How To Make Magic Elf Dust

Introduction: How to Be an Elf

I spent nigh of my childhood running around in the woods pretending to exist diverse magical creatures while my dad read me fantasy novels. More two decades later, I have withal refused to end playing wearing apparel-up. I've designed a lot of costumes, but I've never actually realized on my babyhood elven fantasies. I idea it was near time.

In my personal mythology, existence an elf has a lot to practice with having a connexion to nature... but wearing the right accessories doesn't hurt either. I knew my elf persona needed to reflect the environs I inhabited equally a kid, so I chose an oak motif for my design.

Building on this theme, I tooled, cut, dyed and braided leather to create a leafy headpiece, ears, bracers and belt that, when worn together, will ideally make fifty-fifty the near mundane man experience a little mythical.

In this Instructable, I will prove y'all all the leather working techniques yous need to create your ain elf alter ego. I can only teach you how to build your accessories though, woods frolicking will be up to y'all. Just, I do firmly believe in the power of costumes, especially costumes you make yourself. Create the right outfit and the balance will follow.

Footstep 1: What You Need

Leather Tools:

• Mallet
• Awl
• Adaptable V-gouge
• Border beveler
• Burnishing tool
• Stitching groover
• Stitching bike
• Skiving tool
• Diamond stitching chisel - I used one that creates holes 1/eight" apart, it was useful to take one that has switchable heads with different numbers of prongs so yous can go around curves etc.
• Rotary hole punch
• Ball signal leather modeling stylus for tracing
• Hinge knife
• Pointed modeling spoon
• Textured beveling tool
• Matting postage stamp
• Exacto knife and extra blades
• Leather scissors
• Thick waxed thread and a leather needle
• Narrow, strong double sided tape
• A quartz slab or other very hard surface and a softer poundo board to put over it
• A mini anvil
• A hammer
• Snap setter to match your snaps

Dying and Finishing Supplies:

• Gum Tragacanth for burnishing
• Blackness Pro Waterstain
• Acorn Brown All-In-One Stain and Finish (or a leather dye in a similar color)
• Silvery Cova Color
• Leather sealer like Pro Gloss Finish
• Strong Leather glue like leather contact cement, or tanners bond
• Clean sponges for applying dye
• Swabs or Q-tips
• Small and medium watercolor paintbrushes
• Disposable paintbrushes for mucilage
• Disposable cups for dye

Materials:

• 2-iv oz milled veg tanned leather - At least i square foot for the four individual leaves on the headpiece.
• 4-five oz un-milled veg tanned leather - at least 3 foursquare feet for the pocket, bracers, and headpiece
• Two spools of silvery buckstitch lace
• Nigh five anxiety of parachute cord
• A one/two" silver buckle for the strap of the headpiece
• 4 snaps
• Small silver rivets
• Silver spiral posts with a 1/2" stem
• Paper or oaktag
• Wax paper, freezer paper or saran wrap

Bones Tools:

• Ruler
• Pencil
• Paper
• Scissors for cutting newspaper
• Record
• Printable tracing paper (optional)
• Sandpaper

Step 2: Designing and Creating Patterns

I started my elven transformation like I first all my designs, by looking for inspiration and then sketching ideas.

When I had an overall design sketch that I was satisfied with, I started patterning my pieces. I looked at photos of oak leaves and sketched a basic leaf design that I liked. Then I used this blueprint as a jumping off point to create leaf variations for each pattern. I took measurements of my caput and forearms to help get the proportions of the bracers and headpiece right, and used a mannequin head every bit a base for creating the headpiece.

To create the pattern for the pointy ears, I put a piece of newspaper backside my own ear and had someone aid me trace its outline. And then I used this guideline to describe the ear shape I wanted. By playing around with folding paper around this shape I was able to create an ear blueprint out of a single piece of leather which covered role of my own ear and extended out to a suitably elven point.

I wanted to make the pocket on the belt fit my phone... because even elves need digital connectivity... then I used my phone to make up one's mind the size of the pocket, and then designed the details around it.

The patterns for the headpiece and belt came together adequately hands, but the bracers were more of a challenge. I really wanted them to extend down over the wrist onto the back of the mitt, but this required them to have a point of articulation. I went through quite a few different design variations, testing each one on my own arm in oaktag, before I constitute something that fit right and flowed smoothly with the movement of my manus.

Footstep three: Transferring the Patterns Into Illustrator

When I had well fitting mock ups of the headpiece, bracers and pocket, I scanned all the pieces and imported them into Illustrator. There I traced them with the pen tool, making whatever alterations I wanted, and duplicating and flipping where in that location were multiples or pairs. This step wasn't strictly necessary, but I find it really useful to have make clean digital copies of my patterns. Information technology makes adjusting or duplicating them much easier. And, of course, information technology lets me share them with you!

Step four: Tracing the Patterns Onto Leather

At present that my patterns were drafted I needed to make physical copies. I printed all the patterns that would fit on eight.5"x11" on articulate printable tracing newspaper that I got from Tandy. This paper is dainty to work with because it is durable and lets y'all run across the leather under your pattern, but press onto regular paper works fine likewise.

To transfer my patterns onto leather I first took appropriately sized pieces of leather and dampened, or "cased" them evenly, with a wet sponge. I used two unlike types of leather for different parts of my accessories. For the bracers and the main part of the headpiece I used 5-6oz unmilled veg tanned leather because it was stiffer and held it'southward shape better, only for the ears, private leaves, and pocket I used a iv-5oz milled veg tanned leather, which was much softer and easier to cutting and form.

Once my leather pieces were wet, I laid my patterns over them, securing them with tape, and then used an a pocket-sized brawl point sculpting stylus to trace my patterns through onto the leather.

If you are using the transfer paper, y'all accept to be certain to lay information technology on the wet leather with the printed side up or the coating that enables you to print on it volition become sticky, and the ink could run onto your leather.

Stride 5: Making the Ears

To construct my elf ears, I kickoff cut out the ear patterns I had traced, then I flipped my leather pieces over and lay my patterns over the underside of my ear cut outs. I used a tracing wheel to mark the fold lines through onto the leather, and then gouged all these lines with my V-gouge to brand them easier to fold.

Next I folded each ear into it's basic shape an and so used leather contact cement in a few places to hold the shape together, making certain to leave nigh of the space between the ii layers open so my own ear would be able to fit within.

Step 6: Forming the Ears

I could take just stopped later gluing the ears together, but I wanted them to have a more organic shape, so, once the gum had dried, I soaked them in water and sculpted them a little with my easily until they looked a fleck more than lifelike.

Before leaving them to dry, I filled the insides with pillow stuffing to keep a trivial room between the layers.

Step 7: Dying the Ears

I am a very pale creature, and then the color of the leather was already fairly close to my skin color, just it wasn't quite correct, and then I used a combination of eco menses dyes to try to match the color of my own ear. I mixed timber brown, cherry-red and yellow in dissimilar ratios with water and tested it on a spare scrap of leather until I establish proficient color. Then I moisture the ears and shaded themn a little, focusing on the areas around the folds and looking at my own ear for reference.

Step 8: Tooling Part 1: the Swivel Knife

To create the details on the leaves in my design, I used a few different leather tools to carve and texture the outlines I had already traced onto my leather.

The leather needs to be wet throughout this process so I always kept a sponge and water nearby, and re-cased my leather when information technology started to dry out.

The first tool I used on each design was the swivel knife. This is a carving tool that allows you lot to cutting grooves into your leather where y'all desire to define lines or the edges of patten elements. Y'all hold the knife with your thumb and middle finger while your index finger rests in the saddle at the pinnacle. Button downward on the knife with your index finger while pulling it frontward and guiding it around curves with your other ii fingers. The action takes a some getting used to, but with a little practice it becomes fairly simple.

I used this tool to outline the veins on all my leaves. I constitute that it was useful to rotate my leather effectually as I worked to give myself a good bending for each stroke.

Step 9: Tooling Part 2: Modeling and Stamping

Once I had outlined my foliage veins with the hinge knife, I used two boosted tools to texture the leaf design.

First I used a pointed modeling spoon to press down the areas around the veins of the foliage and slightly round the edges of the veins themselves.

Then I stamped with a textured beveling tool in the same areas I had just pressed down with my modeling spoon Using this tool increases the relief of the veins in relation to the residue of the leafage and and adds a nice texture.

Step ten: Cutting

When I had finished detailing my leaves, I cut them out forth the outlines I had traced. As someone who works with fabric a lot I am more comfortable with scissors than an exacto knife, so I used leather shears whenever possible, but in some of the more than detailed areas of thicker leather (like the leaves of the headpiece) I used a combination of hole punch and exacto knife.

On my pocket design I cutting a V shaped slit along the meridian of the leaf to permit the flap to close over the front of the pocket. I also used my V-gouge to score the fold lines on the front piece so they would fold more cleanly.

I waited to cut out my bracers until after I had painted and dyed them.

Step 11: Shaping

Once my headpiece was cut out I wanted to requite it a bit of shape, so I cased information technology with water and so sculpted the leaves a trivial so they looked more iii dimensional. I put information technology back on the head form, taped it down in the shape I wanted and left it to dry overnight.

Footstep 12: Marking and Punching the Pocket

The just part of this project that required a petty paw sewing was the pocket. In one case I had information technology all cut out, I used thin double sided tape to stick the 2 layers together the mode they were going to exist attached. And then I cased my leather and used my stitching groover to marking a stitching line about ane/8" in from the edge of the pocket. I followed this line with my stitching chisel, punching sewing holes through both layers all the way effectually.

Step 13: Leaf Decomposition

I often think leaves are the near cute when they're starting to decompose, and then in one case I had tooled and cut out all my pieces, I decided I wanted to add together some decompositional detail to some of them.

I altered the pocket pattern piece to add some holes an other ragged details, then I traced this onto the leaf I had already tooled for the pocket and used my hole punch and exacto knife to cut abroad the areas I had traced. Last I used a Tandy matting postage to give some areas of the leaf a crude texture.

I too added decomposition to 2 of the leaves that would be fastened to the headpiece strands. I didn't create a pattern for these changes, I simply used my exacto and pigsty punch to nibble away at the leaves in strategic areas, then added texture with my matting stamp.

Pace xiv: Painting and Dying

I used three different kinds of leather dye to add color to my leaves: A black Waterstain, a silver Cova Color, and an acorn Chocolate-brown All-In-One Stain and Finish.

First I wet each foliage thoroughly, so I used a paintbrush to shade around the raised leaf veins with Blackness Waterstain. I applied the stain similar a watercolor, letting it bleed and fade out into the wet leather. On the decomposing leaves I used more black Waterstain, applying some around the holes and textured areas as well.

Then I used a smaller paintbrush to apply the silver Cova Color to the raised veins of each leaf.

When both these treatments had stale, I used a paintbrush and sponge to use the All-in-1 Stain to the residual of the leaf, applying information technology with the brush, then wiping it off with the sponge. This stain is non very forgiving, it stains immediately, and therefore tends to create an uneven end if y'all are not careful. I might recommend using a chocolate-brown Waterstain instead, but this was just what I happened to have, and I fabricated it work.

I painted both the branches on the headpiece and the leaves of the belt clasps entirely with silvery Cova Color. I found this paint too went on best and gave the smoothest end when applied to wet leather.

Step 15: Finishing

When everything was dyed, I cut out my bracers with scissors and and so punched the holes that would connect the three parts.

I used my edge beveler to bevel all the edges of the leaves earlier dying them with All-In-One stain. Then I used Glue Tragacanth and my wooden burnishing tool to give all the edges a nice polished expect.

Stride 16: Braiding

I used 2 different kinds of braids in this design, both made with silver buckstitch lace from Tandy.

For two strands of the belt I was excited to try a new kind of braid, so I figured out how to brand a 4-strand circular braid with a rope cadre. I learned this braid from a volume called Leather Braiding, which has a lot of good braiding patterns and tutorials.

Every bit you can see in the diagram I've drawn above, you commencement the four strand braid by attaching four lengths of lacing around a key rope core with their silverish sides facing out. To make the braid, you are basically always taking the highest strand from alternate sides, and wrapping it effectually the back of the rope to the other side and nether the next highest strand.

It took me a petty while to effigy out, but it was really simple one time I got the hang of it, and the finished braid has a really nice effect, especially with the silver lacing. The four strand complect volition reduce the original length of your laces past about 1/3, so you lot need to take that into business relationship when planning your complect.

On the headpiece and the bracers I used a unproblematic iii-strand complect for the laces, loops and dangles. This braid will shorten the original length of your textile by about one/4 and then it is a bit more efficient, merely not quite equally interesting.

Pace 17: Assembling the Headpiece

To assemble the headpiece, I first created an extension to the strap which would buckle in the back. I cut out a notch for the buckle earlier dying the strap silverish, then fastened the buckle.

I riveted the new section of strap to the headpiece strap with two pocket-size silverish rivets. I besides used one of these rivet points to attach the silver braided dangles on each side. Then I fastened the leaves to each dangle using the same silverish rivets.

I fastened the upper loop of silver complect to the front leaves of the headpiece with another three rivets. I as well added a stud button which held the criss-cross of looped braids together on top of the head, and would also human action as a signal of zipper to help keep a hood on my caput if I wanted to wearable one.

Step 18: Attaching the Ears

To adhere the ears punched holes in the lower layer of the ears, then put them on my ears and had someone assist me mark where the holes should meet the headpiece strap behind the ear.

I punched holes in the strap at these points and attached the ears with rivets.

Step nineteen: Assembling the Bracers

To create the loops that would be used to lace upwards the bracers, I glued down the tabs on each side of the leaves, later first skiving and sanding them. I created the loops on the ends of the central wrist piece using a hole punch and rivets.

Then I fastened the three pieces of the bracer with a Chicago spiral at the wrists and closed the finger loop in the front with a rivet.

Concluding I threaded my braided argent strands through the loops and laced them onto my wrists.

Footstep 20: Assembling the Pocket

Before sewing the pocket together, I attached the male side of the snaps to the back side of the pocket, with two snaps on each side.

I used a leather needle and thick blackness waxed thread to sew the ii sides of the pocket together with a saddle stitch. At that place are two ways to practise a saddle run up: the two needles at a time method, or the one needle, ii passes method. I've tried both and I adopt the i needle, two passes method. For a great clarification of how to utilize 2 needles encounter this splendid Instructable by jessyratfink.

To utilize the ane needle, two passes method, I just threaded a unmarried leather needle with a long strand of waxed thread and began sewing at one end of the line of sewing holes. When I got to the other end of the holes, I turned around and sewed back the other way, this time filling in the contrary spaces betwixt sewing holes, making the stitches look similar i unbroken line similar to a sewing machine stitch. When I got back to the first I dorsum stitched a few stitches to secure the thread earlier cutting information technology. Whenever I ran out of thread I only did a few backstitches and and so started a new thread.

When my 2 layer were sewn together, I attached the other sides of my four snaps to the ends of each strap and then they can fold over and snap onto themselves, creating adjustable loops.

Step 21: Assembling the Belt

To assemble the belt I took the silver foliage clasp pieces and folded them in one-half, gluing the 2 sides of the loop portions together.

I punched three holes in each leaf, and so sandwiched the ends of the braids between the two layers of the leaves, securing them with rivets and glue.

The pocket attaches to the silvery part of the belt by snapping through the loops in the leaves, and can exist adjusted by attaching the snaps in different positions.

Pace 22: Existence an Elf

Even though there were a lot of steps involved in making this outfit, none of the leather work was actually that hard, and I was really pleased with the results. I had discovered that you tin can create some actually beautiful details with elementary tooling and dying, and I was excited to make more projects using these techniques ...but start, it was time for some frolicking.

To complete my elf outfit, I paired my leather pieces with a hooded cloak, a simple tunic, a pair of leggings and leather boots. Armed with my beautiful new set of elven accessories, I headed to the forest.

With such an awesome outfit, channeling my childhood imagination was piece of cake. This is why I beloved dressing upward. When you have the right costume on information technology doesn't disguise you, it lets you feel parts of yourself that might normally remain hidden, and gives you power you didn't know you had.

My elf persona might non increase my vision or agility, simply it definitely makes me feel some of the wonder of an excited viii year quondam running through the woods, climbing trees and assertive in magic ...and I'm pretty sure it will also assist me sense the presence of other fantasy nerds in my general vicinity.

2 People Fabricated This Project!

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Source: https://www.instructables.com/How-to-be-an-Elf/

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