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Leather braiding is an ancient art form that looks amazing and is easier than it may seem. There are several techniques for braiding leather, including the traditional 3 strand braid, the trick braid, and the 4 strand braid. See Step 1 for a tutorial on how to complete each method easily and quickly.
Steps
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Cut a 1 inch wide leather strip. Determine the length of braid you need and add 1/3 more material to that measurement before cutting. [1] X Research source- The process of braiding will shorten the material by the time you have completed braiding, so cutting extra leather will make the braid the proper length once you finish.
- Use sharp scissors to cut the leather strip to the desired length. A good length to practice on is 9-10 inches.
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Make 2 parallel slices down the middle of the strip, but don't cut the very ends. Your strip of leather should be divided into 3 equal parts. For the following steps, the individual strands will be referred to as 1,2, and 3 from left to right. [2] X Research source
- Be sure that the two cuts are evenly spaced from each other. The spacing between the cuts should be about 1/3 inches.
- Stop the slices at 3/4 inch from the vertical ends, leaving the strip intact. This technique requires the strip to remain as a single piece, as opposed to braiding hair or string.
- If you decide to make your cuts with a blade, place a piece of cardboard, wood, or other protective board under the leather to protect the surface you are cutting on.
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Grab the lower end of the strip and bring it up and toward you. Pass it between strands 2 and 3. Pull the end of the strip down from the other side so that it is back in its original position.
- Looping the strip through strands 2 and 3 will bend it, making it so that the individual strips are twisted and easier to braid.
- If done correctly, your strip of leather should have a kink throughout the middle and should not lie flat. You should also be able to see through the slits you made earlier.
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Pass strand 1 over strand 2 starting at the top of the leather strip. Insert strand 1 into the slit between strands 2 and 3. [3] X Research source
- If done correctly, strand 1 should rest behind strand 3.
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Move strand 3 over strand 1. The top of your strip should now resemble a woman crossing her legs as she sits.
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Pass strand 2 over strand 3. There should now be a gap between strands 2 and 3 at the bottom of the braid.
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Bring the lower end of the strip up and toward you again. Loop it through the gap between strands 2 and 3 and pull it back down. [4] X Research source
- Doing this "un-loops" the kink you made earlier in step 3 and completes 1 braiding cycle. The braid itself should now be kept to the top of the strip.
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Repeat steps 4-6 for braiding the individual strands. Make sure you pass the lower end of the strip through strands 2 and 3 to complete the braiding cycle, as demonstrated in step 7.
- If you opted to braid a 9 inch x 3 inch leather strip, you should be done braiding after 2 cycles total.
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Cut 4 separate strands from a leather strip. Leave a little more length at the end of the strands as this technique will utilize more leather.
- Remember that you are using 4 strands now, so the braid will be considerably thicker than the previous methods. Think about cutting the width slightly thinner than before.
- Using 4 strands will also form a round braid rather than a flat one, hence its name.
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Tie the top ends of the strands similarly to the previous methods. For the following steps, the 4 strands will be referred to as A, B, C, and D from left to right. [5] X Research source
- Since you will be working with many strands, try tying the ends to a key-chain ring and putting the ring under the leg of a chair. This will keep the strands secure so you can focus all of your attention on this slightly intricate process.
- To help you keep track of each strand, consider practicing with colored yarn first. It can become very easy to lose track of which strand is which. Alternately, you could tie-off different colored strings of yarn to the end of each strand.
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Take strand D and move it left over both strands B and C. From left to right, your strand order should now be A, D, B, C. [6] X Research source
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Pass strand B over strand D, also moving left. Your order will now be A, B, D, C. [7] X Research source
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Move strand A right so that it passes over both strands B and D. The strands will now be ordered B, D, A, C.
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Cross strand D to the right so that it passes over strand A. Your strands should now be B, A, D, C.
- If you've done the previous steps correctly, strands D and A should be in the middle, respectively. Strand B should be on the far left side and strand C should be on the far right.
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Take strands B and A into your left hand and strands D and C into your right. Pull the two strands in each hand away from each other to tighten the braid.
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Pass strand C to the left over both strands D and A. Strands should now be B, C, A, D.
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Move strand A left so that it passes over strand C. Strands should be as follows: B, A, C, D.
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Cross strand B to the right over both strands A and C. The strands should now be arranged A, C, B, D.
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Take strand C and pass it to the right over strand B. From left to right, strands should be ordered normally: A, B, C, D. You have completed 1 cycle of the braiding process.
- Tighten the braids in the same manner as you did in step 7. You will need to do this after each braiding cycle to ensure that your braid is tight and won't come apart.
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Repeat steps 3-11 until you have used the desired amount of leather. Since this process is very detail-oriented, it is suggested that you start with shorter length strands. [8] X Research source
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Tie the end of the braid once you have finished. You might tie the remaining loose strands to another key-chain ring, similar to the top end. This is an easy way to adjoin the opposite ends to make a bracelet or necklace.
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Cut 3 strands of equal width from a leather strip. You can leave one end intact so that the 3 strands dangle at one end, or you can cut both ends and make 3 separate strands.
- Remember to take into consideration the same length and width factors as before. For a thicker bracelet, make the strands wider. For a necklace, cut the strands longer than 9 or 10 inches.
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Secure the top ends. If you chose to cut 3 individual strands, you can tie the top ends all together or wrap and tie a cord around the ends, leaving about an inch tail. For the following steps, the strands will be referred to as "left," "center," and "right."
- Be sure that the ends of the strands line up. You want your braid to be as even as possible.
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Pass the left strand over the center strand. The two strands should now switch places so that the left becomes the center and vice versa. [9] X Research source
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Take the right strand and move it over the new center strand. Now the right and center strand will switch places. [10] X Research source
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Alternate moving the left and right strands over the center strand. Continue doing this until you have reached the desired length or until you reach the end of the strands.
- If you find that you want to make a bracelet but have too much leather at the end, use scissors to cut the excess strands.
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Tie off the ends about an inch up. You can use a similar technique as securing the top end by wrapping and tying a cord around the strands.
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Fashion a bracelet from your braided leather. This can be achieved in multiple ways, some more fancy than others. [11] X Research source- As outlined in the 4-strand braiding method, you could tie the opposite ends of the braid to key-chain rings and connect the rings afterwards to form a bracelet. While this method is easiest, it may not look the most appealing.
- Alternately, you could take the trick braided leather and puncture a small hole in the intact, 3/4 inch ends. Run a regular strand of leather through each hole and tie the ends off into knots. Adjust the size of the regular leather strand to better fit your wrist.
- To make a high quality, professional looking bracelet, hold the ends of your braid together so that they line up (this won't be necessary for the trick braid). Take a pinch crimp — which can be purchased at most jewelry shops — and place your braided ends inside of it. Use a pair of pliers to squeeze the pinch crimp shut over the ends. Now you're bracelet has metal ends like store-bought jewelry!
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Make a necklace using the same end connections as the bracelet. Though your necklace will differ mostly from your bracelet length-wise, you can add other accessories to customize it.- Find some beads with holes that run through them. You could run the braid through a single, tubular bead so that it sits in the middle, almost like a pendant. Or, you could fill the entire bottom portion of the braid with various colored beads so that only half of the braid is showing.
- Instead of beads, put a locket on your braid. Place your picture inside and give it to a special someone as a token of your friendship. Or, you could find letter pendants and use them to spell your name across the bottom of the braid. The possibilities are virtually endless!
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Use a tiny braid as a leather ring. Once you become an expert at braiding normal-sized strands, challenge yourself by braiding even smaller ones.- Use the hair braiding method to weave black and brown strands together. Make a standard length braid and then cut it to ring-size once you're done. Fit the ends with pinch crimps and wear the ring on your finger with pride.
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Expert Q&A
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QuestionAre there any other ways to braid leather?Mike Stramiello is a Leatherworker based in Wilmington, North Carolina. He founded Beast Belts and Knives, a Leather Products business in 2020. He initially got involved in the field when he started blacksmithing knives. He couldn’t find the kinds of leather sheaths he wanted for his knives in his area, so he started leather smithing. After years of honing his craft, he started selling his custom-made wares and consistently has a wait list for his products. In addition to the items that are regularly available on his website, Mike builds one-off creations for his website and holds product auctions on his Instagram page. Beast Belts and Knives custom belts, rugs, bags, weapon sheaths and holsters, and other special order items. Mike takes pride in his handmade luxury custom leather work and bladesmithing creations.Another method is the bullwhip style. This method uses several long strips of leather, and you weave them tightly around a core with a braided rope or leather piece in the middle. Start with a basic pattern, say a four-plait, crossing over these strips crisscross. If you want to have more professional or advanced look, you can use six to eight strips to create decorative and more complex designs. And remember to keep the tension even and take your time to create a strong and smooth finish.
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QuestionHow do I round braid more than 4 straps?Community AnswerMake a 4 or 8 Part Round Braid should be able to answer that question.
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Things You'll Need
- 1 inch (2.54 cm) leather strip
- Scissors
- Cording
Expert Interview
Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about leatherworking, check out our in-depth interview with Mike Stramiello .
References
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41gFIbhYaM0
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bQ-6GKhLhk
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bQ-6GKhLhk
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41gFIbhYaM0
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-LwflD2rOk
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-LwflD2rOk
- ↑ http://friendship-bracelets.net/tutorial.php?id=1295
- ↑ http://friendship-bracelets.net/tutorial.php?id=1295
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnIHKiPaeUQ
About This Article
Article Summary
X
If you want to braid leather, cut a 1 inch wide leather strip that is 1 third longer than you want your final braid to be. Then, make 2 slices down the length of the strip, but stop cutting before you get to the ends so the leather stays in 1 piece. To start braiding, take the bottom end and pass it between strands 2 and 3, then pull it down on the other side. Start braiding by passing strand 1 over strand 2 and passing strand 3 over strand 1, then cross strand 2 over strand 3. Finish a cycle by passing the bottom end between strands 2 and 3. To learn how to make a 4-strand braid and how to create braided leather jewelry, read on!
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Reader Success Stories
- "I had done a four strand braid when I was a child in a summer craft program in the park across the street and truly thought I could remember the technique. But, I had missed a key step, which your pictures and text instantly made clear." ..." more
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"I had done a four strand braid when I was a child in a summer craft program in the park across the street and truly thought I could remember the technique. But, I had missed a key step, which your pictures and text instantly made clear."
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"I wanted an intricate-looking pattern to be used in a necklace. It needs to be sturdy, and also thin enough to wear comfortably under a shirt. Using very thin leather cords in the round 4-strand braid should do the trick! Thanks."
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"The detailed instructions and the diagrams helped most."
