Mic Report post Posted August 21, 2018 Hi, I scored many 11" x 3" x 2mm suede rectangles from a former employee of a closed tannery, ($20, estimated 300-500 pieces), and trying to think of projects I can do with the scout troop. Some experimentation shows: can be cut with scissors can be punched with moderate force (not for a kid to do without mechanical advantage) can be colored with sharpies will not take a stamp, even with a 1-ton shop press has a small amount of stretch My initial thoughts (let me know if something is a foolish idea, I've never done any of this before!) mystery braid bracelet with snap (1.5 x 7" ish) fold-over wallet small coin-purse keyfob belt pouch for their pocket knives Does anyone have other ideas that would work for this size/shape piece? Can suede be painted with something kid-friendly? (mess/stain is ok, toxic is not ok) I'll need to invest in a couple stitching chisels, preferably for the press to save my hand. Can anyone suggest a thread size/chisel size combination that will be attractive on a finished product? image with the knife pouch layout shows the sample beneath - very light grey color. Ideas for projects: Thanks! -- Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rockoboy Report post Posted August 21, 2018 I do believe you have nailed it with your small projects. The only negative with suede is IMHO, it cannot be stamped, and dyeing is difficult and quite often not required. For punching holes, I use a drive punch (hit with a hammer), rather than punch pliers. If a child is hitting ANY tool with a hammer, I use a simple tweezers setup made from thick fencing wire or thin rod, so I can keep my hands out of the strike zone. Place the leather on a piece of softwood timber to punch holes, so there is no damage to the table or bench surface or the punch. I am taking a class of thirty 10 year olds next week, for a lesson in key-tag making. To expedite things, I have pre-punched all the holes for lacing. Pics will follow. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Matt S Report post Posted August 21, 2018 You'll have to experiment but acrylic paints, even cheap ones, might work on your suede. Easy to use, easy cleanup, lots of colours available. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Scoutmom103 Report post Posted August 21, 2018 If your scout's are in OA you could have them make items for their ceremonial teams. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mic Report post Posted August 21, 2018 11 hours ago, Rockoboy said: ... I am taking a class of thirty 10 year olds next week, for a lesson in key-tag making. To expedite things, I have pre-punched all the holes for lacing. Pics will follow. I'm looking into getting a diamond chisel & set of hole punches for the arbor press, reducing the flying hammers and squished fingers! Considering tracing everything & having holes chiseled, leaving kids to cut out the pieces with scissors and assemble. They would also add snaps as needed. For fabric sewing & embroidery, we are picky about size, type of needle and pairing thread appropriately - is there just a standard size leather stitching needle/theead or do I need to pair things for nice results? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mic Report post Posted August 21, 2018 3 hours ago, Matt S said: You'll have to experiment but acrylic paints, even cheap ones, might work on your suede. Easy to use, easy cleanup, lots of colours available. Hadn't even thought of that, thanks! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mic Report post Posted August 21, 2018 1 hour ago, Scoutmom103 said: If your scout's are in OA you could have them make items for their ceremonial teams. We are Girl Scouts ;-) The program has far less ceremony/uniform/etc, as far as I can tell, and what uniform there is seems to be highly regulated to restrict customization Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
