DIY Leather Wrapped Vase

One of my favourite ways to update my home affordably is through some good ol’ fashioned DIY projects. Today, I’m sharing my newest addition: a leather wrapped vase. It adds a lot of warmth and sophistication and it did not take long to make. Ready to make your own DIY Leather Wrapped Vase? If so, then follow my simple, step-by-step tutorial below.

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SUPPLIES NEEDED

– Cylinder Vase: mine was purchased at the dollar store, but you can find other options here online)

– Leather: mine is a thick PU (or ‘vegan’) leather fabric, but any kind of thick and pliable variety will do

– Scissors (make sure yours can easily cut fabrics like leather, denim, etc)

– Leather Craft Awl Tool (to punch small holes in the fabric): mine came as part of a leather craft sewing kit

– Leather/Vegan Cord: mine was a waxed leather, also part of the same leather crafting set.

– Blunt Needle: a large eye needle will accommodate leather cords best.

– Cardboard (thick, corrugated cardboard)

– Pencil + ruler + measuring tape

– Laundry clips or chip clips (not pictured)

DIY LEATHER WRAPPED VASE

STEPS

Step 1: Measure & Cut Leather

Measure:

1. the circumference of the vase

2. the height of the vase

Place leather on a surface, face down.

Transfer the measurements onto the back side and cut the fabric.

Step 2: Puncture Holes Into Leather

Measure approximately 1/4 inch along the long edge of the leather.

Mark 1/4 inch points along the pencil line.

Fold leather in half along the long edge and place on thick, corrugated cardboard. (If you have a self-healing cutting mat, feel free to use this instead of cardboard).

Use chip clips or laundry clips to hold in place.

Using the awl tool, position the tip on the first pencil point and push through to make a small hole.

Make sure to push through both sides of the leather. The cardboard will help protect the surface beneath.

Continue all the way down the edge.

OPTIONAL: If you’d like to create groupings of 3 stitches, as I did in the final piece…

…you’ll need to add another hole in every second open space (see below).

Step 3: Hand Stitching The Leather Together

Fold the leather around a long piece of cardboard. Any cardboard will do.

Cut a length of cord, measuring approximately three and a half times the length of the long edge of the leather (which is also the length of the vase).

Thread your needle and begin to stitch the leather together, as follows:

1. Insert the tip of the needle into the first hole, from the back side of the leather.

2. Pull the cord through and double (or triple) knot the end to hold the cord in place.

3. Insert the tip of the needle into the corresponding hole on the other side, starting from the front side of the leather towards the back.

4. Pull all the way through until you’ve made your first stitch.

Repeat above steps to create the next stitch.

Do the same for the third stitch to create your first group of stitches.

Continue creating stitches this way until your reach the end.

Tips along the way:

1. Because leather fabric is flexible and slippery, wrapping it around a stiff piece of cardboard will make it much easier to create your stitches. You can work on a hard surface or simply stitch on your lap.

2. Once you have created a few stitches:

a) feel free to begin stitching through both pieces and,

b) flatten out the leather each time you create a new stitch. This will ensure that the edges don’t bunch together.

3. If you have trouble seeing the holes on the ‘good’ side of the leather, you can always reference the back side to locate the next hole.

Once you create your last stitch, you’re ready to finish things up.

The last stitch: finishing up:

1. Fold the edge over and hold down flat, keeping the edges together.

2. Create a loop.

3. Push the needle through the loop and gently pull until a knot is formed, making sure the knot is created snugly against the fabric. Repeat to make a double or triple knot to ensure the tail end of the cord does not slip completely through the leather.

4. Cut off the excess cord.

Your completed project should look something like this:

Step 4: Slide Leather Over Vase

Gently slide the leather around the vase either from the top OR from the bottom.

I enjoyed this DIY so much that I created two leather wrapped vases, each with a different stitch pattern.

Time to display!

I hope you enjoyed today’s DIY leather wrapped vase tutorial. I love the versatility of this DIY. Display flowers or greenery with the leather on or off, depending on your mood and the season.

Happy crafting!