18 Leather Bag Patterns {FREE}

**Please scroll down the page for the links to the free patterns**

Make a beautiful leather (or faux leather) handbag or tote with this collection of eighteen free leather bag patterns, tutorials, and diy sewing projects gathered from all over the web.

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**Please scroll down the page for the links to the free patterns**

Here you'll find a variety of leather bag patterns - several tote bag designs, plus hobo & sling, clutch, drawstring bucket, backpack, cross body purse, and zippered pouch designs.

Of course, bag made from leather or faux leather will likely be much sturdier than a fabric bag - with the ability to hold heavier items and likely lasting longer than a fabric bag would. And making your own leather bag can be a great way to recycle an old leather jacket or coat - either a coat you own or one you rescued from a thrift shop. Which can make it much cheaper than buying a new leather bag.

And if you're new to sewing with leather, you may find the following tips helpful:

Before cutting your pattern pieces, check your leather for any imperfections. This way, you'll be able to cut around these imperfections so that they don't end up in your finished bag.

Use cardboard pattern pieces and pattern weights to hold your pattern pieces in place instead of using pins. Then trace around your pattern pieces to mark your cutting lines. And you can use either a rotary cutter or a sharp pair of scissors to cut your leather.

To hold your leather pieces together for sewing, you can use paper clips or binder clips, or you can staple your leather pieces together temporarily (within the seam allowances) or you can glue your seams together (rubber cement is recommended because it's flexible and dries quickly).

Garment-weight leather can likely be sewn on a conventional home sewing machine. However, thicker leather may need to be sewn on a heavy-duty industrial machine. And use a special leather needle in your sewing machine, which will pierce through your leather more easily than a standard needle. You may even want to practice your stitching first on some leather scraps before starting your sewing your project.

And instead of pressing your seams open with an iron, flatten them by hand using a rubber mallet or roller. You can also use rubber cement to glue your seams allowances down to make them lie flat.

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