Ideas To Use Those Practice And Scrap Pieces.

[Sylvia]

Unless it's just too small to use for anything... I hate the thought of my practice and pieces going into the garbage. So I've come up with a couple ideas.

1. If your practice piece has some half way decent art on it and you can cut it out into a decent shape. Impregnate the back of the piece with essential oil and poke a hole... use it as a car air freshener. (or include this in the package with your custom order)

2. If the practice piece is large enough make it into a hair barrette.

3. I skive while my leather is wet... these long strips while still wet can be formed into "ribbon roses"

4. Take skive shavings and chop them up fine with some modge podge and use it like leather clay. ???

5. Fix a friend's guitar case handle with some decent leather strips. Make two rings and a long piece for the handle chicago screws to tie it all together.

So what do you do with your scrap and practice pieces?

Edited March 11, 2012 by Sylvia

[chancey77]

Good idea!

[Sylvia]

  On 3/11/2012 at 11:52 PM, chancey77 said:

Good idea!

LOL which one? The air freshener thing works really well... the essential oil just sinks right in.

[DoubleC]

  On 3/11/2012 at 10:15 PM, Sylvia said:

Unless it's just too small to use for anything... I hate the thought of my practice and pieces going into the garbage. So I've come up with a couple ideas.

1. If your practice piece has some half way decent art on it and you can cut it out into a decent shape. Impregnate the back of the piece with essential oil and poke a hole... use it as a car air freshener. (or include this in the package with your custom order)

2. If the practice piece is large enough make it into a hair barrette.

3. I skive while my leather is wet... these long strips while still wet can be formed into "ribbon roses"

4. Take skive shavings and chop them up fine with some modge podge and use it like leather clay. ???

5. Fix a friend's guitar case handle with some decent leather strips. Make two rings and a long piece for the handle chicago screws to tie it all together.

So what do you do with your scrap and practice pieces?

You know me Syl, I won't throw anything away. You remember the full length pic I did of sienna that was wonky? I have it on a clip board and use it as a mouse pad where I plugged in a 'real' mouse to my laptop.

I love the mod podge idea.....i wonder if you you mixed those all up and while it was still wet could 'decopage' a tray or something like that you'd usually wet mold? Gonna have to try it! c

[Sylvia]

  On 3/12/2012 at 2:18 AM, DoubleC said:

You know me Syl, I won't throw anything away. You remember the full length pic I did of sienna that was wonky? I have it on a clip board and use it as a mouse pad where I plugged in a 'real' mouse to my laptop.

I love the mod podge idea.....i wonder if you you mixed those all up and while it was still wet could 'decopage' a tray or something like that you'd usually wet mold? Gonna have to try it! c

I was thinking something more like when you mold your eyes... on the back fill the eyeball part with the clay, smooth it off and it would be assured that it will never get crushed. Or like that one member here that has the awesome buffalo face picture that is 3D for an avatar

If you try the "decopage" stick some glad wrap over the tray first....

[DoubleC]

  On 3/12/2012 at 2:38 AM, Sylvia said:

I was thinking something more like when you mold your eyes... on the back fill the eyeball part with the clay, smooth it off and it would be assured that it will never get crushed. Or like that one member here that has the awesome buffalo face picture that is 3D for an avatar

If you try the "decopage" stick some glad wrap over the tray first....

oh I will, I used to make Papier Mache' trays. It's a lot of fun. I have a basket, not very big or deep that's woven 'something, LOL. I was going to try doing it on the BACK so the woven design would show on the tray insides. In my spare time, LOL

[Sylvia]

6. take the left over strips and turn them into cord keepers to help those who have to deal with long cords... like electricians, construction workers, musicians.

[Toolingaround]

Hey Sylvia

Thanks for the great ideas. I really like the air freshener and the cord keeper ideas.

Cheers, Toolingaround

[Sylvia]

  On 3/13/2012 at 9:22 PM, Toolingaround said:

Hey Sylvia

Thanks for the great ideas. I really like the air freshener and the cord keeper ideas.

Cheers, Toolingaround

I think that the air freshener would be a good fair and flea market item.

[Cyberthrasher]

I use my practice pieces for more practice or figuring out dye schemes and stuff.

[Bob Blea]

I've been using scraps lately to get better at decorative cuts and finger carving. If it has any open space it's good for a few cuts. I like the idea of using them for skiving practice when done. I could use lots of practice on that.

Bob

[DoubleC]

Those are good ideas Bob, I sure need the practice on both. and I'm sitting right here looking at a pile of them. Cheryl

[Domino]

I read something similar to 4) in one of the old leatherworking books off internet archive a couple of days ago. They suggested using it to put behind modelling done with lifted cuts (flower petals I think was the example) to help reinforce and protect them..

[Sylvia]

2D Christmas Ornaments

If you feel especially crafty and want to practice some lacing....why not punch holes around each pieces of smaller scrap and patchwork them together using lace. Use these for place mats or trivets. I would probably use an existing place mat for layout and size. Then butt the pieces together and use an over cast stitch to bring everything together... then perhaps use that thin cork material to glue to the back for stability.... then punch and do a double loop stitch around the edges.

Edited April 13, 2012 by Sylvia

[BondoBobCustomSaddles]

Like most of you, I use scrap pieces to check color of dies and ideas for tooling and such. Then I throw them in a drawer to use to give customers an idea of what to choose when ordering a saddle, and usually I use almost everything, but ; the moo. Some how I still end up with a bag full of stuff, shavings, trash , small bits and pieces that just aren't good for anything, unless you have a lot of time to fiddle with making that hodgepoge stuff and enjoy it, that "stuff" goes out with the trash. I do really like the idea of making air fresheners for the truck and the like. I am always thinking that I am going to stop and get some from the auto parts store or where ever, but ; just never get around to it. Thanks for the idea Syl, like they say, you are never too old to learn new things, but; I must be getting close! LOL

Bob

[Sylvia]

  On 4/14/2012 at 1:40 PM, BondoBobCustomSaddles said:

I do really like the idea of making air fresheners for the truck and the like.Thanks for the idea Syl, like they say, you are never too old to learn new things, but; I must be getting close! LOL

Bob

Nah... you just need your brain kick started! I find that "head shops" have the best essential oil selection. But organic food places usually has a good selection too. There's always the internet too if you just can't find yourself walking into one of those places. LOL

[Sylvia]

I'm adding Glendon's pencil grip idea to this thread. It's a rectangle of leather fit around a standard pencil then sewn with a few stitches. Here is his link.

http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=39905&pid=247992&st=0entry247992