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21 Free leather purse patterns

Who doesn’t love a leather bag, or a quality faux leather?! These fabulous leather bag sewing patterns and tutorials will give you some top tips for sewing with leather.

How about stunning friends and family with stylish leather purses?

 

I have gathered free leather purse patterns for you to enjoy, endeavouring to source a wide range of styles for you to choose from. If you fancy stretching yourself further there are many printable leather handbags PDF patterns for sale on Etsy (affiliate link).

Learn how to sew your own stylish leather purses with this great selection of leather bag patterns

 

Before we start on your leather bag making journey I am sure you are wondering about whether you can sew leather on a domestic sewing machine and where to source leather….

Where to source leather?

Do not have any leather in your stash? No worries. I was fortunate to pick up leather from a car boot sale (I suspect the equivalent of a yard sale in the US). How about upcycling? Source old leather jackets from second-hand websites/thrift shops or even old sofas!

Alternatively fabric shops now regularly sell leather, such as Joanna’s in the US and Minerva crafts in the UK.

Tips for sewing leather on a domestic sewing machine

  • Use a leather machine needles in your sewing machine
  • Lengthen your stitch length, I suggest 3.5 or longer
  • Difficulty feeding through your machine? Try a Teflon foot, or a walking foot, or tissue paper next to your feed dogs (you can rip this away later)
  • Strong thread such as a top stitch thread

21 Leather Purse Patterns

Making your own leather bags and purses is super easy with this fabulous list of projects. These free sewing patterns and tutorials have something for everyone. Each of these tutorials goes into detail on how to sew with leather or faux leather, give it a go!

Love bag making? Check out my ebook Bag Making for Beginners which covers essential bag skills with incremental bag patterns to hone your skills.

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Marjorie

Saturday 25th of February 2023

Vicky:

Great bag patterns! But my sewing machine guy warned me not to ruin my machine sewing leather. What kind of machine do you use to sew leather?

Marjorie

Vicky Myers

Tuesday 14th of March 2023

Hi, I have a Janome XL601 which is really not keen on leather, but get on better with my Bernina 830. If you are looking to change your sewing machine I suggest trying out the regular materials you like sewing to see how the new to you sewing machine manages.

Tuija

Wednesday 20th of April 2022

Thanks for the ideas!

Vicky

Tuesday 10th of May 2022

Glad you like them :)

Nitann

Wednesday 10th of March 2021

I love your ideas! I have patterns for American Girl Dolls' purse patterns, but I really like your patterns for us! My daughter will want several, I know. Thanks for sharing.

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