Pegboard sandwich board

On October 11, 2026 By CarynIn Craft

I used scrap pegboard to make a display for all my twine cards for the Pioneer Festival at the Doss Heritage and Culture Center. To make the two pieces of pegboard into a sandwich board I cut and punched a strip of leather and riveted it to the top of the boards.

Photo description: pegboard, leather strips, leather hole punch, two bowls holding one half of the two sided rivets, and a dead blow hammer

My rivets were just the right size to lock together through the leather and the pegboard. I used a dead blow hammer to secure them as the board laid flat on the floor. The second board was a little tricky to set the bottom rivet, so I flipped the board over, put in the rivets, and secured them with tape so they wouldn’t fall out. I used screw rivets to secure side straps to keep the boards at the same angle when open.

Photo description: back side of the pegboard with half the rivets in the top holes secured with tape

Photo description: finished pegboard sandwich board with 18 examples of twine, a laser cut “Twine Examples” sign, two baskets made from looped twine, and a bag made from twine

The twining went over well. I took raffia and taught two wonderful volunteers to twine and they taught hundreds of people coming through the event to twine bracelets while I demonstrated spinning on a great wheel and a treadle wheel (not at the same time, but as a comparison). Of course I didn’t take a single picture of my period outfit, but I did take one of the wheels I worked with in the 1850s cabin I was in.

Photo description: inside the Strain cabin with a great wheel (left), modern treadle wheel (behind the great wheel, twine display (far right), and spinning tools on the hearth: carders, niddy noddy, and drop spindles

The treadle wheel was meant to only be decoration, but it just needed a new string on the footman at the bottom, and a bit of wire at the top to keep it on. I cleaned it and oiled it and had it spinning wool again. On the Great Wheel I was spinning Texas grown cotton.

Leather strap ends

On September 18, 2026 By CarynIn Craft

I wanted to use my double-sided sampler strap to replace the generic strap that came with my iPad case. I used the laser cutter to make leather loops with preset holes to fit the existing hardware.

Photo description: laser cut leather loop on a plastic strap holder

I cut the ends of the woven band and secured the loose threads with glue. Using a glue stick was surprisingly effective.

Photo description: cut ends of a tablet woven band on wax paper secured with glue from a glue stick

I used waxed nylon cord and two needles to saddle stitch the ends to the band.

Photo description: finished band with hand sewn leather end loops attached to commercial plastic buckles

The band works well and is much more satisfying than the bland ivory band.

Prototype whirligig

On July 5, 2026 By CarynIn Craft

I have had an idea twirling around in my head for a while about having a drop spindle combined with a wind spinner for when I’m walking and spinning. The idea is that the walk and wind will give a little more power to the spindle spin. I needed a material that was easy to work and light, so chose finished leather and cut it with my laser cutter.

Photo description: two leather halves of a wind spinner sewn together at the end of the tabs with waxed cord, dilute calico cat in the background

Photo description: finished spinner on a different calico cat, dilute calico in the background

Photo description: leather wind spinner installed on a drop spindle and used to spin some Romney wool, outside on a windy day, coop in the background

The cool thing is that this spinner only spins one direction when wind is blown across it, so it is easy to tell which direction I have been spinning, and suspended on freshly spun yarn, the wind absolutely spins it. Until the power in the twist in the yarn is greater than the push of the wind, which doesn’t take much. Hm. I have some ideas on how to improve the design. I’m hoping to have something working by fall when I can go out walking again. It is too blasted hot right now.

Throwback Thursday: cat cabinet

On July 2, 2026 By CarynIn Craft

In January 2018 we were still working on setting up the new-to-us house and I needed a place to feed Izzy the cat. We had a space in the corner of the master bedroom and the previous owners left a large old wood workbench with drawers on the back porch. I used the drawers as the structure for a cabinet, and cut sections of the workbench top for the cabinet top, bottom, and door.

Photo description: cabinet made from old workbench drawers

Photo description: inside of the cabinet, showing the open back

The door had a crack, so I used an old leather belt as strapping to reinforce it. It worked, because the door is still strong after 8 years.

Photo description: closeup of the leather strap showing the carving details from when it was a belt

Lame sheath

On June 27, 2026 By CarynIn Craft

My lame (a blade for cutting bread) has been living inside the original cheap cardboard box for a few years now. I finally made a new leather sheath for it!

Photo description: piece of laser cut finished leather, lame (without blade), and a tape ruler

Photo description: sheath stitched up using waxed nylon cord and a baseball stitch, lame with blade attached

The lame fits inside nicely with the blade. I don’t know if I want to make a lid for the open end, it’s not like I’m cutting sourdough on the go. I really just needed something to keep it safe in the drawer.

Photo description: open end of lame sheath with lame inside

I really like my laser cutter for the ability to make precise leather bespoke items.

Critters and Craft

Tag: leather