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The request was a pink backpack for a cat-loving lady, and an upcycled leather bag was born. This unique leather bag design was created on the fly, and I documented it with photos. Read on to see the process of turning thrifted leather into this cute kitty bag. I hope you are inspired to make upcycled leather bags from old or thrifted garments.
Recycled Leather Project
The bag was made from two thrifted pink leather garments: a girls’ pink jacket and a blush pink leather skirt. The pair cost less than $10 and provided enough leather for this handmade leather bag with the cat face details and the long strap. The leather bag design contains chrome hardware, sparkly metallic zippers, holographic vinyl details, and beautiful topstitching. Not only is the bag design beautiful, but the construction is high-quality.
Custom Leather Bag Design
The cat face is a custom-made design using leather, holographic vinyl fabric, metal rivets, and topstitching details. The upcycled leather bag can be worn as a crossbody bag style or converted to be worn as a backpack. The long strap can be removed, and the bag can be carried as a handbag.
RELATED: This bag pattern has not been released yet. Check out my other bag sewing patterns here.
Behind the kitty’s face and ears is a slip pocket with a magnetic snap closure to carry small goodies. The front pocket is the perfect easy-to-access phone pocket.
Leather Boots to Clutch Purse
See how I turned a pair of knee-high leather boots into a unique and chic purse design.
The bag’s interior has a large central area with two side pockets. To secure items, there’s a slip pocket on one side and a zipper pocket on the other. The bag’s interior is bright magenta-pink batik fabric with pink leather accents.
The upcycled leather cat bag converts from a crossbody bag to a backpack by adjusting the length of the strap, clipping it on the sides, or looping it through the large backpack D-ring on the back.
RELATED: Check out my other favorite Jacket Refashion!
How the Upcycled Cat Leather Bag was Made
This article is a basic outline of how I designed and created this handmade upcycled leather bag. My goal is to give you the inspiration to start upcycling leather goods into sustainable fashion accessories.
Materials Used:
- pink leather Wilson’s Leather girls jacket (thrifted)
- blush pink leather skirt (thrifted)
- holographic glitter vinyl (from Sew Hungry Hippie) (similar glitter vinyl here)
- #69/Tex 70 bonded nylon thread in blush (from Sunny Sewing Center)
- metal rivets
- chrome bag hardware (magnetic snap, D-rings, swivel clasps
- metallic zilver nylon zipper
- batik quilting cotton fabric
Tools Used:
- Gingher fabric scissors
- rivet press (by Buckleguy)
- Janome HD9 sewing machine
- Schmetz Leather Needle 18/110
Leather Garment to Custom Bag Design Process
Like the majority of my original sewing and DIY projects, I begin with sketches. I have several Moleskine sketchbooks full of design sketches with notes about the materials and process of each project. When I complete a project, I add the date to the bottom corner of the page.
After sketching the basic idea, I cut out paper pattern piece designs to ensure the correct sizing, including seam allowances and layering order. This helps me figure out the sizing and which order to sew the pieces together.
Once the paper pattern pieces had the correct sizing to be assembled, it was time to cut out the shapes from the leather jacket and skirt. Since I had limited material from the upcycled leather garments, I carefully planned the project before cutting into anything.
Free Cat Plush Sewing Pattern
Download the free cat stuffed animal sewing pattern and make you’re own kitty today!
A small amount of glitter holographic vinyl is also used in the eyes of the cat face; this is not from an upcycled garment, but it adds just the right amount of sparkle to this unique recycled leather project.
Next, it was time to start sewing. I layered the individual pieces and added some glue to temporarily hold them. Then, it was time to topstitch the pieces together. The thread tails were pulled to the wrong side, so no backstitching is shown on the front of the upcycled leather bag.
The simple touch of two different-sized metal rivets made the perfect reflection in the eyes. Little details like this elevate the design of a handmade leather bag.
Easy Upcycled Tote Bag
Learn how to turn a mini skirt into a tote bag in just a few steps! Click here to read more.
Next, I made the cat ears and added them to the cat’s face. This whole piece turned into the slip pocket with a magnetic snap that’s featured on the front of the upcycled leather bag with a cat face.
Not all the design fun is on the front of the bag! The back panel has a pocket with a zipper closure. The back also has tabs with D-rings for connecting the strap for use as a backpack. All the leather pieces are from the thrifted leather jacket and skirt.
On the top of the bag, I added a small “grab handle” for easy grab-and-go action. This new design element is now implemented in all of my handmade leather bags in this style.
The inside panels were prepped with a secure zipper pocket on one side and a slip pocket on the other. The slip pocket is made using the lining of the original leather jacket upcycled for this project. Additional leather accents were added, including a Scratch and Stitch label.
RELATED: I recently posted another Upcycled Circle Bag on Instagram. Go follow Scratch and Stitch to see it and stay tuned for new projects.
The majority of the work has been completed to this point. The initial planning made the next steps easy. All panels of the handmade bag are ready to be assembled.
Once the interior panels, exterior panels, and gusset pieces were sewn together, it was time to add the binding to cover all the exposed raw edges inside the bag. Have a look inside your bags. Do they have binding on the inside? Many bags do.
This is the hardest part of a handmade leather bag project. The multiple layers are very thick, and it is challenging to get bias tape (or binding) to lay flat. Lots of clips and a slow, steady foot on the pedal are key to achieving great binding inside handmade bags. My other favorite tool for sewing binding on any project is my ByAnnie Stiletto Tool.
After some careful, straight cutting and combining of pieces to get the long length needed for this upcycled leather backpack, it’s time for some topstitching in straight lines. This is a well-deserved, relaxing, and satisfying task after putting together all the fine details of the rest of the bag.
The upcycled leather strap was made using the leather from the jacket. I cut it into multiple strips, sewed those together, reinforced it with grosgrain ribbon to reduce stretch, folded it, and topstitched it in three lines.
The final result of this upcycled leather project is one of my prouder moments. The two tones of pink leather are feminine and chic. The cat’s face details were perfectly cut and placed onto the face. The topstitching is better than many store-bought bags. This upcycled leather bag is truly a piece of art and an absolute one-of-a-kind.
I would absolutely make another version of this bag. Contact me about commission projects.
Curbside Crossbody Bag
Sewing Pattern + Videos
Make your own functional crossbody bag! The sewing pattern comes with detailed instructions and step-by-step videos.
The front slip pocket on this bag inspired the idea for a front-slip pocket add-on for the Curbside Crossbody Bag pattern. Having an easy-to-access pocket on the front of the bag is an essential feature that I try to include in all of my upcycled leather bags.
This upcycled leather convertible backpack-crossbody bag is quite roomy. It measures about 8″ across and 4″ deep, and there is ample room for a wallet, phone, keys, and more.
Tips for Upcycling Leather Garments
Here are some basic things to consider when looking for garments to upcycle.
Where to find leather goods for upcycling:
- Look for leather garments at thrift stores and consignment shops. Thrift stores will have a more extensive selection of leather garments in the fall and winter. Shop on their sale days!
- Yard, rummage, and garage sales.
- Browse your local Buy Nothing group or find a local freebies group on Facebook.
- Is your neighbor moving and donating their things? Let them know you’re looking for pre-loved leather goods to make upcycled leather bags.
- Friends and family. As soon as your loved ones know that you are making upcycled leather goods, they will likely offer up something from the closet.
What to look for:
- I look for long coats with lots of flat panels.
- Fun hardware that can be reused in your handmade leather bag designs.
- Unique stitching can often be featured in a bag design. Consider whether or not you can match it.
- Always check for pockets that can be reused. It’s like part of the work is already done for you.
- Belts!! The belt of a leather bag is like a premade strap.
- Make sure to check for leather pants, too. These are great because they offer long panels to use for bag straps and gussets.
Read the tags:
Not all tags marked “leather” are the same. A garment marked genuine leather may be engineered leather, meaning that it is made using leather fibers to give the look and feel of leather. While these are where you will most often find your fun colors, they may lack durability. I still upcycle synthetic leather in my upcycled bag projects, but keep in mind the wear and tear that will occur quicker than real leather.
Inspect the leather:
- Thoroughly inspect the quality of the leather used in a garment. Check elbows, edges, and other high-wear areas.
- Can you see the backside of the leather? If so, you will know whether or not it’s genuine leather or synthetic leather.
- Look for bubbles or cracks in the leather. This indicates whether the garment is made of synthetic or natural leather.
What about leather sofas and other furniture?
I’ve never cut into leather furniture to make upcycled leather bags, but a good friend of mine does.
Synthetic vs Real Leather for Upcycled Leather Bags
- Both real leather and synthetic leather can be used to make upcycled leather bags. In short, real leather will hold up longer and be more resistant to wear and tear, while synthetic leather will crack or bubble over time.
- I’ve used natural and synthetic leather in my handmade upcycled bags and will continue using both.
- Synthetic leather garments are often lower in cost and quality, but they still make great starting materials for upcycling garments into handmade bags.
- The leather in the cat bag featured here is real leather.
This handmade upcycled leather bag with a cat face and a convertible crossbody to backpack was a hard piece to give away. A lot of effort went into the bag’s design, planning, and making. I hope the receiver of the bag has many years of use and enjoyment from this bag. It is a beautiful artwork that stands out in a crowd.
Have you made any upcycled leather bags? I would love to see them. Tag @scratchandstitch on your social media. Happy upcycling! :)
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