Getting into leather crafting can be a great way to have fun and show off your creativity. But you’re probably wondering is leather crafting expensive? I had the same thoughts when I started, so I did a little research to help you in the decision making process.
Leather crafting expenses can range from $20.00 to over $5,000.00. The expenses are dependent on the quantity and quality of the leather, the quantity and quality of the tools and workspace associated with the types of projects to be completed. Expenses can be reduced by selling products for a profit.
Many individuals jump into leather crafting after reading a few reviews or watching several YouTube videos that recommend the “essentials” for getting started. There really is a lot to be considered when calculating the expenses associated with the tools, materials, and workspaces that will be appropriate for your needs. And purchasing an “All in 1” kit is rarely the answer.
Table of Contents
How Much Should You Expect To Spend on Leather Crafting?
Leather Expenses
Over an extended period of time, you will probably spend more money on leather than anything else. Your tools and workspaces will change very little, but you will need to continue purchasing leather to continue in this craft.
Additionally, leather becomes more expensive as you look for special characteristics such as the style of the leather, color, the amount (square foot), thickness, texture, temper, finish, and blemish. There are many local and online dealers that have a wide selection of leathers to meet your needs.
What you should expect to spend on leather
- Low Quality $0 – $5 per square foot
- Mid Range Quality $12 – $15 per square foot
- High-End Quality $18 – $30 per square foot
Tool Expenses
The purchase of tools will be your second highest expense.
If you are interested in spending very little money many tools can be found around the house or bought cheaply from local hardware stores. You should expect to spend less than $100 to get the tools necessary to create any project that you desire. I spent $75 and I was able to create wallets, belts, and clutch purses with no problems.
The expense of tools increases as you begin to replace your low budget tools with higher quality tools. At first, I didn’t recognize the benefits of good tools, and I avoided them because of the price. But one day I decided to bite the bullet and spend a little extra money on an edge beveler. I soon realized that better tools increased my speed production and the quality of my products.
What you should expect to spend on leather crafting tools
- Lowest Quality $0 – $50
- Mid Range Quality $50 – $100
- Highest Quality $100+
Workspace Expenses
Your workspace will change the least amount during your leather crafting journey. You will need a surface for cutting, tooling, and staining/dyeing leather.
What you should expect to spend on leather crafting workspaces
- Cutting Surface $1.50 – $14.00 per square foot
- Tooling Surface $0 – $40 per square foot
- Staining Surface $0 – $4 per square foot
For more information on workspaces, please read our review of the best workspaces for leather crafting.
Where to Find Inexpensive Leather for Crafting
If you are interested in spending very little money, you should be able to find some pieces with just a little effort, but you may not get leather with the exact characteristics that you desire.
Thrift Stores
One option is to go to yard sales, local thrift, Goodwill, Salvation Army, and similar stores in your area. These places can be a goldmine for finding leather items that only cost a few pennies on the dollar.
Try to look for items such as:
- Ladies leather pocketbooks
- Leather business briefcases
- Old style luggage/ suitcases
- Leather laptop bags
- Old Weight Lifting Belts
Internet Searches
Internet pages such as Craig’s List and Facebook groups are full of people wanting to get rid of items such as leather couches and similar items. If you really think about it, you’ve probably seen items like this in the front of people’s yards waiting to be picked up by county’s waste services.
Automotive Shops and Leather Suppliers
Local automotive upholstery shops are great places to find low priced leather. They usually have trash cans full of scrap leather laying around the shop. You can also contact local leather suppliers. Often times they have bins full of scrap leather that are leftovers from some of the custom designs that they have created for customers.
Craft Stores
Many supply chains such as Michaels and Hobby Lobby sell bags of scrap leather. This gives you an opportunity to get low priced leather without having to strip them off of items. This is where I purchased most of my leather in the beginning. I used weekly coupons in the range of 20 – 40% off to purchase large rolls of leather to create wallets and purses.
Where to Find Inexpensive Leather Crafting Tools
| Tools | Specialty Tool | Specialty Tool Price | Bargin Tool | Bargin Tool Price | Savings |
| Measuring Tool | Metal Ruler | $5.00 | Any Straight Edge | $0.00 | $5.00 |
| Pattern Tracing | Awl | $5.00 | Pointed Object | $0.00 | $5.00 |
| Cutting | Specialty Blades- | $35+ | Generic Blades | $15 | $20 |
| Punching | Pricking Iron | $20+ | Fork | $3.00 | $17.00 |
| Hamering | Maul/Mallet | $40+ | Rubber Mallet | $3.00 | $37.00 |
| Sewing | Saddler Needle | $7.00 (20 needles) | no bargin | no bargin | $0.00 |
| Dyeing/Staining | Dye | $10.00 | Coffee/Tea | $2.00 | $8.00 |
| $92.00 |
Measuring Tool- When it comes to taking measurements and drawing straight lines nothing comes close to outperforming the ruler. A metal safety ruler is best but any straight edge will work in this stage.
Pattern Tracing Tool- This can be done with anything around the house that has a point. You are simply making an outline of the pattern that you want to cut out of the leather. In the beginning, people have used a pencil, nail, or something with a sharp point.
Cutting Tool – After tracing the pattern is created in the leather it will need to be cut out. A few cheap options include an x-action knife, utility knives with breakaway blades, or precision knives.
Punching Tools and Pricking Iron – A straight line of holes can be created near the edged of the leather for stitching/sewing multiple pieces together. Holes can also be created in the middle of the leather for design purposes. A straight line of holes can be created by straightening out an old metal fork. The fork can be placed on the leather and the end can be tapped with a hammer to create the hole. A drill and drill bit can be used for making holes anywhere.
Mallet / Maul – Used to bang the edges of tools. It is recommended that you use a mallet with a raw hide or resin end. A metal hammer should be avoided since it will destroy your tools. But if its all you have, its all you have.
Saddler Needle and Thread – Needed for sewing pieces together. This is something that you may want to purchase. These needles have a blunt end and they are able to withstand more pressure than a regular sewing needle. A pack of 20 can be purchase offline for a reasonable price.
Dye – Many dyes can be created from coffee and tea. You can look up a mixture to fit your needs.
Where to Find Inexpensive Leather Crafting Surfaces
In many cases, you can use any surface you want for general work such as cutting and stitching. We have found that a cheap cutting board is perfect for a cutting surface, but you will need a separate area for dyeing and staining your leather.
We have completed an extensive review of the best leather crafting surfaces. It includes recommendations, purchase location, and prices. It can be found at Best Leather Crafting Surfaces.
Reducing Leather Craft Expenses by Selling Products
I found leather crafting to be extremely rewarding. There was nothing like sitting in my garage and creating a unique product for myself or a special person in my life. But at some point, I wanted to purchase a better quality of leather and tools. The only way that I was able to do it was to sell my products.
Selling products doesn’t have to be intimidating. You’ll be surprised by how many people are willing to purchase your products. There are many online platforms such as Etsy and eBay that allow you to sell your leather crafting products. The process is pretty simple and there are many videos on YouTube that show you how to get it done
I found that you can basically work for free if you aways create two products…one to keep and one to sell.
What Should Be Expensive in Leather Crafting
I found that having sharp blades really increase my production time and the quality of my work. Struggling with a dull blade causes the leather to cut unevenly and you risk the chance of hurting yourself.
I also hand stitch all of my work and I found that having a really good pricking iron made my stitching holes easier to work with and they also looked aesthetically pleasing. I also needed a maul that has heavy enough to create holes with my pricking iron without me having to exert a lot of effort
So for me, it was necessary to purchase I high-quality beveler, pricking iron, and maul. Things may be different for you and your work. I suggest you work with inexpensive tools until you find what works best for you. Then invest money int the tools that you use the most.
In the end the expensiveness of leather crafting is subjective. What is expensive to me may not be expensive to you. I hope that this information provide you with the information that you needed to determine if leather crafting is expensive.
