Leather coffee sleeve from Ooh Leela!Leather coffee sleeve from Ooh Leela!

I’m happy to present our new Guest Nester: my friend Isabela! Her husband and I met at Sportivo Coffee Bar. (I don’t drink coffee, but my friend owns the place, so I visit often.) Isabela invented these leather coffee sleeves, which she sells at Sportivo. I adored them so much that I asked her to do a tutorial for Crafty Nest. I was ecstatic when she agreed!

You can buy these sleeves and other darling creations at Isabela’s Etsy shop. Isabela writes: “Hello Crafty Nest friends! My name is Isabela from Ooh Leela! I have been an avid reader for quite some time, and I have always admired Monica and her creativity. I am so excited to be here today. Thank you so much for this opportunity, Monica!

One of Isabela's cup coziesOne of Isabela's appliquéd coffee sleeves

A couple of Isabela’s handmade fabric cup cozies. Available through Isabela’s Etsy shop.

“I’m here to share a fun project with you: a leather coffee sleeve. It’s an earth-friendly alternative to the usual disposable cardboard sleeve. The leather stays cool and soft to the touch while keeping your beverage hot/cold. Every time I use mine in public, I get lots of compliments. This is a super easy and fast project—perfect for all skill levels.”

Isabela has offered to give away a leather coffee sleeve to one lucky Crafty Nest reader! Leave a comment to tell Isabela how much you love her coffee sleeves to be eligible to win. The deadline is in one week—Monday, July 4, 2011. Thanks, Isabela! Read more for her tutorial.

Materials to make a leather coffee sleeve
Trace the cardboard sleeve
Cut the leather
Cut pieces
Attach the circle

Tutorial and photos after the jump!

http://mommy.heidimdavis.com/And we have a winner of the $100 Home Depot gift card from American Express! The first comment chosen by a random number generator was number 162 … me. So of course I chose again. And the winner is … comment number 92: Heidi M. Davis. She wrote: “It’s amazing what a little paint can do. It’s beautiful! Love the crystals. The bulbs are kind of funky. Not sure I know what I think of them yet.” Congratulations, Heidi! Thank you to everyone for commenting and offering your decorating advice.

 

How to make a leather coffee sleeve

Materials to make a leather coffee sleeve

Supplies and tools

  • leather scraps in the colors of your choice—I am using tan and red
  • heavy-duty thread in coordinating color(s)
  • rotary cutter
  • leather machine needles—I found mine here
  • a round object, approximately 2-1/4-inches in diameter
  • cardboard sleeve—the last one you will ever use—haha!
  • fabric pen or pencil
  • mini snaps
  • snap tools like these
  • sewing machine

Trace the cardboard sleeve

1. Open up the cardboard sleeve at the point of which it is glued. Then, using a fabric pen or pencil, trace a template using the cardboard sleeve as a guide. Note: Before you use a fabric pen or pencil, test it on a scrap of leather to make sure it will come off.

Cut the leather

2. Using your rotary cutter, cut along the lines you drew earlier.

Erase your marks

3. If you used a fabric pen in step 1, and you still see traces of it after cutting your sleeve, use a paper towel and warm water to wipe off any unwanted marks. If you used a pencil, use an eraser and gently erase the pencil marks.

Cut the circle

4. Now using the 2-1/4-inch round object, trace and cut out a circle. The diameter of the circle has to be the same size as the height of your sleeve (which in my case is 2-1/4 inches). I like to use contrasting colors.

Cut pieces

At this point your project should look like this.

Stitch a border

5. Using your sewing machine, stitch a border around the sleeve. Make sure you use a needle that is specifically made for sewing leather (see material list above). Also, you may want to practice on a scrap piece first to make sure your tension and stitch length are properly adjusted.

Stitch a border on the circle

6. Now repeat the last step, but this time with the circle.

Determine placement

7. Use your cardboard sleeve (folded) to determine the right diameter (size) and the location where you should attach the snap. This is an important step, as you only get one chance. Take your time. As always, measure twice and cut once.

Tip: I position the circle so that it covers both ends of the sleeve. Make your first hole on the top flap, and then use that hole to determine the position of the second hole (bottom flap).

Attach the circle

8. Using your snap tools (follow the manufacturer’s instructions), attach a snap.

Finished leather coffee sleeve

Voila! A beautiful (and unique) coffee sleeve. Go to your local coffee shop, and show off your fabulous style. Wink, wink. If you have any questions, or if any of the steps are not clear, feel free to stop by my blog and click the “about me” link. There you will find my email address.

P.S. This tutorial is for personal use only. Thanks for understanding!