already finished, but still thick and durable.
• Something thin, with a variety of colors to make linings, covers, and flexible pouches.

That didn't narrow it down much, but just being able to define and articulate our needs was an accomplishment. We continued to refine our needs. Read about our decision-making process below or check out what we wound up buying and get something similar. 

 

Old Shoe Leather for Crafting

Q: Can you use old shoe-leather for crafting?
A: Yes, if you don't mind rough, rustic and simple.

Q: Is it worth it?
A: No, not financially, but yes if you have an emotional attachment to the idea.

Q: Have you ever actually done it?
A: Yes, and I got a good story for my trouble.

You can definitely cut up your old leather shoes and use the leather in craft projects. But if the shoes are so old and worn out that you are willing to sacrifice them, the leather is probably old and dry, scuffed and cracked and generally not very pretty. Plus, it's time consuming to disassemble the shoes, the amount of leather recovered is minimal, and you'll spend even more time reconditioning the leather into a workable state.

But if you have a deep-seated need to use every scrap of resources, there are a few projects where old shoe leather is appropriate.