Just like Scrooge McDuck, I went to check my stash the other day. Unfortunately it’s not money but rather my stash of fabrics and leather. I have a little corner in the attic where all the fabrics are neatly stored in clear plastic boxes while pieces of leather are neatly rolled up in another. I wanted to make sure they were still in good condition, especially the leather.
One of my most prized pieces is a vintage crocodile leather. In its past life it was an expensive handbag, but somehow it ended up in a very sorry state and had already been taken apart for salvage. I was given the resulting piece of leather and I have always been very precious about what I use it for. My last project with it was a coin purse (here).
Usually most of the accessories I make with leather have been a bit amateurish, but after viewing countless YouTube videos and sourcing the correct equipment and materials, I’ve managed to improve my skills bit by bit. My skills went up another level when I finally found the perfect sealant for the edges of leather. I used it on the handbag I made for my mom (here).
As I only had a small piece of crocodile leather, I decided to make cardholders. I thought it would be quite cool as a ‘up-cycle’ project to show that everything (even crocodiles) should be given a second chance.
With precision cutting and sewing in mind, I carefully put together different shapes for the cardholders. I also used some brown leather pieces to make the crocodile leather go further.
With an industrial sewing machine on hand and all the correct apparatus (a leather needle, leather thread and proper sewing feet), it took me no time at all to piece 10 cardholders together.
Being a vintage piece, I’m really happy with how well the crocodile leather still looks. What I love most are the ‘scales’ on the leather.
This time I threw everything at the finishing of the cardholders, including filing, slicking and eventually, edge-coating it. I even finished the cardholders with leather conditioner and buffed them to a full shine!
I’m so happy with how these cardholders turned out that I’m tempted to keep all of them. But what will I do with 10 cardholders? Even if I use one a day, there are only 7 days in a week. Maybe I should do what everyone has been telling me to do for ages…
Sell them!
Stephen Yong 
That’s a really cool reuse. Fab leather, and they do look good. Well done! And yes, you should sell them. I would just urge you to not underprice yourself. Hard to change that habit later on. And if you don’t appreciate your own work enough to charge for it, how can you expect others to?
Thanks for the wise words and I agree, I really need to appreciate my work more.