How to Make Detachable (Faux) Leather Collars Using Recycled Notebooks
Introduction: How to Make Detachable (Faux) Leather Collars Using Recycled Notebooks
Old faux leather notebooks are a great source of leather scraps suitable for small projects.
There are many different types of leather that can be used in a notebook cover. Soft and pliable leatherette, thick and robust leather, thin and paper-like vinyl. It's easy to work with them and only takes minutes to remove them from the notebook covers. You can use it in small craft projects, jewellery making or create fashion accessories.
I wanted to make a detachable leather collar to spruce up my boring tops as well as use it to cover any frayed collar edges in my sweaters.
You don't need many supplies for this project: old or new notebook, scalpel, ribbon or jewellery findings. You can use rubber glue, spray contact adhesive glue, E6000, PVA glue or superglue for small details.
Before you do anything final, use scraps of your chosen leather to conduct some tests. Check which glue will work better and, if you want to draw or paint on the leather, which art supplies to use and how to varnish them.
Once I started cutting old notebooks, I couldn't stop. I ended up with more leather than needed, so I made a few additional statement necklaces like the feather, hands and bows, which are also included in this Instructable.
Step 1: Notebooks
As I said before, notebooks can be covered in different types of fake leather and most of them are workable. However, if you encounter one that rips or stretches and refuses to peel away from the cover, leave it be, it won't be usable. My yellow notebook was like that, once I started cutting it and peeling it, it wouldn't budge. Turned out it was a vinyl sticker, not vinyl leather.
Using old notebook covers is better than throwing them away, because they don't get recycled. Once you extract your leather, you will see most notebooks have some sort of foam or plastic backing underneath, as well as layers of glue.
Cut the leather close to the edge, if there are stitches you can remove them to cut a bigger leather rectangle.
Gently peel the leather from the cover, and place the whole thing in a large bowl or sink filled with water.
Leave it to soak for 15-20 min. 421
After soaking paper backing should just slide off the leather. If there is a thin tacky layer of glue covering the back, you can use a nail brush to gently scrub it off.
Pat dry and leave it out to for a few hours to dry fully.
Step 2: Ironing the Creases
If you have any creases, you can use a regular iron to flatten them out. Instead of using an ironing board, use a piece of melamine board or plywood, or something similar to keep the leather flat. Sandwich the leather between kitchen towels to avoid direct heat. Iron on medium heat until all creases are gone. While the leather is still hot from ironing, weigh it down with something flat and heavy to help preserve the shape while it cools.
Test it on a small patch first, so you don't end up with melted vinyl. I used 9 different notebooks and had no problems with ironing any of them, but you never know, it's better to test beforehand.
Step 3: Detachable Collars
Instead of ribbons, you can use jewellery findings or snap fasteners. I used whatever I had on hand, plus ribbons allow me to control the length of the collar better, they work whether I want the collar high and tight on my neck, or low and loose.
Step 4: Collar Making
Start by printing a sketch of your chosen collar. I provided sketches which you can be scale down or up, or modify to fit your needs.
I cut the flap shape out of a piece of rigid paper, and traced two shapes onto the back of the leather sheet. I carefully cut these two flaps with scissors, then I applied a layer of glue onto the remaining leather sheet and pressed my cut flaps onto the glue.
I covered the leather sheet with cling film (to protect the book from the glue) and then pressed a very heavy book on top to make sure both flaps set properly.
I used a scalpel (or sharp scissors) to carefully cut each collar piece out of the leather sheet. If you plan on using a ribbon, make sure to apply the glue the way I did (pic 2), so that the last 1/2 inch of the thinner side of the collar is glue-free. That way you can fit a ribbon end between two pieces of leather (pic 4). 316