holiday gift ideas

[Ragingstallion]

Not sure about any of you.....but my family is impossible to get stuff for, or even make stuff for. It is not that want the most expensive things, they never give any ideas on what they want. With the season coming around in a month, it is time to get on those projects. Let's hear what ideas you have for making leather gifts for those who impossible to shop/make stuff for.

most common gift I know is a custom belt. This would be great, except they refuse to give up their measurements. 

Small quick draw hip quiver for the archery person

 

[MedusaOblongata]

If you have access to their houses you can measure their belts when they're not looking, or call one and ask him to measure someone else's belt. 

 

Wallets, briefcases, purses, watch straps,, backpacks, laptop or tablet bags, xmas stockings, holsters, knife sheaths. 

[chrisash]

Go up to them and say " you look like you have put on some weight, what are you now x inches (add 4 inches to your estimate"

They will come back with something like no im a 36 inch as normal

Failing that ask there wife what size trousers they wear

[TomWisc]

I am in the same boat as you, Ragingstallion.  I have a few ideas that I am going to do.

Drink coaster set of 4, portfolio cover for common size paper (8 1/2 x 11, 5 x 7), dog leash, simple tote bag.

 

[DJole]

If they play card games, make a card deck (or decks) holder. 
Or a dice box, or custom dice cup if they do those things. 

 

[Tinkerton]

For beer enthusiasts, a drink holster always seems to go over well

[ScoobyNewbie]

I found a book called Dangerous Minds by a Jenny Lawson. It’s kind of a coloring book in which she has drawn pictures. She likes circles and bubbles and has done some really fun stuff in them. One of my friends is a coaster fiend. I’m making coasters. Also deer skin gloves for my sister. Finishing another hat for Dad, another purse with a liner. Belts for the brothers in law instead of candied nuts. There may be riots.

[billybopp]

These mug wraps have made great personalized gifts for me in the past, and I've managed to sell a few too.   The key to making these relatively simple was finding a straight-sided mug  so that the wraps can be made straight rather than curved.  They are a combination of roller embossed, stamped and tooled, but the real work was in coloring them and choosing something meaningful for each person.  I also did some that are entirely hand-tooled but can't find the pictures of those at the moment. 

-Bill

[Ragingstallion]

10 hours ago, billybopp said:

These mug wraps have made great personalized gifts for me in the past, and I've managed to sell a few too.   The key to making these relatively simple was finding a straight-sided mug  so that the wraps can be made straight rather than curved.  They are a combination of roller embossed, stamped and tooled, but the real work was in coloring them and choosing something meaningful for each person.  I also did some that are entirely hand-tooled but can't find the pictures of those at the moment. 

-Bill

looks good, though now im curious on figuring out a simple way to math out the dimensions for a curved coffee travel mugs that wont slide down.

[Aven]

On 11/5/2018 at 5:03 PM, ScoobyNewbie said:

I found a book called Dangerous Minds by a Jenny Lawson. It’s kind of a coloring book in which she has drawn pictures. She likes circles and bubbles and has done some really fun stuff in them. One of my friends is a coaster fiend. I’m making coasters. Also deer skin gloves for my sister. Finishing another hat for Dad, another purse with a liner. Belts for the brothers in law instead of candied nuts. There may be riots.

I had the pleasure of meeting Jenny, her husband and their daughter when they stopped into Seattle Mystery Bookshop.  She is just a wonderfully genuine person.

 

Front pocket wallet, valet tray, nice keyrings or coffee cup sleeves or carriers.  Check out Fischer Workshops on YouTube.

 

[Aven]

16 minutes ago, Ragingstallion said:

looks good, though now im curious on figuring out a simple way to math out the dimensions for a curved coffee travel mugs that wont slide down.

Tape a piece of paper that is about as long as you want your wrap to be.  Wrap it around the mug, overlapping the taped edge.  Find something that you can put a pen/pencil on that is as high/low as you want it. Stack whatever you are using on the table, hold the pen in place and turn the mug on the table so you get a nice clean line for the top and repeat for the bottom.  Then, if it won't scratch your mug, draw a vertical line on the paper between the two pieces of tape at the overlap and cut it off with a knife. Once its off, you just have to cut the arcs on the top and the bottom.  Then you can start designing how you want it to close.

[ScoobyNewbie]

That’s nice to know. Her book really hit some marks for me and mine. If I do the coasters, do you think she would be interested in seeing them?

[Aven]

I can guaren-damn-tee you that she would love to see them.