What Do You Do With Your Scrap Leather?

[talon]

I have several hundred pounds of scrap leather that I don't have a use for. Sizes range from pieces less than a 2 square inches to pieces that are up to 2 square feet. In each case it is unusable for my products. What do you guys do with your scrap leather? I almost took a pallet load to the trash today but hated seeing it go to waste so I paused(It just seems like it might be something someone could use). Its all drum dyed veg tan leather (Black). We produce probably 50 lbs of scrap a week. Any thoughts?

Thanks

[lightingale]

I'm starting to run into the same problem, so I've been giving this some thought recently. My scrap drawer is overflowing, and I keep accumulating more. If only cows were made 1-2 feet longer, then I'd be able to manage my stock to have a lot less waste on strap scraps!

Think about what -could- be made with your scraps, and work from there. The two square feet pieces in particular sound very promising. There's a lot that can be done with that size.

In my case, I have a lot of strap ends from dog collars and belts that aren't long enough to make into smaller collars. Looking at them, many of them would work being made into cuffs, keychains, and other little things like this.

I've been so busy doing collars and belts, that I haven't had time to deal with the scrap pieces. If I had another me (or even two of me) working for me, we'd make the smaller pieces into ladies' cuffs to match the collars and belts I make, and embed gemstones into the smallest pieces for novelty keychains.

Another interesting avenue would to sell the scrap to the DIY (do-it-yourself) market. I'm thinking of selling similarly sized strap ends in DIY bracelet or cuff kits. I'd cut the ends of the straps nicely, and maybe punch some holes for lace and install eyelets. Perhaps I'd include some lace in the lot for the purpose of fastening the bracelets together. I think for such a listing on Etsy, my market would be the crafty types who are mostly non-leatherworkers, so I'd write up some instructions on how to texture/tool the leather with some basic things around the home, and what readily available paints/dyes/finishes could be used. I haven't tested this idea yet, I'm hoping to try this once I've finally gotten to the bottom of my open and pending collar/belt orders and designs (haha, that's not happening anytime soon! ).

Or, you could sort your scrap into various sizes and sell it at cost to other leatherworkers. I'm sure there are many who make smaller items who would love this.

[Dwight]

I need to watch this so I can get some ideas............

May God bless,

Dwight

[stelmackr]

Here is a place for ideas:

http://www.pinterest.com/search/pins/?q=leather%20scrap%20crafts&rs=ac&len=10

Bob Stelmack

[WyomingSlick]

If you are a helpful kind of person, you might check with some of the youth groups (4-H, Scouts, YMCA, Church groups ) in your area and see if they would be interested since they often do small items like bracelets, bookmarks, coin purses, etc.

That little 2 foot piece of lacing that you don't want to mess with, might be just perfect for one of the kid's items.

REMINDER - If there is any chance that your scraps are contaminated with lead, please pass on this idea because while lead is bad for everybody.....it is very, very, very bad for developing children

[skfv]

For me, I will make key rings and bracelets.

Some for them I will hand dyied it as the sample, some of them I will use to practise.

And........pack it into a bag and sell it. Haha.........

[LilyLionLabyrinth]

I tend to make items in a range of sizes. So scraps that I have wind up going to other projects. Like, if I cut out the eye shape of a mask, I might later use that piece as a pendant, keychain, etc. Really thin scraps, I use as making straps to hold the ribbon to a mask.

I also use really small scraps as test pieces. What would this color look like painted on this leather? That kind of deal.

My partner-in-crime uses some of the leftover scraps of tooling leather to sand/smooth down wax doll parts (she is a dollmaker).

There are still a few scraps I'm not sure what to do with, yet, that are super small (like, millimeters). I usually just wind up trashing those.

But those 2 feet "scraps" you are talking about? For someone like me, those are not scraps, but several projects waiting to happen. I am sure if you picked out some of the pieces like that, you could sell them on Etsy or eBay - those are two places I go to pick up other people's leather scraps. You could also bundle up some of the much smaller pieces and sell them, too. I know some people sell tiny bits of leftover hair-on hides and furs for people to make fishing supplies out of.

[EmbossingDieCompany]

I was given a huge box of scraps (oil tanned leather) from a customer that makes leather shoes......I couldn't use it, so I posted it "For Sale" on here under the Marketplace section.....Items for Sale......Leather & Lace. I offered it for free to anyone that would pay for shipping using USPS flat rate boxes and jammed as much as I could into each box.

Those "scraps" are perfect for beginners or those who want to test dyes or cutting or sewing, etc.

[StrigaMort]

Edited to remove an apparent act of greed.

Edited May 28, 2014 by StrigaMort

[StrigaMort]

Interesting. Someone (anonymous of course) sent an email. I'll just say that they greatly disapproved with my post above. Since I cannot reply to your email, and because I know you're reading... It wasn't my intention to come across as a leech. I'm sure my feelings are on the same page as the OP in seeing a waste by simply disposing of the scraps. If I'm way out of line here, forgive me. I don't ask for help, or anything typically, however, I'm coming from a community of knife makers, the normal position is to help one another as much as is reasonable. I still believe that the usual person in leather work is cut from the same cloth, we are all craftsmen and women. Maybe posting my email was a mistake.

Anyway, my apologies to anyone I may have offended. Wasn't my intention.