How to Make Leather Earrings Without a Cricut- DIY
Today I wanted to show how to make leather earrings without a Cricut machine. It is possible and it’s pretty easy!
I started making these leather earrings a few years ago when Gigi was a baby and I could not find the color of leather I needed or wanted.
My family is full of athletes and at the time I had my son in football, my niece in softball at college, and my other niece at college volleyball so I really needed to be able to make my team colors in real leather.
It was definitely easier to make my own than find leather earrings in team colors.
Everyone I gave earrings to still wears them to this day. I think because my leather is real and it gets better with time!
This post is part of my Handmade Gift Series and I am excited to collaborate with my friends to bring you some amazing gift ideas over the next few weeks! I have linked them at the bottom of this post for you!
Where to find Genuine Leather for Earrings
I have a trick for finding genuine leather for a great price and a lot of it at once. Wanna now?
Thrift stores. yes that’s right. I find leather jackets and hats and purses at thrift stores that have seen better days and are out of style and I repurpose them into leather earrings and home decor.
Always look for leather purses. Usually they are really inexpensive and there is a lot of material to work with for small projects.
Also, you can get leather scraps from leather shops for a few dollars. Search google for leather stores nearby and you might be surprised!
Do you need a Cricut or silouhette to cut earrings
No. As a matter of fact the leather I have is too thick even for my Cricut Maker so I cut it with sharp scissors and it works great.
If you have a Cricut and your leather is on the thinner side by all means use your cutting machine. It is definitely faster and it cuts pretty perfect, but if you don’t, it is super easy to use scissors.
Supplies for DIY Leather Earrings
- Sharp scissors
- Hole punch or leather punch
- Genuine leather (Scraps are great for earrings)
- Earring hooks (preferably nickel free and or sterling or 18k filled)
- Ruler
How to Make DIY Leather Earrings without a Cricut
- Pick Your Pattern
Simple shapes are easiest to cut. I like teardrop and bar earrings and they were a big hit with my people!
- Cut Shapes
For the bar shape I happened to have a strip of leather in my scrap bag that was already a great width so I measured it into two inch sections and cut it straight across.
When my bars where cut, I felt like they were too squared off so I rounded the corners and I like it much better.
For Tear Drops I drew a pattern on paper and cut it out. I traced it on the back of the leather with pencit and cut the shape with sharp scissors.
Cut slowly and use sharp scissors for the best results.
You can print a teardrop, or any simple shape, and use them to trace onto your leather.
- Add a small hole
At the top of your earring, find the center and get very close to the top.
If you get to far down on the earring your hook ring won’t fit right and your earrings will sit wonky.
I use this multi sized hole punch specifically for leather, and it makes the job so easy.
You can use a sharp needle or a small (tiny size) hole punch for paper crafting as well. -
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- Add your hook
I love the look of the antizue bronze hooks with the brown leather and I like how they are easy to add with no plyers needed. The end has a ball that stops the earring.
- Wear them or give them away!
These leather earrings are so easy to make and everyone loves them! Customize them to team colors or find the best worn leather bag you can find and turn it into earrings!
Welcome to the HandmadeGift Series from the four of us!
We are happy to be bringing you a handmade gift idea for the following three Wednesdays!
Jennifer at Cottage on Bunker Hill
Regina at Saved From Salvage
Wendy at WM Design House
Amy at Amy Sadler Designs
OK, I love the look of leather earrings but I never thought about making them for myself before!! I will definitely be on the lookout at the thrift store for some leather!!
You can do so many fun things!