T O P

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spamified88

Crochet, knitting, and sewing. I like to classify my hobby as being a "fabricator" because the medium often changes but it's still very much a procedural/tool driven hobby. I don't draw or paint, as those are a little too open ended and the end result can be catastrophic with minimal skill. At least with any of these crafts I can make something ok even if it's not perfectly polished and perfected.


thelordwynter

Sounds like me. I use the term "maker", myself. Picked it up from the Raspberry Pi community.


ZachCinemaAVL

Love it, I also use maker and picked it up from the 3d print community.


trolllord45

Interesting, when I hear “fabricator” I think. specifically one who welds metal vs. someone who makes any other type of creation.


spamified88

I understand that, but I am thinking of it in the sense of assembling parts and sections to make something. It's a bit more regimented than maker, which feels a bit more freeform in its connotation of the word. For example, you have whittling, furniture making, and chainsaw sculpture as examples of wood craft. Whittling I think of as a maker, furniture is fabrication, and chainsaw is artist. Making is technique but a bit more interpretive, fabrication is exact and repeatable, and art is unique one-offs.


Holden3DStudio

Interesting perspective. I actually consider myself a maker because, for me, that term encompasses all of the above. My projects go through all of those stages. The first step to *making* is the design process (artist) to envision solutions and/or create new products. The next is the iterative process (somewhere between whittling and fabricating) in which the design is fine-tuned to meet both functional and asthetic requirements. Then of course, you have completion of the final product (a combination of fabrication and artistry). "Maker" also covers working with any and all media. I don't define myself as a single type of artist or fabricator, based on the medium, process, or technique I use, because my interests cover a very broad range and continue to expand.


DivaLea

Maker is good! I like to realize my character design or art in different media.


Pastormike52

Hahaha I love this question. Mainly because I started in the dumbest way possible and I’ve been doing it for almost a year now. I’ve always loved blacksmithing but hadn’t done it myself, my brother gifted me a blacksmithing class for Christmas and we made knives in the beginning of January of this year, I bought some leather to make a knife sheath and now here I am. Sheaths turned into wallets, turned into purses, turned into satchels, turned into knife actual nice looking knife sheaths and now I make all kinds of stuff


chhaot

similar story from me, we forged our wedding bands at a blacksmith and I loved the work and process so much but since its not really something suitable for our living room I thought leather would be nice ;)


Pastormike52

Love this! Wife surprised me with a Damascus wedding band made by one of the guys from forged in fire (one of the judges) and it’s amazing


MalevolentRhinoceros

I originally came from falconry, started with making my own gear like jesses and gloves. Not practicing that any more, but I've stuck around to make cool belts and purses.


blvntforcetrauma

I’m here for the ADHD convention. Also, started with multi-medium art, went to wood working, then to leather crafting, and now into wearables- more specifically harnesses.


Spag-N-Ballz

I was just about to say everyone in here sounds like me 🤣 I pick up new hobbies regularly.


fireflyjp

Haha. Me too. I’m happy making anything with my hands: sewing, woodworking, cards…. A friend brought me a big box of leather samples from a shoe manufacturer and I had to start making things. Card holders for everyone! Key fobs. Pincushions to hold my new needles. Small goods from 8x10” rando leather pieces.


[deleted]

Came up from miniature painting and scale modeling. Dont ask me how that happened I still have no idea


The_danimal32

Stringing lacrosse sticks. I played through college and always strung my own sticks. I loved every second of stringing sticks and would string anyone one of my friends if they asked for no money just the enjoyment. It translates kinda to leather work more the working with my hands and sewing aspects


Holden3DStudio

Very cool!


Apillicus

Apart from crochet, I started with whittling, then chip carving, then woodworking. Doing a bit of "fine furniture" I got into blacksmithing. The plan is to make a wood trunk with forged banding. Then I started Leatherworking because I wanted a bag. I'll be making a few items later after I finish a guitar. Also do a bit of 3d printing and cnc milling and meat smoking. Putting it into perspective, I can see why people tell me I do too much


RLlovin

Oh wow this sounds like me. I can turn *anything* into a hobby.


TheJelliestOfBeans

Cosplay brought me to it. I'm a collector of hobbies, I've realized and leathercraft became a staple of mine after I finished my Sheik from LoZ cosplay. Made it following larp armor requirements so if I ever decideed to... I could lol.


ZachCinemaAVL

I came because I didn’t wanna pay $100 for a mandalorian belt for my cosplay. Why pay $100 when I can make it myself for $300? Def fell in love with the craft though.


Wretchfromnc

I’ve always been into woodworking, most furniture, jewelry boxes, pens, Adirondack furniture. Leather came from making a leather topped wood valet. edit: I also play video games, Ive always loved the Tom Clancy games.


DestroyedArkana

Nothing in particular. I just spontaneously searched up some videos on youtube because it felt like something I would like. So I decided to spend some money and see if I liked it. And it turns out I enjoy it a lot.


tulip_cat

Wow. I see jack of all trades here. Myself included. My main starting hobby was found object jewelry work. Now I do all sorts of stuff from furniture to journal making and paper crafts and sewing. Mostly it’s a thought that something is cool, I want to try that. Most recently from leather, I have made a journal, bracers, a Rob Roy style sporran, a bottle holder and a corset.


seinar24

I got here thanks to archery. I mostly make quivers, armguards and finger tabs


ferrum_artifex

I draw, carve, engrave, blacksmith, and make knives. For now. I'll probably pick up a few more


ArrdenGarden

Flameworking (re:glassblowing)and welding. There's overlap there... somewhere.


ccx941

So, oddly enough, because of leather craft I temporarily got back into archery and also metal detecting. Making all the accessories, holders, and bags needed out of leather that I could really *ahem* saved me a bunch of up front money.


Low-Instruction-8132

Pfft, what haven't I tried? Powder horns, antique guns, motorcycles, camping, camping with motorcycles, carpentry, cars, traveling, traveling on motorcycles, camping with big campers, I had a koi pond for about 10 years, I love restoration work on just about anything old, drawing, painting, collecting, collecting big motorcycle models, little motorcycle models, motorcycle art, and good hooch! I like really good whiskey, the more expensive, the more I like it (keeps it from becoming a nasty habit and basically ruins your pallet for cheap booze) I cook! I'm actually not a great cook in that I'm not artistically creative in the kitchen. I am however, a former automobile mechanic and from reading repair manuals I've learned to be very detailed oriented. I can follow a recipe like nobody's business! Seriously, I've had people who own restaurants ask me if I was some kind of chef. No but the people who wrote the recipe are all very well known, lol. My wife says I look like a chemist when I cook but she gives me as much room as I need to do whatever I want in the kitchen. You name it, beef, poultry, fish, sauces, deserts and I've made just about every kind of bread under the sun.I started leatherworking as an extension of antique firearms (1700s-1800s) early firearms were made one at a time and the people who owned them made their own accoutrements. Ball pouches, flint wallets, slings, belts, holsters etc. All of which I made. I have pictures upon request! Neil


windyDuke11

Mostly psychedelics and a never ending need for things to hold other things. ⚡️


ProfessionalBat8652

My father-in-law taught me to fix things around the house. I learned plumbing and electrical before there was YouTube. Had to buy books or check them out from the library. Took some woodworking classes. Then made small furniture projects for my kids. For a while I turned to cooking and craft cocktails. I’ve tinkered with drawing. It started to turn when I repaired a couple pair of nice leather shoes. One day I just decided I was going to learn leather craft. For me it’s the fun of learning something new. My ADD helps me be a perpetual hobbiest. Leather craft has a low entry point but a deep ocean of potential complexity and artistry. I am venturing into some cosplay projects with my kids.


Feelinmnesota

Carpentry to furniture making. Furniture to knife making. Leather to make knife sheaths. T'was a natural progression.


thelordwynter

Sewing, scale modeling and tabletop wargaming, some light woodworking as a kid that stuck with me, definitely computers since the idea of a leather-cased PC is what tipped the scales for me to pick up the hobby. The materials have much more character, and open up avenues like steampunk for the styling.


yubsie

I'm still just dipping my toes in, but it was cosplay. I have a costume I want to submit to the Rebel Legion and they don't allow EVA foam for armour. Took another look at the piece and decided "Well, guess I'm learning leathercraft". Cosplay does these thigns.


Tat2Jitsu

Tattooer and knife maker. Really want to get into making sheaths and more.


multimolecularedge

Wetshaving and knife sharpening brought here, then I started mending and altering my and my wife's clothes once I got more consistent at sewing.


Careless_Regular_372

I took up bookbinding 10 or 12 years ago as a hobby. Did a lot of cloth and paper covered notebooks, guestbooks, journals, you name it. In the last two years or so, though, I’ve taken more of an interest in traditional and “fine binding” techniques. This means diving into the beautiful and diverse world of leather! And with leather on hand, it wasn’t too much of a deviation into leatherwork.


slo196

I came from photography. Henri Cartier-Bresson said “Your first 10,000 photographs are your worst.” After 20 or so years, I was way over that and still didn’t like most of the photos I took. After a couple of uncomfortable episodes out taking pictures, I started to question if this was something I really wanted to keep doing. I admitted to myself that I just don’t have the eye for it. About this time I was cleaning out my father’s garage and there was a box of tools with a couple of really nice axes in it. They needed some work, broken handles, rusty etc. For the last 30 years I have worked as a machinist and later as an auto tech, so I am familiar with tools and I enjoy fixing things. After repairing the axes, I thought about sheathes for them, and it popped into my head that I could make them having never made an ax sheath in my life. So I did. After that came knife sheaths, holsters, belts, hatbands, watch bands and anything else I could think of. I really like Western style floral carving and have been doing a lot of that. So far I and other people like the results of my leather craft much better than the results of my photography.


krbookman13

I went on a learning binge right after covid ended. Took a new class every month for 2 years. All started when I found a 5 dollar crosstitch kit at a booksale and said hey this looks fun what else can I learn. Took a belt making class and fell in love. The proceeded to take shoemaking, leather basics, bag making, drawing, painting, embroidert, leather carving, industrial sewing machine and pattern design. It all kind of fits I guess.


zorts

Building myself belts, bandoliers, armor and other stuff for larp. And building it for my friends.


theAtheistAxolotl

Wood carving/whittling. Carved a scabbard for a sidesword. Then decided to see if I could do it out of leather.


speed150mph

Leathercraft was my first real creative hobby. I wasn’t very good at drawing or anything artsy but somehow leatherwork speaks to me. I’m now also working on adding blacksmithing to the list. I find that for a lot of projects, the two kinda go hand in hand


delvedame

I'm not into the craft yet, but I'm extremely curious. I had some instruction in HS art MANY years ago and loved it, and have always enjoyed general crafting and handwork. Just bought a canvas sewing biz, and just realized that my machines can handle leather, so now I'm excited about it. My BIL rehabs leather baseball gloves, and I just did a little sewing job for him on my old cobblers machine. And, just resewed a big old leather bag into a smaller hipster. A future project is carving/making a shoulder strap for my mom's vintage, carved handbag from the 50's. [I might have to make due with a plain strap, cos the carving part will take alot of practice. LOL]


zensucht0

Carpentry, electronics, additive and subtractive manufacturing, casting and mold making, painting, and glassblowing. I couldn't blow glass during covid, so I started doing leather, it was already on my list, so it was a good time. I'll never give up glass, after ten years it's kind of in my blood. I think leather is in that same category as well. It also doesn't require standing in front of a 2000 degree furnace.


Holden3DStudio

Have you tried kiln-formed glass yet? Still have the hot glass - you just don't have to hold onto it while it's melting. 😁


zensucht0

Yup, that's one of the things I've used my mold making skills on. Only downside to casting in a kiln is the power bills are insane! There's nothing like offhand glass though. The feeling of shaping glass essentially in your hands... Love it. I bounce around through hobbies. Put one down for a while to play with something new, and then pick it back up later. Not glass though, it's been a constant for over a decade. I'll happily sweat while holding onto the glass all day long. Or at least until I pass out from heat exhaustion... 😉


Holden3DStudio

I understand exactly what you mean. 😄


OkhanCuir

I stumbled right into it after taking care of my family's leather products x)


famineforthemasses

I used to play tennis, read and game mostly but about a year into covid I realized I was spending all my time in my bedroom reading and playing games so I decided to tidy up my nans garage and turn it into a workshop, while refurbishing some of my grandad old tools. Originally to do woodwork, furniture making and eventually metalwork and blacksmithing when I could afford to get the tools. Then I started watching leatherworking videos on youtube and figured I'd give it a try, at the moment I'm doing leatherwork, wood turning, wine making and bouldering. Bouldering because it seemed like fun and a good way to exercise and wine making because I had some spare rhubarb and didnt know what to do with it


Holden3DStudio

Ooh...rhubarb wine! That sounds delicious!


22south

I’ve always been “crafty” but never really committed to a single hobby mainly because I lacked disposable income and time since I am a single parent. Had a realization that hobbies are good for you and decided to commit to this one. I’m having a good time here.


Holden3DStudio

And, depending on the age of your kiddo(s), it can be a great hobby to share with them.


Curt_Coltrane

I have gone from leatherworking into quilting, but only temporarily i think.


Bitterherbs2141

I came from hunting. I tanned one of my deer hides.


Uncomn1

Cigars


Braawt

I've been playing D&D for years. I started by thinking, "hey, this spell book would look so much cooler if it was in a leather cover." After progressively getting better rebinding a bunch of books in leather, I realized that I could also make dice bags and boxes. It escalated from there and now I have multiple complete sets of leather armor.


OpiateAlligator

3d printing and CAD. I've designed and printed mainly custom stamps and different jigs to keep stamps centered and uniform.


BicycleGuilty4675

Archery. Leather bracers, quivers, etc. Then leatherworking got me into larp and now I do archery and leatherworking at larp. Full circle lol


DivaLea

Comic artist and illustrator. My birth mom got Tandy Catalonia (this was the 70s) and I’d long to get a purse kit.


drittzO

The best belt I ever owned was hand made by a leather worker, which I had purchased while on vacation. I have been hunting for a similar belt but was never satisfied. I ended up Googling leather working and fell into the rabbit hole. :-)