How to make a leather cat necklace - Easy and Cute

Have you ever thought about doing a personalised leather necklace to your pet? If so, you will be interested in this article. I'm sure you can't imagine how easy it is to make the most beautiful and original of all the necklaces for your pet.

These are the materials needed to create your own leather necklace:

• Veg tanned leather of 2,5 mm that you can get here.
• Angelus acrylic leather paint or acrylic fabric paint.
• Tokonole edgebander, but any edgebander or beeswax will do.
• Fiebing's "Neutral Resolene" finisher or any other finisher.
• Gold-coloured 6mm rivet
• 16mm wide gold-plated watch buckle

We will also use the following tools:

• Cutting base.
• Cutter.
• Metal ruler.
• Teflon hammer or mallet.
• Punchers of different sizes.
• Tracer.
• Beveller.
• Burnisher.
• Sponge.

Don't stop reading because below we will tell you all the steps you need to follow to make a leather necklace for your furry friend:

1. Download the free pattern from this link and print it out. Yes, you heard right, it's free!    >>Pattern link<<     Select the "Actual size" print option and DIN A4 size paper in your printer.
2. Measure your pet's neck with a non-elastic string, this way you will know how long your necklace should be. Not all cats have the same neck circumference and making it to measure will ensure that it is the perfect necklace for your pet.
3. Cut out all the pattern pieces and a 15mm wide strip of paper. Tape the three pieces together, adjusting them to the length of the cord plus an extra 6 to 8 centimetres.
4. Stick the pattern to the leather using masking tape. We use masking tape because it leaves no residue on the leather and can usually be removed without damaging it.
5. Make the holes marked on the pattern with the help of the punch and remember to cut the tip of the necklace in a beak. You can use a cutting tool for 15mm wide straps.
6. Cut out the leather pieces using a box cutter and a metal ruler. A good trick to cut the leather in the right way is to use the back of the ruler, because being straight, it makes it easier to position the cutter vertically.
7. Reduce the thickness where the buckle is going to go with the help of a saddler's knife.
8. If you are using "natural" leather and want to dye it, do it at this point. We have used acrylic paint to paint the leather only on the grain, leaving the flesh in its natural colour.
9. Don't forget to apply a couple of coats of a finishing product for optimal results and hold. We have used Fiebing's Neutral Resolene, which will give us a protective layer with a neutral shine. To do this, we use a small piece of sponge, soak it in water, wring it out, put it in the finisher, wring it out and apply it.
10. Use a beveller to bevel the edges of the outer pieces, both on the flower and flesh side (the right and reverse sides of the skin), impregnate the edges with an edge-swallower or wax and use a burnisher to polish the edges.
11. Use an edge dye to give the product a good finish. We have used Angelus paint again, in this case in gold colour and we have also painted the pin with the same colour.
12. Add the buckle to the necklace and secure it with a gold rivet.
13. Close the strap pin with a couple of staples or by sewing it closed.
14. Insert the pin and you get it!
15. You can add a bell if you like, although your cat will thank you for not doing so.

It was easy, wasn't it?

If you prefer to watch a step-by-step video tutorial on how to make a leather necklace for your pet, please watch the video in Canal Artesano where you will find all the details.