Traditional & contemporary craft courses in north Wales
handmade by you in
wernog wood
An introduction to the fundamentals of leatherworking
See course details, dates, costs, tutors & stories from students below
Mike Reid runs Handcrafted Leather, a small award winning business with a worldwide customer base. On both one or two day fundamentals courses you will learn names and purposes of key tools, how to sew traditional saddle stitch, layout a pattern for marking and cutting, prepare edges for finishing, dye and treat leather to give your items greater longevity.
Mike will talk about different types of leather showing with samples and their main applications, thread, tools, hardware and more. He will give you a brief presentation on the history of leather and its production and tradition here in the UK.
On the single day course you will leave with a belt to last a lifetime, or on the two day course you will leave with a beautifully made wallet. On the 1/2 day taster course, you will make a collar yoiur dog will be proud to wear!
1 December 2024
Belts
30 March 2025
Dog collars
1/2 day taster (morning or afternoon)
26-27 April 2025
Wallets
19 October 2025
Belts
To see tutor Mike Reid at work, watch our short film made by ITV Wales - Coast & Country here
£295 - 2 day wallet making course
plus £30 materials
£150 - 1 day belt making course
plus approx £45 for materials
£75 - half day - dog collar
plus £25 for materials
Tea, coffee and simple lunch included in your course price
We also offer accommodation & evening meals
Click here to see what we offer
This course is aimed at adults, aged 18yrs + and is suitable for beginners to those with experience
Mike Reid owns and runs Handcrafted Leather, a small, award winning, professionally run leathercraft business with a worldwide customer base. Mike is largely self taught with a brief mentorship in Ruthin. He began his trade by buying old leather jackets & restitching them into new things, using simply a nail as an awl & a sharpened fork as a pricking iron to make even stitching holes.
Seven years into his journey now, bespoke artwork on leather is the mainstay of the business. From belts, wallets, hip flasks and luggage tags to custom motorcycle seats, plaques and murals, the enthusiasm for this craft grows with every new piece.
Working mostly to commission with customers from California to New Zealand & everywhere in between, Mike is looking forward to hosting classes with the hope of enthusing others to pick up the awl and thread, to create and to support British owned suppliers that help to keep this rewarding & fascinating craft alive.
Stories from our students
A really detailed and well planned introduction to leatherworking. It was a wonderfully relaxing but tiring experience. We were all totally engrossed in what we were doing under Mike's gentle guidance and encouragement. He was a great teacher and we all left with items we could be proud of - Nigel
I did the leather crafting course a few weeks ago and it was absolutely brilliant. I learnt so much, the teacher was great and so were the rest of the fellow students. I also have a lovely little clutch bag to show for it.
My boyfriend and I pitched a tent for the couple of night we were there and were absolutely delighted with the wonderful location and facilities. Not to forget a massive shoutout to the amazing hosts Claire and Rob who were absolutely delightful and made us feel so at home! Absolutely loved the homemade pizzas!
Since I have been I haven’t stopped recommending Wernog Wood to all of my friends (along with any stranger I meet in the pub ) - Alexandra
The course was very informative and the tutor, Mike Reid was very engaging. It was great to be shown so many different techniques and encouraged to get hands on with the tools and material. Mike has a wealth of knowledge and is very passionate about his subject. I liked that it was a small group too so I had the 1:1 time I needed when I was struggling. The location was perfect and Claire and Rob were brilliant hosts. I am looking forward to spending more time in Wernog Wood. - Sarah
Sarah
Upcoming Dates
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