Tarot Bag

A couple of years ago, I was shopping at my favorite discount store, which gets one-off random stuff in all the time that it sells for dirt cheap, and I found a big bin full of these leather scraps. It is super soft calf-skin like leather with a cool pattern on it.

Each scrap was about 2-3 square feet in area, and I think they cost me about $2 each, so I bought a LOT of them. Other than one small modification project that I won't describe, this is the first project that I have used this leather for.

I'm always finding that the stock sizes for velveteen bags that I can get for the store are ill suited for holding tarot cards. If they are tall enough, they are too wide. So I decided to make a few tarot bags from these leather scraps.

I don't do a lot of sewing. I'm not particularly good at it, and just about every time I touch a sewing machine, it jams up on me. But I do have a sewing machine (the second cheapest one I could get from walmart), and I did take Home Ec. in Jr. high, so I know the basics of how to sew.

I made a chipboard template (5"x9") to help with cutting out all the pieces of leather. Each piece of leather was then spray glued to a piece of green lightweight cotton fabric, which will become the bag's liner.

The top edge was folded over on each piece and sewn down. This will be the top edge of the bag, and this is where the drawstring will go.

The two sides of the bag were sewn together with a zigzag stitch that wraps around the edge of the fabric to prevent fraying. The bag is sewn together inside out.

Once the drawstring is threaded through the hem at the top edge, the bag can be turned right side out.

This was a fairly simple project, but one that I think will sell well in my shop.