Strap-ons

Ha! Made you look! Today I'm sharing with you all my process for adding some leather strap details to clothing. I'm using the finished object for steampunk cosplay, and the straps are not only aesthetically pleasing but useful for attaching tools and such. Some things of note...
1. Do not use your good fabric scissors to cut leather. Ever.
2. Tools like a good awl and a leather hole punch make life easy.
3. you can use normal sewing notions, go for big needles and heavy thread like button or quilting cord. Really large needles will be tough to pass thru the leather tho.

I purchased leather already cut into long strips for this project. After determining the placement of my straps I cut them a little longer than the distance they are to span. Add quite a bit extra if you think you will want to use them for securing large objects. Using a few layers of cardboard I punched sewing holes in the send of all my straps. A piece of scrap wood also works well for this, but don't use an awl directly on a table or your leg...

I hand stitched the straps in place using the punched holes and button cord. If you're having trouble finding a hole from the backside of the leather use a second needle to show you where it is. I doubled back on the holes so that all of them have thread going from both sides. Not only does it look neater to have a continuous line of thread, but it makes it a bit sturdier.
I bought commercial buckles for this project. One can also make your own from some hardware store pieces (D-rings and heavy gauge wire in case you really want to punk it up). I took strips of fabric, doubled them over for strength, and poked a hole in them. The middle bar goes thru the hole and the two sides of the fabric strip are sewn down. Then I used the leather punch to create a row of holes. You can also use an awl if your buckle is small, but a punch makes nice clean holes.
I added these to a corset I made, but any garment could use them. Leather straps would also work well on bags and purses, even some household sewing! I've made friends with the local leather warehouse, and the possibilities are endless!