THE NECESSARY EQUIPMENT
- 1 strip of VVN TANAO NAVY BLUE OR WILD leather - 1.5 mm thick - minimum 1.25 m²
Here we used a vegetable-tanned, dyed leather hide from our range, priced over €100. For smaller budgets, we recommend selecting a firm or medium-firm leather hide with a minimum thickness of 1.4 mm and a maximum thickness of 1.9 mm (e.g., coated split leather, varnished split leather, cowhide...).
- 1 piece of VELVET suede pigskin leather - NATURAL. Minimum recommended surface area: 0.55 m²
- 1 spool of 500m of braided and waxed polyester thread - 0.80mm diameter
- 1 pot of tokonole - Leather finishing gum - 120g OR 1 pot of edge finishing (if you choose mineral tanned leather).
- 2 meters of cord for bag handles - Diameter 6 mm
- 2 MINI brass snap fasteners GUN BARREL - diameter 10.5 mm OR magnetic tops of 12.5 mm diameter (does not require setting tool).
- 1 x 250ml tub of water-based contact adhesive
- 2 round-tipped needles
- 1 round cookie cutter, 1.5 mm in diameter
- 1 mallet
- 1 cutter and rotary cutter
OPTIONAL : Texon and bag feet for the bottom of the bag and 4 magnetic tops if you want to be able to close the tote bag.
BEGINNER: SIMPLIFIED HAND-SEWING OF LEATHER
For beginners, we offer a simplified hand-sewing technique called "hole sewing." You won't need any special skills to successfully make the bag. Discover the essential points to know before starting this simplified hand-sewing technique in the guide below.
SEE THE GUIDE > 
EXPERT: SADDLE STITCHING LEATHER
Those most experienced in leatherwork can sew the tote bag using a saddle stitch. The saddle stitch is the most popular stitch among leather enthusiasts because it is the strongest.
SEE THE GUIDE > 
VIDEO
1. PRINT THE PATTERN
- Print the tote bag pattern in full size (downloadable from the tab at the top of the page).
- Assemble and cut out the pattern, leaving a 5mm margin around the lines.
- Then place and hold the pieces on the leather skin using masking tape.
2. PIERCE THE SEWING HOLES
Make the different stitching holes by striking a round punch (Ø 1 and maximum Ø 1.5 mm) with a mallet.
The center-to-center spacing of the stitching holes is 6.5 mm. You can use the Deco Cuir 5-hole punch with removable dies to speed things up.
Adjust the final points with a simple round cookie cutter.
SEE THE ARTICLE >
Do not drill or cut parts P8 and P7 (large model) / P6 and P7 (small model) which will be doubled in step 6.
*For saddle stitching, you must mark the stitch points with a stitch marker after cutting and/or assembling the pattern pieces (step 3). Don't hesitate to consult our complete guide.
3. CUT THE LEATHER PIECES
Cut out the leather pieces with a craft knife, following the pattern lines. Reminder : do not pierce or cut pieces P8 and P7 (large model) / P6 and P7 (small model) which will be lined in step 6. 
4. MAKE THE BAG HANDLES
Apply leather contact adhesive to the reverse side of the 2 P3 pieces. 
Next, cut 2 pieces of approximately 54.5 cm of strand and glue them to the center on the back of each P3 piece.
Then, fold the handle back on itself (align the holes). 
 |
 |
Sewing the bag handles:
Cut a length of thread four times longer than the length to be sewn. Thread a needle onto each end of the thread and begin sewing the handles.
- Pass the wire through the first hole and even out the wires.
- Sew by passing each needle through each hole one by one.
- Finish the seam with 3 double stitches (backstitching) and cut the thread close to the fabric. To create symmetry, you can start your seam with 3 double stitches.
- Tap the seams with a joiner's hammer or riveter.
Work the edges of the handles with Tokonole (vegetable tanned leather only) or an edge finish.
TOKONOLE GUIDE >
5. WORKING WITH DECORATIVE STRIPS
Begin by treating the edges of the decorative strips with Tokonole or an edge finish. Using a rasp file for glue, roughen the leather where the decorative strips will be glued (to improve glue adhesion) . 
Apply contact adhesive to the back of the straps and to the flower on the two main pieces of the bag. Then glue the four decorative straps in place. Press/flatten the glued area with a roller to ensure good adhesion. 
Trim the ends of the strips that are sticking out. 
Sew the decorative strips onto the main pieces. Start sewing at the 2nd stitch and stop sewing at the second to last stitch (to avoid excess thread during subsequent sewing) . 
Finally, sew the bag handles to the designated spot on the decorative straps. Double the stitching (double stitches) to reinforce the attachment. 
6. Glue the velvet pigskin lining
Tips before gluing the lining:
| If the leather is not firm enough: glue Texon (0.8 mm thick) to the bottom of the bag (P8) before gluing the lining. SEE THE TEXON > |
To prevent the bottom of the bag from getting damaged or dirty: add 4 bag feet to the bottom of the tote bag (P8). SEE BAG FEET > |
Glue the lining:
Apply contact glue to the reverse side of the suede pigskin and the leather pieces to be lined (P8 and P7 (large model) / P6 and P7 (small model) and the 2 main pieces) then position the leather pieces on the suede.
For the two main pieces: do not double for about 1 cm at the top so that the lining is not visible on the edge when assembling with piece P10 (large model) / P9 (small model) - (see photo n°2). 
Press/flatten the adhesive with a roller to ensure good adhesion. 
- Punch the sewing holes in pieces P8 and P7 (large model) / P6 and P7 (small model) left aside in step 2 and then cut them out.
- Re-pierce the stitching holes of the two main pieces and cut off the excess lining with a rotary cutter.
For the main pieces, we chose to sew the decorative straps before lining them. It is perfectly possible to proceed in the same way as for pieces P8 and P7 (large model) / P6 and P7 (small model) in order to avoid having to re-drill the holes ( the stitching of the straps will, however, be visible) .
 |
 |
7. WORKING THE LEATHER SLICES
Work the edges of all pieces with Tokonole (vegetable tanned leather only) or edge finishing. 
8. ASSEMBLE THE BOTTOM OF THE BAG
Glue the bottom of the bag over the main pieces using leather glue. 
Then, sew the bag bottom onto the main pieces.
Tip: If the needles have difficulty passing through the holes, use a round awl to enlarge them. 
9. MAKE THE INNER POCKET
P6 & P7 (large model) / P5 & P6 (small model)
To close the pocket: attach two snap fasteners using the appropriate setting tool or attach magnetic tops.
 |
 |
- Sew piece P7 onto P6 (large model) / P6 onto P5 (small model)
- Then rework the edges of the pocket.
- Next, sew the top of the pocket (P6 - large model) (P5 - small model) to the designated spot on P10 (large model) / P9 (small model).
Wax the underside (the crusty side) of the pocket with Tokonole to reduce the fuzzy appearance of the leather. 
Sew the 2 pieces P10 (large model) / P9 (small model) together.
Option: to be able to close the tote bag, it is possible to attach 2 magnetic tops or snap buttons to each piece at this stage. 
10. SEW THE SIDES OF THE TOTE BAG
Sew the sides of the tote bag: one of the main pieces must be positioned on top of the other. 
11. SEW THE TRIANGLES
Sew the bottom of each side (triangles).
Note that the hole at the top of each triangle must go through all 3 layers of leather (see photo). 
12. Sew the strap to the top of the bag
Sew piece P10 (large model) / P9 (small model) onto the top of the tote bag. Be careful to position the sides correctly so that the pocket is centered. 
Work on the top edges of the bag. Sand with an abrasive sponge to even out the edge, then apply Tokonole or an edge finish. 
YOUR TOTE BAG IS FINISHED!
 |
 |
 |
 |
FEEL FREE TO PIN THE PHOTOS ON PINTEREST TO SHARE THE ARTICLE!
