How to Make A Leather Laptop Case: The Tutorial You Need

Like many things in life, your laptop case is an investment. And every long-term investment needs superior protection to stay in good shape for as long as possible. That’s why you need a leather laptop case – because it outshines the standard material and will give you excellent protection from bumps and scratches alike. 

You will need a square foot of leather, depending on the size of your laptop, and decide what it will look like. Make sure to mark the length of your laptop, provide a pattern, cut the leather, make it durable, and your leather laptop case is done.

A leather laptop case may be the solution to your problems with hauling around a bulky and cumbersome laptop in your backpack or briefcase. This article showcases how to make your leather laptop case out of quality leather. The process is outspoken and easy to follow.

Creating Your Laptop Protection, But Make It Leather

A laptop case is a case made of leather that can protect a laptop from the possibility of breaking or leaving scratches on its screen. Laptop cases come in different appearances and sizes, with some being as small as 10cm x 10cm, while others are around 30 cm x 15 cm. These cases can be a delight when you buy them for yourself or your children as they not only protect your possessions but also give them an appealing look.

The instructions given in this article are not the only way to make a leather laptop case; you can use your imagination and creativity to develop a style that suits your tastes. However, even if you’re an experienced leatherworker, you will still find this article useful as a reference guide while making your laptop case.

Before you start crafting anything, you’ll need to ask yourself what you want your laptop case to look like. Is it going to be a simple book-style one? A sleeve for your laptop? Or maybe even a fancy, schmancy briefcase? Do not grief if you cannot answer this question right away; it will develop as you take the following steps. Just remember not to make it too hard for yourself – go with something nice and simple and avoid elaborate designs as they are harder to make.

Step 1: Deciding The Exterior Design of Your Laptop Case

Most of us have a simple vision of our computer case, which often includes a monochrome design in the same color as our laptops. However, this can lead to confusion when the time comes to order your case because they don’t always come in the same colors. Making your leather laptop case is one way to provide you with a laptop case that suits all the colors.

Laptop cases are a great way to protect your laptop from damage, but the design is a matter of preference. The case will be on you for hours each day, so it’s worth putting some time into choosing something that speaks to your personality. Here we are going to make a sleek and simple style of the laptop case.

These cases are the simplest to find but often come with some guidelines. Sleek laptop cases are leather, which means it does not tear easily. These cases must be kept somewhat dry and not left out in the rain or snow. The designs for sleek and simple laptop cases often consist of little to no graphic design on the front surface.

Step 2: Preparation of Tools and Materials

Prepare a Nubuck Leather in this phase. Nubuck leather has a texture similar to suede leather; this leather has the body side scraped to create a velvety surface that protects fragile things, but it is considerably stronger than suede leather. Nubuck leather is used to make shoes, handbags, and other accessories. However, even though this leather is regarded as essential, it is more fragile than semi-aniline leather.

To stitch the leather, you will need a leather thread and a leather needle. To determine the desired size of your case, a metal ruler will be helpful. Other tools are an awl or diamond chisel and a pair of scissors suitable for leather cutting. In addition, you will need to prepare a rotary cutter or a round knife for cutting the entire pattern out of the leather surface.

It is necessary to prepare an oil or wax suitable for leather to produce a soft surface. As well as leather glue or contact cement, but pick the kind that dries transparent and cloths for mopping up the mess.

Nevertheless, to complete it, you will need to provide an edge burnishing tool to soften the edges and glue and sew a zipper to secure your leather laptop case.

Step 3: Measure the Length of Your Laptop

To measure the length of your laptop, you will need a measuring tape or ruler, several sheets of paper, and something flat like an old magazine, but this is optional.

Measure the width/length (WxL) and then multiply by 2.14 (=). Now you have your total length in inches: _____” x 2.14 = ___”.

Now that you have your total length in inches, you need to calculate how much leather you need for your project. Add 5% to this number to be sure you have enough material. For example, if your total length was 17″, add 5% = 17″ x 1.05 = 18.55″.

That is the length of leather we will need for the job. Now measure where your laptop will close at the top and where it will close at the bottom (if it folds over completely). We want to measure between the two closing points: ____” x 2.14 = ____”. The result is the length of your laptop in inches.

Step 4: Provide A Pattern Similar To The Desired Shape

Since we are done measuring the size of the laptop, we will proceed in making the pattern for the leather. It will give you a rectangle piece of leather material to cut out and fold in half long. I would suggest that you do not make it too large, this way you don’t have a spare room that you don’t need. Once you’ve determined the length, then go from there and add some extra for error and give yourself room for a seam allowance.

Step 5: It’s Time To Cut, And Fold The Leather

The first thing you need to do is to use a straight edge, such as around a knife, to cut out that size from your piece of leather. Next, you need to cut the piece of leather in half so that you are working with two pieces that are the same size.

In cutting out the pieces, use a ruler and pencil to measure and mark your leather. Then, hold your leather firmly against a cutting mat or work surface to cut across it. After that, cut on one side, then flip the leather over and cut on the other side until your piece is all cut out.

Now that you have two pieces that are the same size, it’s time to fold your leather in half so that both sides line up perfectly. Then, take a ruler and place it down vertically along the outer edge of your folded piece of leather.

Step 6: Do Not Forget To Soften The Exterior Surface

Note that it is very important to regard that the natural form of leather is thin and weathered when learning leatherworking skills.

The best way to soften the exterior surface of a leather section is by rubbing your hand over an area for a few seconds or until you feel slight friction between your hand and the surface; or by holding an abrasive pad (like sandpaper) against it. It will reduce some of the surface tension on your newly softening piece; this layer allows you to shape and bend it with less resistance, giving you more control over the final results.

If you find that your leather is just too hard to cut and sew, there are a few things you can do. However, it is important not to get any of these products on the wrong side of your garment because they will make your stitches show more. Perhaps the simplest thing to do is to add some beeswax to the surface of the leather.

Another way of lessening leather stiffness is by applying a coating commonly known as “finishing” or “tanning” to reduce the fibrous structure and grain. Finishing will also affect the surface of the leather, giving a glossy quality that is generally liked.

There are many alternatives ready on the market that you can use to “finish” your leather. Though some people like certain products better than others, they all generally do the same purpose – make it easier for you to cut and sew. When choosing a finishing product for your project, remember that you never want to stitch through your finished layer.

One of the people’s most favorite finishing products is called “Flex-Coat.”

Step 7: Take Time To Burnish The Edges

Burnishing is an old technique where a piece of metal is used with a handheld tool or hammer with one flat surface and one concave surface, achieving an even level of luster across its surface. Burnishing was most commonly done with silver because of its ability to even out surface imperfections and create a very smooth surface with just a few swipes through the leather.

So what does burnishing have to do with making a leather laptop case? Well, the process is used to make your leather case look new again, or at least as good as new. 

Before you begin burnishing your leather laptop case, you need to take a few steps to guarantee that you have achieved the best possible outcome for your investment. It is important to identify the type of leather you are using. For this case, we are using nubuck leather, which is delicate and should be burnished carefully.

After identifying the type of leather, you can get started with burnishing your leather. Keep in mind that what follows is only a guideline. The results will change depending on the quality of your leather and the specific tools and techniques used.

First, you need to prepare your leather laptop case before you start burnishing it; there are a few things that need to be taken care of before you can do anything. One of those things is making sure that all of the edges are cut straight and even.

Step 8: Stitch To Make It Fixed

Once you are done with the cutting and folding stage, the next thing to do is to stitch the sides of the folded leather. The best technique is to tie a string around the two leather pieces to hold them together tightly.

Next, use a diamond chisel to mark the holes and put a stitch into the number 1 hole on the right side with your needle and thread. You will want to put your stitches into each section and not skip any holes, or you will have to start over because you skipped a step.

Also, be sure not to go through both layers at once, or else your needle will get stuck, and you will ruin some thread. After you have stitched all those holes, trim off the excess leather from the sides, and burnish again.

Step 9: Glue Each Zipper Tape Side To The Leather

Take the zipper and place it under the material so it lays completely flat on the leather surface. Using a metal ruler works great for this as it helps in keeping the zipper in its place. Hold the object’s handle tight against one edge of the zipper tape by laying down a small amount of masking tape on top of your ruler and then pressing down on both sides to make sure that you have a nice, firm hold over each edge.

Now take the zipper end that has been folded over and secure it between two pins or clamps, using this as a straight edge for where you will be gluing.

Step 10: Hand Sew The Glued Zipper Tape

To make your laptop case more durable, all you have to do is sew the glued zipper on the leather. Just what is a stitched zipper? It’s when you take one small piece of leather that goes on the inside surface and sew it down, then cut it out for two seams on opposite sides. Then, sew another piece with the same seam pattern that goes on top of your other pieces. You’ll be able to see two different threads next to each other.

You can choose many options in terms of the materials and colors of leather, but the most important thing is your stitching technique. The stitching should be even and precise so that there are no uneven gaps on the leather when you place everything together. 

Before sewing, we suggest sewing the seam down a bit on a folded piece of leather to see if it fits or not. If it does not fit, then adjust the size. Also, make a paper pattern first because most laptops have some patterned back, and I want to avoid making a mistake because it might affect future work.

Once you get it right, make two pieces for each side (front and back). Then, fold it back and sew it down on the edges to make it look neat. We recommend sewing on the inside of your case first and then apply glue to hold it in place along with your zipper. Then, stitch down again so that you can see beautiful stitches through the leather. 

When applying glue to hold everything in place, do not get too much of it, or else it will start dripping out from under places where you do not want it to be, and it will take a long time to hand-sew the leather. If this happens, use some adhesive remover or a clean cloth to wipe off excess glue.

After completing all the steps, your leather laptop case is now good to use.

Do Not Doubt Investing And Make Yours Now

A leather laptop case is a great way to protect your laptop by any means and make it look fashionable at the same time! The only difficulty with making it yourself is time and patience. At the end of the process, you should finally keep your laptop safe from anything possible to harm it. It should be free from dust, and most importantly, it should be durable for it to last longer and be worth the investment.

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