Leather Cuff Watch...TUTORIAL!!

Yeah. I know. I can't believe it either.  A tutorial. 

I have 2 young nephews who are growing up...7 & 9...and Christmas can be tough for them.  My husband and I are generally on a budget at Christmas so we TRY to make the bulk of our Christmas gifts.  By now, there are family members who have come to expect it.  Last year, I made these same boys (requested by their mom) a twin size fleece tie quilt/blanket.  This was NOT pieced, but it was tie quilted.  We called it the Secret Blanket because I added a zipper pocket on the underneath of the blanket for the boys to put a little toy/lego guy/whatever in...for middle of the night playing.  They loved their blankets, so it seems they do appreciate handmade gifts.  Ok, to bring this back around...

I recently found sports cuff watches on another blog that I thought were cute.  However, they were attached using hot glue.  My nephews are rough n tumble, hard on things!  I just didn't think hot glue would stand up to them!  I had recently purchased some leather clothes to cut up and make into a bag.  I said to myself, "Self?  A few strips from those leather clothes should make a nice leather cuff watch!"  So I checked the dollar store and they did not have the watch type I was looking for...moved on to Big Lots.  Badabing Badaboom...$5 watches!!  I needed the kind that had the bars on it so I could feed a strip of leather through it and secure it to the cuff.  Without further ado...

Materials

velcro

leather scraps

(you could use felt as well)

thread

watch face (w/ bars)

*Notes*

I did not use a leather needle. I used an 110/18 denim/canvas needle.  It would probably be best to use the leather needle!

I used my hand instead of the foot pedal a good portion of the time. 

I also had to use my finger to hold the sewing foot in place.  When the needle came up, it would pull up the foot as well.  (could this be helped by using the leather needle instead?)

Step 1: Measure the wrist to it's exact measurement. 

Step 2: (my measurement was 6") So, 6" + 1 1/2" = 7 1/2"  Cut two strips 7 1/2" x 2".

Step 3: Measure the bars on the watch face.  Mine was 5/8" so cut one strip 5/8" x 3 1/2" (or however long you want it)

Step 4: Cut strip of velcro 1 1/2" long.  Place rough velcro side on the right side of one strip of leather.  It also needs to be placed on one end of the leather.  Sew around the velcro using a zigzag stitch.

Step 5. Place soft velcro side on the right side of the second strip of fabric.  This should be placed on the oposite end of where you placed the first piece of velcro.  (Make sure that when you wrap the cuff around the wrist, the velcro pieces are placed so that they will meet securely.)  Sew around the velcro using a zigzag stitch.

Step 6:  Feed the 5/8" x 3 1/2" leather strip through the watch bar from top down, under the watch face, and back up through the other side of the watch.

Step 7: Place watch face with narrow leather strip on top of the large leather strip with the soft velcro attached.  Attach one side of the narrow leather strip to the large leather strip.

Step 8: Follow step 7 for the other side of the narrow leather strip. 

Step 9: Place the two long leather strips wrong sides together.  Topstitch about an 1/8" all the way around the watch cuff.  

The completed watch cuff!!  You could also do this with felt/fabric/whatever you want.  I chose the leather to hopefully lend longer lasting life to the watch!

I have one more to make.  If you'd like to see photos of it, let me know.  What do you think?