I am pleased to be able to announce that my One Day Belt Making Course is now set-up to run in my workshop near Much Hadham, Hertfordshire UK.
This one day course is designed to introduce the beginner to leathercraft by learning how to make a handmade leather belt. The course is hands on from the start, you will learn about cutting, marking, stamping, hand stitching and finishing the leather so that you go home with a belt that you have made yourself totally by hand. My hope is for you to have a safe enjoyable day where you will learn something new.
The day will start promptly at 9am with the aim to finish by 5pm.
A maximum of three students per class.
You will be able to chose from Brown or Black belt leather for your belt strap, the width of strap (30 or 35mm) and a suitably sized solid brass or silver coloured alloy buckle. There will also be options for thread colours.
Most of the straps will be long enough to make a belt up to a maximum belt size of 45 inches, PLEASE NOTE this maximum size is based on the Gizzi Leather Sizing Guide HERE – please also refer to this guide if you are making the belt as a gift for somebody else.
After an introduction and safety briefing, the day will be broken into 4 stages;
• introduction to the tools and some practice,
• working on your belt blank,
• putting it all together
• sizing and finishing your belt.
Hopefully there will be time for questions and answers before you leave.
– The morning and afternoon refreshments (tea and coffee) will be included. There will be a one hour lunch break. At the moment there are no facilities to provide lunches at the craft centre so students are advised to bring a packed lunch, the craft centre is set in a rural location so it would mean a short drive to the nearest catering facilities.
– You will need to wear sturdy closed toe footwear, aprons will be provided to protect your clothing – I would advise wearing comfortable clothes. During the day there will be a lot of standing while working at the bench, stools will be provided for you to use for the rest of the time – or if you wish to take a break.
– The materials for making one belt are included in the course fee – additional materials used will need to be paid for on the day.
– Tools are provided for your use on the day – there will be one set per person for most of the tools.
– There will be a set of course notes provided detailing the day, the tools used and some suppliers.
– Course bookings must be paid for in advance. Cancellations must be made two weeks before the course date, refunds will not be issued after that date.
– There is ample parking on site.
– Please note that my workshop is on the first floor with the only access via a flight of stairs.
– Students must be over 18 years old.
– All of the tools and work surfaces are cleaned after use. There is hand sanitiser in the workshop. Masks or face coverings in the workshop are optional, however I will be wearing a face covering during the day.
The course is priced at £85 per person. I will opening the individual bookings on a first-come-first-served basis, bookings are not complete until your payment has been confirmed. Along with group lessons, one-to-one sessions are also available.
Payments can be made via bank transfer or I can send out a PayPal payment request – I will forward the payment details on request.
Please use the contact form HERE to make enquiries and to find out about available dates.
WORKSHOP SAFETY – Safety in the workshop is paramount. You will be shown the correct use of the tools, some of which are very sharp. There is a warning system for dangerous practices during the day, anyone who risks injury to themselves or others will be given a warning, if they continue to be a hazard they will asked to leave – if this happens there will be no refunds.