Leathercrafting is a Great Family Hobby

Not long ago, I noticed my granddaughter chewing on something purple. "What's that I asked?" With a full mouth, she said, "Fruit leather" and went on chewing. I had to admit, that was a new one to me. Fruit leather? What next? I wondered.

Actually the fruit leather my granddaughter was enjoying wasn't actual leather--it just looked like it and the length of time it took to finish the thin piece of purple fruit leather she was chewing on probably made it seem as though she was chewing on a piece of leather.

Leather has been around since the first animals arrived in the Garden of Eden, and I suspect that Adam and Eve quickly learned how to use it to their advantage.

History records leather being used in thousands of ways over the centuries.

In the beginning, animal skins were used mainly for crudely made shelters to protect a family from the elements, for plain clothing and foot coverings, and for blankets to keep warm. Later, various other ways were found to use leather in shaping instruments of warfare, for musical instruments, as a surface for writing as men learned to communicate with each other, and for decorative items for their homes.

Today, leather is still popular for shoes, clothing, office items, belts, and a large number of decorative things for our homes.

At one time, leather postcards were very popular and some vintage ones can still be found in antique shops, or at auction sites such as ebay.

If you are a person that enjoys the feel and look of leather, you might be interested in trying leathercraft yourself. Although choice leather is expensive, there are places you can order bundles of scrap leather online and try a few small projects to get the feel of it before advancing to something more expensive.

A lot of beginner projects only take a large needle, some strong thread, and a pair of scissors besides your piece of leather. Give it a try and you may surprise yourself by coming up with some unique gifts for your family and friends for very little cost.

A great book, on just about everything you ever wanted to know about leathercrafting is Leather Craft Secrets by Dwain Berlin. Check it out for yourself and see.