Wood and Leather Projects: What You’ll Need to Create 15 Easy Crafts Combining Wood and Leather

I had some wood planks and some leftover leather with me, and it gave me an idea of combining these two materials into some usable items. Leatherworking and woodworking, in some ways, are an excellent skill combo, and it interests me. That is why I looked for projects I can creatively associate wood with leather. Maybe you are looking for some project inspiration too, and I can help you with that!

There are a lot more projects I listed down for you. I will also include the materials you’ll need and what qualities you should look for in a block of good wood and leather. There are leather projects that you think you can’t use wood with and wood products you never imagined would look good with leather. This article will let you know more about them, so let me teach you some wood and leather projects!

15 Wood and Leather Projects

Wood and Leather Sling Bag

Maybe you want a leather bag that is formed, durable, fashionable, and unique. If then, this project is perfect for you. This sling bag shows how well leather goes with wood. You’ll just need to have your two wooden sides perfectly cut and polished similarly. Here are the things you will use in making a wood and leather sling bag!

Tools You’ll Need to Have to Create Your Sling Bag

For the Wood:

The sling bag is handy and small in size, so a hand saw, a jigsaw or a band saw would be recommended. Orbit sanders and belt sanders are cool, fancy power tools, but for a project that will use small wood, sandpapers are fine. 

Planers are hand tools with the same purpose as skivers. It gives an even and flat surface on the wood. You will also be using a drill to drill holes in the leather and the wood for easier assembly. Use hammers for the nails and screwdrivers for the screws. Just a tip, a screw drill will make the work pace faster.

For the Leather: 

If you are familiar with leatherworking, you’ll know that there are many options for cutting tools. You can use box cutters and precision knives since there won’t be too much curved and detailed cut. You can also use a strap cutter or rotary cutter for your straps. You will also need awls and wing dividers to mark your leather.

You will be punching holes for the stitches and snap placements, so secure some pricking irons and hole punchers with you as well as a mallet. Metal snaps will be our bag lock, so make sure you have snap setters. Lastly, you will need an edge beveler, a wooden slicker, and gum tragacanth or beeswax to seal your edges for the polishing.

Materials in Making a Wood and Leather Bag

This project will require you to have a full-grain genuine leather of at least 2.5 to 3mm thickness. Then for wood, you may buy cedar, oak, or redwood or secure some scrap wood of these types. Also included in the materials are screws, leather dye, wood oil, snaps for the locks, and some rings for the straps.

Items You’ll Spend Money on for This Project

If you could not find scrap wood for your project, you need to note that lumber is sold in volume, and some stores may have a minimum requirement of purchase. Here, you will need a pallet of wood. If talking about a large board, red oak sells at $250 per board foot, but you can buy one for $5 /bf for a 4×4 plank of 26mm thickness. However, if this is too thick, you’ll need to split the wood.

Next of the wood is white oak, which you can buy in a smaller thinner size of ½” at $5 per sq ft. while a pallet of cedar sells at $400 per cubic meter in some stores, but some may offer pallets of an inch thick for $7 to $8 per piece. On the other hand, a full-grain leather costs $80 to $90 for a 2 to 3mm thick, 16 sq ft hide. 

Time to Spend in Creating making a Sling Bag

This project seems easy, and it will only take you two to four hours, given that you have your power tools to cut your wood faster. But if you plan on creating this product manually with your hand tools alone, you might need to allot more time to finish your wood and leather sling bag.

Stitching Pony for Leatherworking

One of the tools we use in leather crafting is a stitching pony. Stitching ponies are usually made up of wood alone. However, attaching a leather by its clamp will help maintain the friction while stitching at the same time protects the leather from scratches. The idea of creating our tools is fantastic!

Tools to Use in Creating Your Stitching Pony

For  the Wood:

You will need essential woodworking tools like those right-angled rule squares, a pencil, and some wood glue. We’ll only cut straight, so having a table saw or a circular saw is advantageous, but a jigsaw would be fine. We’ll use a drill and some sanders like sandpapers and files. In sanding, orbit and drum sanders might be overkill, but it will surely help for more efficiency.

For the Leather: 

We will use a little portion of leather, so we will mostly be cutting and polishing. You will need a box cutter, sandpapers for the sides, and some burnishers and wax for the edges. Have some contact cement with you; it will attach your leather to the wood.

Materials You Have to Buy

Gather some leather scraps from your workspace and use them for this project. Next, you’ll need to have some woodblock, maybe some squares, but a thick board is okay. We can always cut the board into several blocks of wood. Some will recommend ash wood for this, but since this type of wood is rare and expensive, white oak is the option for you. Also, save some hinges and screws for this project. 

Preparing the Budget

Save some money by using some leather scraps, but if you don’t have leather with you, some remnants are worth $10. Meanwhile, you will need to have a three to five feet board of white oak, and a 32mm thick white oak board costs $5.50 /bf. 

Time

This project has many parts to it, so allot a half to a whole day to finish this. You will need some time to dry the glue and master how to create the knob from wood.

Rustic Style Leather Handle Tray

This tray is a simple project that can be made from just a single wood plank and a pair of leather straps for its handle. This tray is useful for people who like to add some rustic vibe to their kitchen. A wooden tray with a leather handle is not just a stable tray to use but a visually lovely way to serve your tea.

Woodworking and Leather Working Tools

For  the Wood:

There are not so many parts to this project. That’s why you’ll need at least four of your primary tools. A drill will be used on the sides where the straps go. A screwdriver for securing your screws. Use a circular cutter if you have one, but a handheld jigsaw is a good alternative too. Lastly, some sandpaper and planer to ensure you have a flat board with you.

For the Leather: 

You don’t have to do anything with the leather, just some cutting, and burnishing. We will be using some shears, a rotary cutter, or a strap cutter to cut the leather straps. Then, finish the edges with an edge beveler, some wax, and an edge slicker.

Materials to Buy

A tray should use a 2” by 6” wood, a good thing you can use a leftover plank that fits this measurement. We’ll also be using some scrap leather for the handle. Again, buy some screws for attaching the handle and some beeswax replenishment for polishing.

Budget You’ll Save to Buy Materials

I will recommend you to use some scrap materials. You can have a budget of around $10. Just buy screws for $5 to $6 from your local hardware store. Incase scrap wood is not available, you can buy a standard oak wood plank that’s $3.95 /bf at least.

Answering the “How Long”

You’ll just need to cut, drill, and flatten your wood. Then screw the leather straps, so an hour is enough to finish the project. 

Leather Magazine Rack or Holder

Commonly, people place their magazines under or on the coffee table, but sometimes things get out of hand that they look unorganized. That’s why this is a project for those who want to keep magazines or books neatly in one area. You will see such magazine holders to be made out of wood and canvas, but they also look good if they are made up of leather!

Woodworking Tools

This magazine rack will use wood as a frame. That’s why you will be needing a jigsaw to cut the curved edges. However, you will need a guide to make straight cuts, so you may equip yourself with a table saw or a circular saw. Also have measuring tools like squares, ruler, and drawing compass. You can use a drill to create holes and make sure you have a wood stain for polishing. 

Leather Crafting Tools

I would recommend you to use some leather shears since the leather is quite soft. Have some glue, thread, and needles to assemble your leather. Then prepare some burnishing tools for your sides. 

Materials

You will need four wooden rods where you’ll attach your leather. We will be using two wooden boards about a foot or two tall for the bigger frame or stand. Lastly, you may choose a thin faux leather or genuine leather with a Nappa finish for the leather.

Cost of Materials for the Project

A Nappa finish goatskin leather may cost you $18 basic grade to a premium $35 hide. While for the wood, there are cheap yet tough wood options for this project. Starting from the most affordable type, which is the aromatic cedar that costs $4.10.Cherry wood will cost you around $4.50, while maple wood is $5. 

The red oak costs around $5, while you can purchase a white oak for $3.95. Wooden rods are cheaper, it has an estimated price of $0.25 each in amazon. 

Estimated Working Time

This project is easy if you have your power hand tools. You’ll just need 30 mins to an hour to finish cutting, 30 minutes to assemble the frame, and another 30 minutes to an hour to polish and attach your leather. So you may allot one to three hours to create your own magazine rack.

Box Organizer for Your Art Materials

If you also like wooden boxes to organize stuff like art materials, jewelry, letters, and souvenirs, this project is perfect for you. Also, add some leather accents to your wooden box, like belts, straps, inside pockets, or cover a part of a whole box with leather would be perfect. Below are the tools and materials you will need to make your wood and leather box organizers.

Tools in Making Box Organizers

For the Wood:

Since we will mostly be doing straight cuts for the wood, a table or circular saw will help you create your box. Use some planer to ensure flat sides and some orbit sander to equally sand around your box. Also, a drill and hammer will surely come in handy for this project.

For the Leather: 

For the leather accents using leather shears, a rotary cutter, or a strap cutter is recommended to do the cuttings. Then have some thread, needle, and contact cement to glue them together. As part of a regular leatherworking routine, polish the sides with a burnisher or an edge beveler.

Materials

Starting with the leather, secure some full hide of genuine leather to create long strips as accents. White oak is the recommended wood for the box. We will be using some elastic bands for the inner organizers provided for pens, hinges for the wood, rings, locks, and snaps for the leather strap. 

Budget

You’ll need an impressive quality of oak wood for this project. White oak, as preferred, costs around $4.85 per board foot in some shops. Another wood that is a little pricey is silky oak, which is $7 per board foot. Then buy a leather hide of 1 to 2mm thickness for $20 to $40.

Time

It takes a lot of work to complete a perfectly shaped box. Cutting and polishing wood can consume more time. So be sure to allow 8 to 12 hours to finish the whole project with good quality.

Cycling Lightweight Saddle Bag

I already mentioned a sling bag above, which is pretty easy to create, you can also make a cycling saddle bag too! This is a cylindrical shaped bag that resembles a duffle bag but way smaller. This is a lightweight bag that you can bring anywhere. 

Tools

For  the Wood:

The wood will be a circular base, so a band saw or a jigsaw can help you cut the wood perfectly. An electric drill will be used to drill holes where you will tack your leather with screws. Since we are using screws, you may use a screw drill, but a screwdriver will do since the bag is tiny. As for sanding, sandpapers are enough.

For the Leather: 

Your leather will form a cylindrical shape, and you will mostly be needing awls and hole punchers to mark holes. A mallet to aid in punching and to polish the side tacked to the wood. We will use an edge beveler to finish the edges and press setters to attach snaps and rivets. 

Materials

We will use thick but flexible leather in making a saddlebag. Then, thin wood, not more than an inch thick. Also, to assemble the parts, we will be using supplies like rings, locks, and rivets.

Budget

For the budget, there are woods that you may choose from that are perfect for your bag. First, red oak is  $5 /bf for a 4×4 plank of 26mm thickness. However, it can be too thick that you will need to split it. White oak is at $5 per sq ft of a ½” thickness, while a Cedar sells at $400 per cubic meter but can be bought in planks of $7-$8 per piece. 

As for the leather, you may grab a 1 to 2mm thick veg-tanned genuine leather that ranges from $18 to $50 depending on the quality you want.

Time

This cycling saddlebag is quite simple and won’t require you to stitch the leather. You can finish the bag for two to four hours, including the wood’s preparation, up to the leather polishing.

Toolbox

If you are looking for a close enough project to a bag but functions as a box, then this is for you. This toolbox is a neat-looking box that keeps your small tools organized. 

Tools

For  the Wood

If you aim for a square angled toolbox, you may use a table saw to cut your wood, but for round corners, a band saw is advised. In sanding, you may use a lightweight tool like a palm sander. Then, prepare a drill for the hole and a ruler for measurements. Also, don’t forget wood glue and some oil for finishing. 

For the Leather: 

Nicely cut the leather with a rotary cutter, then trim the sides with a curved punch tool for even roundings. Then use a stitching groover for the markings. Prepare some pricking irons, mallet, needle, thread, and a stitching pony for the stitches. You can use a puncher if you want to add snaps for enclosures. Lastly, finish with some burnishers and polishing tools you have. 

Materials

Here, we aim to have a shiny finish of the leather to give the toolbox an expensive look. So a full-grain genuine leather that is quite thick but flexible is recommended. As for the wood, you can work best with lightweight cedar or white oak. To achieve the shine, you will need a good leather and wood finish, and don’t forget your leather rivets.

Budget

If you are confused by which wood to use, their prices may help. You can buy cedar for $4.10 or $5.95 or white oak for $3.95; both are sold per board foot. For the leather, your first option is a rubber finished genuine leather that costs around $18 for a 5 sq ft side. The second would be a 2mmm thick veg-tanned split leather, 15 sq ft, costs $19 to $20.

Time

If you have the right power tools, sawing the wood will not take much time. However, if you are a meticulous worker, you may allot more time for quality control, but you can finish the project in three to five hours as advised.

Bathroom Tissue Holder

Enhance the look of your bathroom with this tissue holder as a design accent. This three-material project will surely make an impression. It is easy to do and won’t require too many tools, so I have the list of what you’ll need for a bathroom tissue holder.

Tools

Woodworking Tools

You will only need some sandpapers to smoothen the rods holding your tissue roll for the wood. Then equip yourself with a table or band saw. You may also use a hand saw since there is only minimal sawing to do.

For the Leather: 

Since we will be only using straps to hold your wooden rod, a strap cutter is enough. Then prepare some snap pressers for your rivets and a leather glue like the contact cement. You may also want to polish the sides with an edge beveler, wooden burnisher, and beeswax. 

Materials

If you have some scrap leather at home, like an old bag or old sofa leather, then that’s perfect. Wooden rods are a requirement for this project, and they are available through online shops—lastly, secure rivets and snaps for the leather.

Budget

This project is cheap since you will use scrap leather. The only thing you will buy would be the wooden rods, and they can cost as low as $0.25 each. 

Time

You will only need to cut and punch the leather. The saw and smother your wooden rod. As an estimate of your working time, an hour or less is enough to finish.

Leather Strapped Wine Rack on Wood Board

This wine rack is one of those you can use to display your wine collection. This is made up of leather straps tacked to a huge wood board. The straps are strong enough to hold your wine bottles hanging and save you so much space since this will be mounted to the wall.

Tools

For  the Wood:

You will need a table saw, or a miter saw to cut your wood—sand with an orbit sander to ensure a smooth matte surface. You can use a power drill for making holes and a screw or nail gun, nails, and screws for assembling.

For the Leather: 

We will need tools for creating leather straps. Star from cutting, you may use a box cutter or a rotary cutter. Bevel the edges with an edge beveler and finish with a burnisher. Just a tip, glue the leather first before attaching it to the wood with screws.

Materials

You are free to use leather strip scraps for the straps; that’s even better. You may then use reclaimed wood for a more vintage look or prefer to use a new oak wood. Just make sure your wood is a whole board or planks of 1” x 4” x 8” dimension. Prepare some nails and screws, a leather dye (optional), and a wood varnish.

Budget

You can choose to spend more than $100 for a full large board of oak or buy planks for around $4 to $7 each. You may also select reclaimed wood along with leather scraps for the straps to lessen expenses.

Time

This project will be mostly drilling, screwing, and assembling the wood. Then cutting and polishing the leather, so it is better to allow at least one to three hours of your time for this project. 

Towel Ladder Organizer

This towel organizer is a real space saver and a nice decoration to fill your aesthetic. A ladder towel organizer can keep your towels in place while drying them. Good thing, it fits small rooms and can be hung from the ceiling! 

Tools

For  the Wood:

I would recommend you to use a hand saw since we will be using wooden rods. Then manually sand the rods with sandpaper to smoothen uneven sides.

For the Leather: 

Rotary or strap cutters are the best to cut long strips of leather. Then have some rivet puncher and setter because we will only use rivets to assemble. For polishing the edge, beveler and slickers are enough. 

Materials

You can use scrap leather to create the strips; just make sure they are long enough for a four-step ladder. The ladder “steps” or the hangers will be made up of wooden rods. Lastly, we will be using rivets to stick your leather together.

Budget

Wooden rods cost $0.25 to $0.30 each, depending on the length. Make sure you buy at least 4 for each ladder. You might need a full hide of leather to be cut into straps. A chrome-tanned leathers range from $17 to $20 for a full 15 to 20 s ft hide. But still, using scraps can save you money!

Time

The polishing process will take most of your time to ensure no frayed edges will be seen on the leather strips. But the whole project may only take 1hr to 1 ½ hrs.

Easy to Carry Tool Totes

Tool totes are like baskets for your working tools. It has a wooden handle and a wooden frame but a leather covering. It has weight to it but light enough for you to carry along with your tools.

Tools

Woodworking Tools in Making a Tool Tote

You will need a table saw or a miter saw to cut large chunks of wood for the frame. Use wood glue for additional adhesion and stronger bond, which will be aided by the clamps to keep in place. You can use a hammer and nails, but using a nail tacker will ease the job. Then drill where you will attach the leather and use sanders to smooth the wood’s surface. 

For the Leather: 

We’re cutting straight lines, and box cutters can do that. Then you will only need an awl to mark where you will tack; bevelers and edge slickers to polish. Also, have a ruler with you for additional precision.

Materials

You will need leather that can protect your tools, so make sure it’s thick. Use an ashwood or an oak wood for this project. Then use a leather dye and wood varnish as well.

Budget

You’ll need $50 to $90 for an 11 to 15 sq ft hide of thick genuine leather with the quality of leather belts for this project. For the wood, an ashwood 32mm thick is $4.15 /bf, while a 26mm thick ashwood costs $3.95 per board foot. On the other hand, a 32mm thick white oak is at $5.50 /bf, and $4.85 /bf if it is 26mm thick.

Time

If you have power tools, you can create this project for roughly one to two hours. This is an estimate if you have pre-cut your wood pieces and can be much longer if you will use manual hand tools in cutting.  

Leather Straps Wood Shelf

These leather straps wood shelves are wall-mounted shelves that use leather as straps to hold the wood intact to the wall. You will not need to have wall brackets; the leather will serve a bracket’s purpose instead. All you have to do is to ensure the leather is screwed to the wall strong enough to balance the wood plank.

Tools

Woodworking Tools You Need

Of course, you will need a saw. We’ll be using a circular saw for this project for a straighter cut, but a hand saw is also acceptable. Use a drill for concrete and a screw drill to mount the leather to the wall with a wall anchor—Sanders for the wood to have a smooth finish. A quick tip, use a level to make sure your wood is properly aligned and balanced.

Leatherworking tools for the Leather Straps

 All we need to do is cut and polish the leather straps. To start, you may use a rotary cutter or an X-Acto knife for thick leather. Then, bevel the side with an edge beveler and burnish with a wooden slicker.

Materials

You will need strong and thick genuine leather for this project because it will last longer and resist wear. Choose hardwood to be your shelf. Then prepare some wall anchors, screws, and some varnish.

Budget

You may purchase a genuine veg-tanned leather that costs around $50 to $90 per hide. Meanwhile, here are some wood suggestions: first, Ashwood of 32mm, costs $4.15  while 26mm costs $3.95 per board foot. Another hardwood is white oak with a 32mm thickness, which is at $5.50 /bf, and a 26mm thick wood is at $4.85 /bf. A Japanese cedar that is 26mm-thick costs $5.95 /bf. But if you want some planks, you can buy them separately. Maple blanks are perfect, and they are just $2 each.

Time

Since this is more like assembling and polishing. It will take you two to three hours to mount at least three shelves up your wall. 

Leather Wall-Hanging Letter Pockets

Another wall-mounted wood and leather project is this leather wall-hanging organizer. It has a wood board frame and leather pockets you can use to organize your things. This can hold letters, papers, envelopes, utility bills, money, notes, or even pens.

Tools

Tools to Use in Making the Board for the Pockets

We are going to cut a wood board using a circular saw. Or we can make a board out of planks using glue. Aside from this, a drill, nail, and hammer will be used in this project.

Tools for the Leather Pockets 

We will only be cutting, polishing, and tacking the leather to the wood. So prepare a box cutter, head knife, or a precision knife, whichever you choose, a ruler as guide and thread, and a needle to secure the pockets.

Materials

For the leather, it can be from scraps, genuine or faux leather. Using different colors gives a style to your organizer. There is no specific type of wood to be used, but you can choose to buy planks or a whole board. Then have supplies like nails, scree, and leather dye along with these materials. 

Budget

You might need to buy a $100 large board or buy planks of wood for $2 each or use reclaimed scrap woods that you have. I would recommend using scrap leathers; it will not only save you a couple of bucks but will make your organizer unique.

Time

Doing this project is kinda easy. You just cut, stitch a little, tack the pockets into the wood, so allot two to four hours for finishing this project.

Weaved Leather Seat Stool Chair

You might think that stools and chairs can only be made by professional furniture makers. But let me tell you that you can create one on your own! There are even camping stools with leather seats, so it’s not a surprise that we can make a weaved seat for your chair!

Tools 

For  the Wood:

We need straight and flat cuts to keep the stool balanced on the ends. Use a circular cutter or a miter cutter in cutting the wood. Then prepare an electric drill, hammer, tacker, and screwdriver. Don’t forget sandpapers or orbit sander for polishing.

For the Leather: 

You will only need the basics. Just prepare a cutter (box or rotary), awl, mallet, and some polishing tools like edge bevelers, slickers, wax, or gum.

Materials

This leather seat tool is weaved, so you’ll need long leather strips. Preferably a thick genuine leather because it will last longer. I would advise you to use a hardwood like oak, ash, or mahogany that’s perfect for most furniture. To complete your materials, have nails and tacks, leather dye, and wood varnish.

Budget

As my recommendation, the perfect wood type is mahogany, which costs $9.75 /bf to $31 /bf. The leather with a belt-like quality, a whole full-grain leather hide costs more or less $89.

Time

Give yourself a whole day to do this project. You will need to give the wood ample time to dry the glue for a firmer bond. Also, give more time for a quality check to ensure the furniture stands balanced to the ground.

Do It Yourself Stationery Organizer

This organizer uses wood for the structure and leather as side covers. This project will allow you to provide additional dividers to hold your pen and other materials on your desk. Good thing, they can be made up of scraps, so I will tell you what you need for our last featured project.

Tools

For  the Wood:

This is a small project, and using a hand saw is enough. Then get a hammer and tacker to assemble the wood and sandpapers to smoothen the surface.

For the Leather: 

For your leather sides, you just need to cut with a cutter or leather shears. You can polish the edges with a beveler and slicker. Another option would be adding designs using punchers or logo stamps with your name.

Materials

Now, these are all from the leftover materials that you have. You can use leather remnants and small pieces of discarded wood. You can use small 1 x 1 blocks or wooden rods and split it into half. Then, of course, use nails or screws to tack the wood together.

Budget

We aim to upcycle scraps. So hopefully, this won’t cost you anything but effort and creativity. It is excellent that you can save up some money but still create a worthwhile project.

Time

The time you will spend in making this depends on how many dividers you aim to have. Whether you would like to cover each partition with leather or leave them with wood alone. But as to estimate your time, you might consume an hour or less for a simpler design.

Conclusion

Leather and wood are natural materials that just blend with each other. Many projects use both leather and wood that you haven’t explored yet or have not imagined existing. But once you open your mind to the possibilities of creating different variations of crafts like bags, boxes, chairs, organizers, racks, and more, you will be able to incorporate wood with leather and vice versa. Maybe some projects don’t exist yet. Perhaps you can invent one. So keep on innovating and enjoy the world of crafting!

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