Beginner Project
Belts are a great place to start when you are learning how to work with leather. They are something that you can wear on the daily and it is basic enough to understand. You want to start with measuring the size of your waist then add a few inches to that measurement. You can always cut it shorter but you can’t add more leather once it is cut. The first 2 inches are going to be your fold, where you put the buckle. Get the end a little wet and fold it over so you have enough room to add rivets later. Clamp that down or set something heavy on it to make it hold its bend while it dries. Now you are going to go to the other end grab a leather knife and cut the edges into a point. The angles can be as steep as you want I generally keep it no more than an inch long. If you are doing a geometric stamp you are going to want to draw a line down the center to keep the design straight.
Designing
Now you are ready to get the fun stuff started. Make sure your leather is a little damp and grab the design you want. Lay your tracing paper over the leather where you want it. I recommend leaving about a centimeter on each edge, so your design doesn’t go off the belt. Take anything pointy, I use a pencil most of the time, and trace the design onto your belt leaving an imprint for you to follow. Once you get it how you like it, take a swivel knife and make cuts where your lines are. Now it is just carving or stamping after that.
Finishing
Once you are done creating the design on your belt and it looks just how you want it to, it is time for the finishing touches. To make the edges look more uniform take a bevel and run it across the edges to smooth out the leather. Using a measuring tape make imprints on your belt where you would like the holes to be. I would keep them the same distance apart to avoid it looking uneven. Using a leather hole punch, punch out the imprints you previously made. On the other end you will make two more hole punches spaced evenly with the width for the rivets. The next steps take a lot of drying and waiting. The leather has to be completely dry before you add stain. It is hard for me to stain the edges and holes, so I use a stain or permanent marker. Once you have the stain on it has to dry completely before you add a finish. The finish has to dry, and once it is you can add the buckle and rivets. Now you have your very own leather belt.
Bevel 