Introduction to leather weaving
Introduction to leather weaving
Braiding with leather straps is easy to learn and you only need a few tools to get started. You can use our small practice piece as a key ring or as a unique furniture knob, for example. In this article, we will show you how round weaving with four straps works and you will learn about a simple and decorative end knot.
What tools and materials do I need for leather braiding?
For circular braiding, you need a way to secure the workpiece to the work table. A ball-head vice is very practical. In the simplest case, a screw hook that you screw into the edge of the table is also sufficient. You can use a cutter knife or small scissors (e.g. nail scissors) to cut the straps. You will also need a strap awl for knotting.
You can buy suitable leather straps ready-cut, for example as deerskin straps, kangaroo braided straps or cowhide straps. If you would like to cut the straps yourself, you can do this quickly and easily with an endless strap cutter.
You will also need a key ring for our practice piece. Even if you use the result as a furniture knob, the key ring serves as a pull-out safety device, for which a small ring is sufficient.
Preparing the leather straps
Prepare two approx. 60 cm long leather straps. Cut all ends to a point so that you can thread them through more easily when knotting. Threading is even easier if you rub the ends with a drop of white glue, leave to dry and stiffen them a little. Before you start braiding, rub the straps well with saddle soap. This makes them supple so that they glide better when braiding and knotting.
Quadruple round braiding
Thread the two straps through the clamped key ring and bring the ends to the same length. Make sure that the skin side (the smooth side) of the straps is on the outside and cross the two straps as shown in the picture.
Pull the straps tight and place the rightmost strap from the bottom between the two left-hand straps.
Now place it over the inner of the two left-hand straps so that the skin side is also facing upwards and it is pointing to the right again. The following applies to circular braiding: what comes from the right also goes back to the right and what comes from the left goes back to the left.
Now proceed in exactly the same way with the outer left strap: first place it between the two right straps from below and then over the inner of the two straps back into the left hand.
From now on, continue with the uppermost belt. So now the outermost right-hand strap.
Pull the strap tight. It is now placed around the "plait" from behind, between the two left straps, then over the inner left strap so that the skin side is facing outwards again.
Now it's the leftmost one's turn. Pull it on, around the back, between the two right-hand ones and over the bottom right-hand one, back into the left hand.
Continue braiding until the plait is approx. 4 cm long.
End node made of four strands
You can now remove the key ring from the holder. Hold the braid so that the free ends are pointing upwards and arrange the straps in such a way that the picture opposite is approximately as shown.
The following knot is tied in a clockwise direction. Start with a so-called crown knot.
To do this, place the first strap over the second, the second over the third (and the first), the third over the fourth (and the second) and the fourth strap is pulled through the loop of the first. Pull the knot tight.
In the next round, we tie the same knot, only upside down (the knot, not you!).
The first strap goes under the second, the second under the third and so on, and finally the fourth through the loop of the first. Pull the knot tight again.
A second crown knot follows, again as described in the first knot step.
From now on you will need the braiding awl to help you.
The first belt is now passed under the belt below and the next free belt (the awl points to the belt that has been pulled through in the second picture).
The next belt to the left (seen from above, still clockwise) is also pulled through the belt below and the next free belt. Finally, the last free belt is pulled under the belt below and the first belt, which is now already tightened.
This is what the knot looks like after tightening from below and above.
The free ends are now pulled down through the entire knot. To do this, make a puncture in the adjacent "V".
Once all the free ends have been pulled down and tightened, the knot looks like this.
You can now cut off the free ends and obtain a relatively flat end knot with an all-round plait pattern.
Another option is to guide the free ends back up through the knot.
To do this, guide the first free end over the strap to the right of it. Pierce the centre of the first crown knot with the awl through the entire knot.
The knot when all ends are completed.
If you want the knot to have the additional waistband but no fringes, you can cut the ends very close to the knot and tuck them back into the centre cross of the knot after all the ends have been pulled through the centre and tightened.
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