I’ve been wanting to experiment more with leather scraps recently, and this project felt like the perfect opportunity to try something a bit different.
I came across this beautiful Striped Snakeskin Shoulder Bag by Mansur Gavriel and loved the striped effect - it immediately made me think of patchworking.
Instead of sourcing new materials, I decided to challenge myself to recreate the feel of it using leather from the scrap basket. You can watch the making process below:
Starting with the Scraps
I began by selecting a mix of leather pieces that I thought would work well together.
I wasn’t looking for anything too perfect - just a combination of colours and textures that would feel cohesive once stitched together and close to the inspo pic.
Building the Patchwork
Next, I stitched the leather strips together to create larger panels.
Once everything was joined, I opened out the seams to reduce bulk and help the leather sit flatter. This step made a big difference when it came to cutting and construction later on.
Cutting the Bag
Using the I Can Make Bags shoulder bag pattern, I cut the bag body from the patchworked panel.
This is always my favourite part - when it starts to actually look like a bag rather than a collection of pieces.
Constructing the Body of the Bag
From there, I stitched the outer bag together following the standard process.
Because the patchwork was already complete, the rest of the construction felt really straightforward.
Making the Lining
For the lining, I chose a cotton fabric and a brown zip.
I then stitched the lining into the bag at the zip, keeping everything neat and secure.
Finishing the Bag
To finish it off, I added the D-ring tabs and then cut and attached the strap!
And that was it - the bag was complete.
Final Thoughts
This project really reminded me how much you can do once you understand the basics of bag construction.
Working with scraps pushed me to think differently, and it’s something I’ll definitely experiment with more.
Want to Try This?
If you’d like to try something similar, you can:
-
Learn the full process of making multiple bag styles inside the online bagmaking course
-
Follow along with the pattern + ebook
It’s a great way to start using materials you already have and turn them into something completely new.