Dopp Kit

I made my first dopp kit with a paper tea box as a template. I thought it would work out, but it ended up being a piece of leather with a little bag on the end that I’d have to wind up around all the contents of the bag. It was OK, but I thought I could do better. Rather than sewing this together with an awl and a bunch of waxed thread, I went with rivets I bought from a leather shop. It worked out pretty well, as rivets go, and I’m happy with how it turned out.

Overall, it’s 8 inches wide and 11 inches in circumference (3.5 in diameter). I went with a tube shape mostly because it was easy and I didn't have as many seams to deal with. :)

As with all things, once you make it, you know how to make it better. If I ever sit down and make this again, I’ll pay more attention to how I cut the sides, and I’ll buy a longer zipper. Perhaps I’ll revisit this down the line and improve it, as my leatherworking skills improve. I could add something about how I like the errors because it adds an air of authenticity to the project, and you know it's handmade because of it's imperfections, but the truth is, I just don't have a lot of experience working with leather. I'll get better.

I have a couple of other bags planned, as well as a tool roll that’ll be really awesome. Look for those in the coming weeks.