How to Make Leather Gloves – A Step by Step Guide

Leather gloves are unique and have been worn for centuries for various reasons. They protect against burn, abrasion, and cold. They also serve as sports and fashion accessories. Knowing how to make leather gloves yourself will save you money and help you make the one to fit properly.

Making leather gloves may take some time because it’s quite a long process. It requires carefulness and paying attention to details. However, the result is usually worth it as you’ll have quality leather gloves made by you, just the way you want them.

The Process of Making Leather Gloves

The making process involves pattern making to get the right size, selecting and preparing the right leather material to prevent peeling issues, cutting the glove, sewing and finishing. These steps are necessary because getting each step correct will help you make the perfect leather gloves.

how to make gloves

 Materials and tools for making leather gloves

It is necessary to gather everything you need for making gloves before you begin. Because it’ll help you make the process easier and faster. Here you find the supplies and tools necessary for making leather gloves including:

  • Paper or thin cardboard
  • Leather needle
  • Pencil
  • Leather material
  • Waxed thread
  • Craft knife or razor blade
  • Scissors
  • Tailor’s chalk
  • Ruler

Making a Pattern

Pattern making is the first important step in making leather gloves. Whether you want to know how to make leather driving gloves, or how to make leather motorcycle gloves, learning the process of pattern-making is vital. Here are the steps involved in making a pattern:

Step One

Place one of your hands flat on a piece of paper and draw around it. Begin from one side of your wrist and end at the other. Then, draw a dot at the base of each finger and draw parallel lines to connect the dots with a ruler.

Add an extra length of about 5 cm to each side of the pattern. Make the lines slope out close to the wrist beside the outer part of your hand. Your outline and free leather glove pattern are ready at this point.

Step Two

Fold the pattern paper into two along the outer ends of the index finger. With the fold still in place, cut out two layers of the outline by cutting around it. Also, cut out the already sketched finger slits, ensuring that the slits of the pattern in the front are a bit shorter than the one at the back.

Mark the thumb joint’s position on the back pattern. Draw an oval shape and cut it out to show the thumb hole in the middle of the pattern.

Step Three

Next is to make a pattern for the thumb by getting a piece of paper and folding it into two around your thumb. Then, draw around the outer part of your thumb. Cut it out, try placing it on the thumb hole in the back pattern and make sure it almost fits the hole properly.

Step Four

Create the pattern for the other fingers. To do this, get a piece of paper, fold it and make sure that the fold is resting on the webs between the fingers.

Place it between your hand’s middle and index finger and cut out the pattern. Do it two more times to have the complete pattern for the fingers.

Leather Preparation

There are different types of leather to work with but the best one to use for making gloves is thin leather because it is smooth, comfortable, even, and long-lasting. Steps to leather preparation.

Step One

Check the leather’s ability to stretch by pulling it. Ensure that it stretches but is not too stretchy because being too stretchy will make the gloves sag quickly.

Step Two

Make the leather wet with water and stretch it till to its limit. Allow it to dry and make it wet again. Stretch it out but not fully then, leave it to dry once more.

Step Three

Place your patterns on the leather and secure it with a pin. Match the pattern lines and cut them out with scissors. Ensure to cut out two of each piece to make two gloves of the same size.

Sew the Leather Gloves

After preparing the leather and cutting it out with the pattern, it’s time to start sewing the gloves. Here are the steps to sew the gloves.

Step One

Fold the piece for the thumb down at the middle and sew across the side and top to join them. You can choose to make your stitches visible or hidden.

Step Two

Get the thumb piece and place its open end into the thumb hole of your back pattern. Hold the thumb edges and edges of the hole together using a pin, ensure they match to a great extent, then stitch around them.

It is also necessary to make the thumb point upwards when inserted into the thumb hole.

Step Three

Place the piece for other fingers by pinning and sewing them in place. It is best to join the finger piece to the back pattern.   Begin from the middle finger, down to the slit, and up again to the top of the index finger.

After sewing in the first finger piece, repeat the same process to sew in the other finger pieces. Then, run stitches down both sides of your glove and even the finger area to close every gap. Only the wrist opening should remain open.

Step Four

Begin the same sewing process again to sew the second glove that looks exactly like the first one you’ve made.

Step Five

After making the second glove, your pair of leather gloves are ready. You can try them on.

how to make leather gloves osrs

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: How do you make fingerless leather gloves?

You can make fingerless gloves by following the steps below.

  • Use plastic wrap and masking tape to create your pattern: begin by wrapping the plastic wrap around your wrist and cover it with the masking tape. Then, cut out the pattern at the position you want and fix more seams to ensure the pattern is flat.
  • Cut out the pattern on leather: place the pattern on leather, trace it, and cut it out. Also, flip the pattern over, and repeat the process to create a leather pattern for the other hand.
  • Stitch in a zipper: having cut out the patterns for leather gloves, sew in a zipper underneath the thumb to enable you to wear the wrist guard.
  • Hand-stitch the glove sides and darts: stitch the sides of the pattern pieces together using your hand. You can make X stitches to add some design to the gloves. After the sides, stitch the darts above the thumb together too.
  • Burn the leather: you can use a versa tool to make designs on the leather glove to make it look more fashionable, and your fingerless leather gloves are ready.

Q: How do you make faux leather gloves?

You can make faux leather gloves first by drawing the pattern pieces, creating and designing a thumb hole, and making patterns for the fingers. Then, you prepare the leather by testing its stretch level, ensuring it doesn’t stretch so much to avoid sagging.

Make the faux leather wet, stretch it out again, and let it dry. Then, place the pattern pieces on leather. Cut the pattern, the finger spaces, and thumbholes.

When the pieces are ready, sew the glove pieces together, attaching the thumb to its hole and the finger pieces in their spaces. Repeat this process for the other hand, and your faux leather gloves are ready.

Q: What are leather gloves made of?

Various leather types can make leather gloves. Some even use microfiber leather but, one of the most popular types to use is cowhide. Leather gloves made of cowhide have excellent abrasion, are comfortable, and are long-lasting.

Q: How are sheepskin gloves made?

Sheepskin gloves are made with extra care. Each piece is cut with the help of a hydraulic press and dies. They are then hand-sewed using unique, strong needles for making gloves. These needles are sharp, have three sides, and help the glove seems to last for long.

Q: What is lambskin leather?

Lambskin leather is a type of leather made from young sheep hide. It is soft, light-weighted, and has smooth grains. Lambskin leather is usually great for making luxury leather items such as jackets, boots, and handbags.

Q: How do you make simple gloves?

To make simple gloves, get the material you want to use for the gloves and turn it inside out. Place your arm on it and let your elbow rest close to the edge, with your fingertips pointing towards the other edge.

Spread your fingers a little and use a contrasting pen to trace them to the base to get a front and back pattern. Hold the sleeve layers together and sew length stitches on the lines using a stretch needle of size 11 (75).

Sew down the bottom of each, ensuring to add some stitches to the V bottom before sewing the next finger. You may sew some reverse stitches at the seams to make them more durable. Then, remove the pins, cut out the surplus fabric, and turn the gloves out. Your gloves are ready.

Q: How do you make gloves with a sewing machine?

Begin with creating a pattern for the gloves to have a perfect fitting. Place the pattern on the fabric you want to use and trace it out. Then, place fabric pieces on a sewing machine and sew on the lines. Finally, cut the excess fabric off, turn up the gloves and try them on.

Wrap Up

Leather gloves are unique accessories that serve various purposes and should be made to fit the wearer. Knowing how to make leather gloves will enable you to sew durable, high-quality gloves that will tailor-fit your hands and give you comfort.

Evina Naomi

Ewofere, Evina Naomi is a biotechnologist and passionate content writer. As a great lover of leather and various leather crafts, she broadly addresses leather-related issues. She is a writer of many excellent articles on leather. With great knowledge and enthusiasm, readers can access researched pieces on various leather types and the best techniques that work on them. Naomi is here to lead you through the journey of choosing excellent leather products and ensure you handle them rightly. So you can embark on your leather sewing and crafting journey with her and have an incredible experience.

Recent Posts