How to Make Leather Petal Earrings

The great thing about crafting leather petal earrings, is that they are one of the easiest leather earrings to make and also require minimal tools. You’ll just need to make sure that you have leather shears or anything that can cut through leather, an awl or small hole puncher and a skiving knife, in case you’re working with thicker leather. 

Tools Required:

• Leather Shears 
• Awl
• Pliers
• Skiving Knife (Optional)

Materials required:

• Small piece of leather

Take note that the measurements in this guide are only a reference. You may use your own sizes, as well as quality or type of leather. To create amazing leather petal earrings, follow this simple 5-step process:

1. Cut Out a Small Piece of Leather
2. Thin Your Leather (Optional)
3. Create the Petal Shape
4. Punch a Hole Using an Awl
5. Attach the Metal Earring Hook 

We prefer working with slightly thinner pieces of leather when it comes to making leather petal earrings, as it’s easily foldable, giving it that natural petal look. 

1. Cut Out a Small Piece of Leather

Take your preferred piece of leather and cut out a rectangular shape. If you’re going to use a template for the petal design, ensure that the leather piece is large enough. However, the petal shape can quite easily be created using a simple folding technique, which won’t require any template. More on that later!

We find that the best ratio for the petal design is about 2:1 and in our example, we use a 2-inch length and a 1-inch width. If you want a more squarish petal design, simply increase the width by a few fractions of an inch. It’s completely up to you. 

Cut your leather with a cutter or leather shears. We find leather shears for simple shapes much easier. Once you’re happy with the size, move on to the next step. 

2. Thin Your Leather (Optional)

When it comes to foldable petal shapes, we prefer to work with thinner leather, as it’s much easier to work with and it also helps to give the petal a more natural shape and look. 

In our example, we’re using a 1/32-inch leather thickness. If you’re working with slightly thicker leather and prefer a thinner look, simply use a skiving knife to thin the leather on the flesh side. 

If you prefer to create thicker leather petal earrings, we suggest that you increase the length and width as well, as you may not be able to easily fold the top piece over later on. 

3. Create the Petal Shape

There are a few ways to create a petal shape on your leather; you can either use a template or cut the petal shape out by folding it over. If you’re using a template, simply place it onto your leather piece, use an awl to mark the cutting lines and cut the shape out using leather shears. 

You can also cut out the leather shape around the template using a cutter, however we find that leather shears create smoother edges and require less trimming later on. 

The second and preferred technique requires you to fold your leather piece in half, across the long side. You can then simply use your leather shears to create the petal design, but cutting across the folded side. 

This shaping technique also helps to create a symmetrical design, making it much easier to align. After you have your petal cut out, make sure to trim away any unwanted fibers off the edges.

4. Punch a Hole Using an Awl

The next step requires you to create a hole at the top of the petal, so that you’ll be able to loop the earring hook around it. Creating a hole is simple and requires a small hole puncher or an awl. We prefer using an awl, as the earring hooks are typically very thin and don’t require a larger hole. 

Here, use the tool that suits your petal and earring hook size and shape. When using an awl, simply fold over your petal earring at the top and pinch it. You’ll need to press it hard enough so that the top of the petal sticks together.

This step is required, as we’re trying to create that natural folded design of the petal. Once pinched, simply use an awl and poke a hole through the leather. Ensure to leave equal amounts of space on each side of the hole and also make sure that the margins match the earring hook size. 

To fully penetrate both sides of the leather, you may want to place leather scraps or a cork underneath it. Once fully penetrated, open up the petal and reinforce the holes individually by driving your awl through each hole, ensuring they are big enough to loop the earring hook through it. 

5. Attach the Metal Earring Hook 

Now, you’ll need to attach the earring hook to the leather petal. You can achieve this by using a pair of pliers to twist the earring hook out of its ring shape. 

Then, insert the hook at the bottom of the earring into the hole from the flesh side (the back side). Simply use your plies to twist the earring hook back into its round form and ensure that the shape of the petal is maintained by pinching the top folded area. 

This gives the leather petal earring a three-dimensional effect. Lastly, ensure that the earring hook is firmly attached to the leather petal and that it’s hooked on the right way. If you want the petal earring to dangle, you can also create a ring in between the petal earring and the earring hook (image below).

That’s it! You’ve just crafted your own pair of leather petal earrings in 5 easy-to-follow steps. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different types of designs, shapes, colors and styles. You can also accessorize or decorate your petal earrings to give them a more fashionable look.