Suggestions For Creating A Workshop

[8thsinner]

I have sort of been invited to run a leather working workshop in august by a local craft organization and I would like some ideas in the planning and organizing of it.

First off mind, I am a braider not a carver and stitching I can do yet slowly.

So I was thinking of the main project being a ranger belt with edge braiding, stitched on secondary straps for the buckles, eyelets and a little decorative appliquing in the centre of the belt. Supplying if needs be, needles and extra leather to take home and finish working if needs be can be done for a little extra cost of course...

It's relatively easy to.

Most people appreciate a good quality belt.

It covers briefly the following skills.

Stitching,

Edge braiding,

Appliquing,

Burnishing,

Punching, marking and awl use

Cutting

Awl use

etc etc

I would probably start with a demonstration of lace making and preperatory work used in traditional leather work giving a little history and suh for about fifteen minutes and a five minute breakdown of exactly everything thats going to happen...

Females I realise may not have as much interest for this paticular product so for counterparts I have thought about would be a purse using similar principles of fairly large size with a few extras obviously.

Any other product suggestions welcomed?....

I think the tools list could be kept pretty minimal so a low start up cost for me. easy to do and keep track of the 10-12 participants or so class size. I would not want many more.

Anyway, my target audience will be those interested generally in craft work, not mind traveling expenses as I have been told people from europe will be in attendance. So money should not be hard to part with. I would like to keep to a half day schedule with break for lunch so 4-5 hours tops. Probably two day run time.

And I cannot think of any other information that is relevant.

The other obvious benefit for me would be the ability to display and sell my wares to many people spread over a large potential market. Extras like books, oils, conditionings, lace and tools etc should also shift a little if I can work out what would and would not go. But hopefully you can provide suggestions here too.

So...Any ideas guys?