Embark on a creative adventure in rock climbing essentials with our tutorial on crafting a bespoke leather chalk bag! This DIY project takes the thrill of climbing to new heights by introducing a meticulously designed chalk bag, perfectly tailored for bouldering enthusiasts.
Featuring a stitched-on mountain scene, this bag not only serves as a practical chalk holder but also embodies the spirit of the great outdoors. Complete with a secure drawstring closure for the inner compartment and a dedicated loop for carrying a brush, this leather-crafted bag combines functionality with style.
Join us as we delve into the art of creating a personalized chalk bag, adding a touch of handmade elegance to your climbing gear!
Print it on US letter or A4 paper depending on the version you downloaded and cut-out the pieces of the project.
Make sure that the pattern is not resized by checking your print settings. You can check if it was printed properly by measuring the reference found at the bottom of each page.
Roughly cut around the different elements of the pattern.
Some of them are cut in half to fit on the page. Join them with tape.
You may notice on some of the pictures that there are 3 cord loops present. I had 1 loop in my prototype which worked well and I thought that adding two more would be a good idea. It was not and made everything worse so I removed them from the final version of the pattern. Thus ignore the 3 loops in the next pictures as well, there ought to be only one!
Securing the elements of the pattern to the leather and the fleece
Secure the different elements to your piece of leather with tape.
Similarly secure the pattern elements corresponding to the liner to your fleece (in my case I am using a piece of thrifted blanked).
Punching the stitching holes
Use stitching prongs or a 1mm hole punch to punch the stitching holes for all the pieces.
Punch the holes corresponding to the the slot of the brush holder and to the cord eyelet with your 5mm and 10mm hole punches.
Cutting-out the pieces of the project
Start by cutting-out a hole for the decorative panel in the exterior panel. Repeat the operation for the frame of the decorative panel. A rotary cutter is recommended but it can be done by hand with a lot of careful X-acto passes.
Then cut-out the different elements of the chalk bag, including the liner and the decorative elements.
Dyeing the leather
Dyeing can be achieved through different methods. I will refer you to this Youtube Playlist in order to learn more about the subject from much more qualified craftsmen than I am.
For this project I wanted to keep most of the leather in its natural state in order to allow it to develop a beautiful patina as the chalk bag will be used and age gracefully.
I only dyed the elements of the decorative scene and the braid to match to bring discrete focus on those details. I also applied some oil to the frame of the decorative panel, the cord tab and the carabiner loop again to create a soft contrast.
Skiving the bottom
For the fold at the bottom of the bag to be clean we need to skive down the 4 edges that will be stitched together. That is the bottom edge of the exterior panel, the two edges of the piping and the circumference of the exterior bottom.
Since the carabiner loop’s edge will be folded under the top edge of the exterior panel we also skive it to make the fold easier and more elegant.
Burnishing the edges
We need to tidy up some edges before we can start stitching everything up.
Using your edge beveler, bevel the following edges: the left and top-most of the exterior panel, all around the brush loop, the carbiner loop, the cord tab, the exterior circumference of the frame for the eyelet and for the decorative panel.
Burnish the edges using the method of your choice. I usually apply some tokonole to the edge and use a wood edge slicker to create the friction necessary for burnishing. You can also use a cotton rag and simply dampen the edge, it works quite well (often better than a low quality wood slicker).
Seal the burnished edges by vigorously rubbing some beeswax on them and then using a cotton rag to create some heat from the friction and melt the coat of wax evenly.
Never apply too much pressure on the edge during this operation. Indeed we want to prevent any mushrooming from happening especially when the edge is damp. It’s all about speed and friction to create heat, not pressure.
Gluing the frame of the decorative panel
Glue the frame of the decorative panel in place on the exterior panel, making sure that the holes line up properly.
Repeat the operation with the frame of the cord eyelet.
Sand and burnish the inner circumference of the frame of the decorative panel.
Setting-up the brush holder
Join both ends of the brush holder between your fingers and insert them in the relevant slot in the exterior panel to form a loop.
Secure both ends in place with 2 Chicago screws or rivets.
Stitching the decorative panel
First stitch all the elements of the decorative panel to their background using a saddle stitch.
.
Do not stitch the edge of the decorative elements that borders the edge of the panel.
Stitch all around the frame to join the decorative panel and the exterior panel.
Do the same for the frame of the eyelet.
Stitching the liner
Stitch the top to the bottom panel of the liner, including the cord loop along the way. We are using a backstitch here.
I used masking tape to keep the liner in place during this step. Then I just peeled it away after the two pieces were stitched
Then stitch the bottom to complete the liner that will hold the chalk.
The cord guide is used to center the knot the the cord will make around the liner when it is pulled tight.
Assemble it by joining both wider sides using a cross-stitch. I chose to have the top grain inside because it would cause less friction on the cord.
Preparing the piping
Check out this playlist for more in-depth details about this technique.
Prepare a length of 2mm cord equal to the length of the corresponding strip of leather minus one stitching hole. Indeed one end of the strip needs to cover the other end to form a torus so the cord needs to stop one hole short of the edge.
Apply glue across the length of the piece. Apply glue to the cord as well. Wait for it to dry and position the cord in place along the center of the leather strip.
Carefully fold the strip on itself, progressing along its length and making sure that the holes match. Keep the one end with the shorter end of cord open so that it can fold over the other end of the piping.
Stitching the bag
Time to give shape to the bag!
We need to assemble the exterior panel to the bottom, with the piping sandwiched in between. In order to achieve this we are going to stitch from the inside-out.
Pay attention to which edge of the exterior panel goes over the other one. We burnished the left one so this is the one we want visible from the exterior.
Similarly we want the end of the piping overlapping the other to match the side panels.
Turn the bag inside-out once the bottom is stitched up.
Stitch the side of the bag shut, starting at the bottom.
Stitching the liner to the bag
Make a loop with the cord around the liner and threading through the cord loop.
Pull both ends through the cords guide.
Place the liner inside the bag and thread both ends of the cord through the eyelet of the bag.
Turn the liner inside-out and pull it out of the bag as much a possible, making sure that the cord doesn’t slip through the eyelet.
Start stitching together the carabiner loop, the liner and the top-most stitching row of the bag. Go around the perimeter of the bag.
The last few stitches can be difficult. A curved needle will help with reaching the following holes.
When the liner is stitched to the bag and the carabiner loop, push the liner back into the bag.
Fold the top-most edge of the bag over itself and stitch through, going all around the bag and securing the other side of the carabiner loop in passing.
Stitching the cord tab
Test-out opening and closing the bag to find the perfect length of cord. Cut-away the excess.
Apply glue to both ends of the cord and to the backside of the cord tab.
Press the tab firmly over the cord.
Stitch all around.
Sand and burnish the edges.
Finishing touches
Apply the conditioning product of your choice on your creation and rub vigorously with a cotton rag to polish it and give it a nice shine.
I use a leather balm that I make by gently melting together “au bain-marie” 1 part beeswax and 6 parts olive oil. It’s great for nourishing and waterproofing.
Final result
I hope you enjoyed following along this tutorial. Please consider posting a photo of your creation in the comments below. It would mean a lot to me to see my little projects out into the world as you make it your own.
Any feedback/question about this tutorial or project idea that you’d like to see posted here is and always will be more than welcome.
Happy crafting!
Footnotes
The following online content provided some assistance and/or inspiration during the making of this project:
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Tutorial
Rock Climbing Chalk Bag
12 hours
Moderate
Common for leathercraft
Embark on a creative adventure in rock climbing essentials with our tutorial on crafting a bespoke leather chalk bag! This DIY project takes the thrill of climbing to new heights by introducing a meticulously designed chalk bag, perfectly tailored for bouldering enthusiasts.
Featuring a stitched-on mountain scene, this bag not only serves as a practical chalk holder but also embodies the spirit of the great outdoors. Complete with a secure drawstring closure for the inner compartment and a dedicated loop for carrying a brush, this leather-crafted bag combines functionality with style.
Join us as we delve into the art of creating a personalized chalk bag, adding a touch of handmade elegance to your climbing gear!
Requirements
Skills
Tools
Bill of Materials
Pattern
Climber’s Chalk Bag Pattern
Walk-through
Printing and cutting the pattern
You can get the pattern here if you haven’t already.
Print it on US letter or A4 paper depending on the version you downloaded and cut-out the pieces of the project.
Make sure that the pattern is not resized by checking your print settings. You can check if it was printed properly by measuring the reference found at the bottom of each page.
Roughly cut around the different elements of the pattern.
Some of them are cut in half to fit on the page. Join them with tape.
You may notice on some of the pictures that there are 3 cord loops present. I had 1 loop in my prototype which worked well and I thought that adding two more would be a good idea. It was not and made everything worse so I removed them from the final version of the pattern. Thus ignore the 3 loops in the next pictures as well, there ought to be only one!
Securing the elements of the pattern to the leather and the fleece
Secure the different elements to your piece of leather with tape.
Similarly secure the pattern elements corresponding to the liner to your fleece (in my case I am using a piece of thrifted blanked).
Punching the stitching holes
Use stitching prongs or a 1mm hole punch to punch the stitching holes for all the pieces.
Punch the holes corresponding to the the slot of the brush holder and to the cord eyelet with your 5mm and 10mm hole punches.
Cutting-out the pieces of the project
Start by cutting-out a hole for the decorative panel in the exterior panel. Repeat the operation for the frame of the decorative panel. A rotary cutter is recommended but it can be done by hand with a lot of careful X-acto passes.
Then cut-out the different elements of the chalk bag, including the liner and the decorative elements.
Dyeing the leather
Dyeing can be achieved through different methods. I will refer you to this Youtube Playlist in order to learn more about the subject from much more qualified craftsmen than I am.
For this project I wanted to keep most of the leather in its natural state in order to allow it to develop a beautiful patina as the chalk bag will be used and age gracefully.
I only dyed the elements of the decorative scene and the braid to match to bring discrete focus on those details. I also applied some oil to the frame of the decorative panel, the cord tab and the carabiner loop again to create a soft contrast.
Skiving the bottom
For the fold at the bottom of the bag to be clean we need to skive down the 4 edges that will be stitched together. That is the bottom edge of the exterior panel, the two edges of the piping and the circumference of the exterior bottom.
Since the carabiner loop’s edge will be folded under the top edge of the exterior panel we also skive it to make the fold easier and more elegant.
Burnishing the edges
We need to tidy up some edges before we can start stitching everything up.
Using your edge beveler, bevel the following edges: the left and top-most of the exterior panel, all around the brush loop, the carbiner loop, the cord tab, the exterior circumference of the frame for the eyelet and for the decorative panel.
Burnish the edges using the method of your choice. I usually apply some tokonole to the edge and use a wood edge slicker to create the friction necessary for burnishing. You can also use a cotton rag and simply dampen the edge, it works quite well (often better than a low quality wood slicker).
Seal the burnished edges by vigorously rubbing some beeswax on them and then using a cotton rag to create some heat from the friction and melt the coat of wax evenly.
Never apply too much pressure on the edge during this operation. Indeed we want to prevent any mushrooming from happening especially when the edge is damp. It’s all about speed and friction to create heat, not pressure.
Gluing the frame of the decorative panel
Glue the frame of the decorative panel in place on the exterior panel, making sure that the holes line up properly.
Repeat the operation with the frame of the cord eyelet.
Sand and burnish the inner circumference of the frame of the decorative panel.
Setting-up the brush holder
Join both ends of the brush holder between your fingers and insert them in the relevant slot in the exterior panel to form a loop.
Secure both ends in place with 2 Chicago screws or rivets.
Stitching the decorative panel
First stitch all the elements of the decorative panel to their background using a saddle stitch.
.Do not stitch the edge of the decorative elements that borders the edge of the panel.
Stitch all around the frame to join the decorative panel and the exterior panel.
Do the same for the frame of the eyelet.
Stitching the liner
Stitch the top to the bottom panel of the liner, including the cord loop along the way. We are using a backstitch here.
I used masking tape to keep the liner in place during this step. Then I just peeled it away after the two pieces were stitched
Then stitch the bottom to complete the liner that will hold the chalk.
The cord guide is used to center the knot the the cord will make around the liner when it is pulled tight.
Assemble it by joining both wider sides using a cross-stitch. I chose to have the top grain inside because it would cause less friction on the cord.
Preparing the piping
Check out this playlist for more in-depth details about this technique.
Prepare a length of 2mm cord equal to the length of the corresponding strip of leather minus one stitching hole. Indeed one end of the strip needs to cover the other end to form a torus so the cord needs to stop one hole short of the edge.
Apply glue across the length of the piece. Apply glue to the cord as well. Wait for it to dry and position the cord in place along the center of the leather strip.
Carefully fold the strip on itself, progressing along its length and making sure that the holes match. Keep the one end with the shorter end of cord open so that it can fold over the other end of the piping.
Stitching the bag
Time to give shape to the bag!
We need to assemble the exterior panel to the bottom, with the piping sandwiched in between. In order to achieve this we are going to stitch from the inside-out.
Pay attention to which edge of the exterior panel goes over the other one. We burnished the left one so this is the one we want visible from the exterior.
Similarly we want the end of the piping overlapping the other to match the side panels.
Turn the bag inside-out once the bottom is stitched up.
Stitch the side of the bag shut, starting at the bottom.
Stitching the liner to the bag
Make a loop with the cord around the liner and threading through the cord loop.
Pull both ends through the cords guide.
Place the liner inside the bag and thread both ends of the cord through the eyelet of the bag.
Turn the liner inside-out and pull it out of the bag as much a possible, making sure that the cord doesn’t slip through the eyelet.
Start stitching together the carabiner loop, the liner and the top-most stitching row of the bag. Go around the perimeter of the bag.
The last few stitches can be difficult. A curved needle will help with reaching the following holes.
When the liner is stitched to the bag and the carabiner loop, push the liner back into the bag.
Fold the top-most edge of the bag over itself and stitch through, going all around the bag and securing the other side of the carabiner loop in passing.
Stitching the cord tab
Test-out opening and closing the bag to find the perfect length of cord. Cut-away the excess.
Apply glue to both ends of the cord and to the backside of the cord tab.
Press the tab firmly over the cord.
Stitch all around.
Sand and burnish the edges.
Finishing touches
Apply the conditioning product of your choice on your creation and rub vigorously with a cotton rag to polish it and give it a nice shine.
I use a leather balm that I make by gently melting together “au bain-marie” 1 part beeswax and 6 parts olive oil. It’s great for nourishing and waterproofing.
Final result
I hope you enjoyed following along this tutorial. Please consider posting a photo of your creation in the comments below. It would mean a lot to me to see my little projects out into the world as you make it your own.
Any feedback/question about this tutorial or project idea that you’d like to see posted here is and always will be more than welcome.
Happy crafting!
Footnotes
The following online content provided some assistance and/or inspiration during the making of this project: