Leather Double Wrap Wristbands

Wristbands can offer support for a variety of applications, including blacksmithing, weight lifting, and sword handling. In our video tutorial, Chuck shows how to make a basic pair of wristbands but this pattern can be taken and adapted to fit your needs. If you need more support, bump up to a heavier leather, or if they are more for show, add some tooling or embellishments!

What You Need:

Pattern Sheet (65-4110)

Steel Square (65-3039)

Scratch Awl (CSO4-2)

Silent Poundo Board (3461-01)

Poly Cutting Board (65-2916)

Jasper Chrome Pull-Up Leather (13504-)

Snap Off Knife (65-2860)

Rotary Punch (65-6230)

Round Strap End Punch, 1/2" (00076)

Oblong Punch, 1/2" (00072)

Rawhide Mallet (65-2520)

923 Buckle (00923)

#2200 Double Cap Rivets (02200)

#2200 Double Cap Rivet and Jiffy Rivet Setter (65-6276)

Marble Tooling Slab (65800-)

Step 1: Create Your Pattern

These wristbands are a simple project created from only three different pattern pieces. You have your main body, your straps, and your buckle billets.

You can download and print the free pattern for this project here.

The measurements can be tailored specifically for your wrists, but here are the dimensions used in Chuck's video tutorial:

(2) Main Body: 6-1/2" x 2-1/4"

(4) Strap: 11" x 1/2"

(4) Billet: 2-1/4" x 1/2"

You can also go ahead and mark on your pattern sheet where you're going to punch holes in each piece.

Main Body:

• 1 rivet hole in each corner (3/8" in from short ends, and 1/2" in from the longer top and bottom sides)
• (2) 1/2" oblong punches on one end of each strap (aligned with each rivet hole, and 1/2" farther in lengthwise)

Strap:

• 1 rivet hole (1/2" from end)
• 8 size holes on the opposite end from the rivet hole (starting 1" from the strap end, with 1/2" of space between each hole)

• 1 rivet hole on each end (3/8" in from end)
• (1) 1/2" oblong punch in the center of each billet

Step 2: Trace Main Body

With your scratch awl, trace your main body pattern on your leather, and mark where your rivet holes and oblong punches will be. You need two copies of this piece.

Step 3: Cut Out Body

Using your snap off knife and a straight edge, cut out your two main body pieces.

Step 4: Round Corners

Notice that the corners of your pattern pieces are rounded. There are two ways you can round the small corners of your main body pieces.

1. Carefully freehand cut around each corner.

2. If you aren't comfortable freehanding such a small curve, you can make a series of small, straight cuts angled around your corner, trimming off a little bit each time. This is an easy way to create a smooth corner, even if it's not perfectly rounded.

Step 5: Cut Straps and Billets

Measure and cut out your straps and billets using your knife and straight edge. You need 4 copies of each piece.

Step 6: Mark Holes

Using your scratch awl, mark each piece with the places where you're going to punch rivet holes, size holes, and oblongs in later steps.

Step 7: Clip Strap Ends

Clip one end on each of your 4 straps at an angle. This will make it easier to thread it through your oblong when putting on your wristbands.

Step 8: Punch Holes

Use your rotary punch to punch the holes in your billets. For this project, use the second to the bottom tube so that your rivets fit snugly.

Step 9: Round Punch Ends

Round both ends of each billet with your Round Strap End Punch and a rawhide mallet.

(If you don't have a 1/2" Round Strap End Punch, you can also round the corners of your billets freehand, like you did with your main body pieces.)

Step 10: Punch Oblongs

Use your 1/2" Oblong Punch to punch the centers of your billets.

(If you don't own an Oblong Punch, you can create a similar shape by punching a small hole on each end of your oblong mark, then using a knife to cut out the leather in between those points.)

Step 11: Round Strap End

Using your Round Strap End Punch, round the ends of your straps that you didn't clip earlier.

Step 12: Punch Size Holes

Use the second to bottom tube on your rotary punch again to punch the rivet and size holes in your straps.

Step 13: Punch Main Body

Use the same sized rotary punch to add your rivet holes to each corner of your main body pieces. Then punch your oblongs, following the marks you made for them earlier when tracing your pattern.

Step 14: Attach Buckles

Slide a billet up through the center of your buckle, over the center bar, then back down through.

Make sure you add your buckles to the same side as your oblongs.

Add a rivet to one end of your billet and go underneath and through the rivet hole on your main body. Fold the other end of your billet over, so that the corner of the main body is sandwiched in between. Add the other end of your rivet to secure the three pieces together, and then set it using your rivet setter and your mallet.

Repeat this process for your other 3 buckles and billets. (2 on each body piece.)

Step 15: Attach Straps

Use rivets to attach your straps to the other end of your main body piece. Make sure to attach the rounded ends of the strap to the main body. Set your rivets using your setter and mallet.

Once all of your buckles and straps are attached and secured, your wristbands are complete!

Step 16: Wear Your Wrist Bands!

To put on your finished wristbands, wrap your body piece around your wrists and then thread your straps through the oblongs. Wrap the strap ends around your wrists a second time, and secure with their respective buckles at whatever size feels comfortable and provides the support you want.

(It's best to secure your bands with the strap ends on the inside of your wrists, pointing towards your body.)