We've been making some leather bottles for our viking affairs.
We started with making paper templates. The shape was then drawn to the cow leather with a ballpoint (chalks and pencils don't do the job).
Then the outline was glued (both pieces) from the stitch line to the edge.
We pressed the glued pieces under wooden planks until it the glue dried.Then we grinded the edge so that the two layers looked like one.
I drew and cut out a groove for the stitches.
Then I punched the holes for the stitches. I did it from one side, from the other side and I made a groove at the back.
The leather bottle was sewn and dived to hot water until it became elastic.
Then the stopper of the right size was picked and the lower side was narrowed.
We stuffed the bottle very hard with grain and put the stopper in.
As the glue is water soluble, we put office clips at the seams to reseal the glue. The bottle dried overnight.
We poured the grain out. We put in some screws and nuts and shaked until the last grain went out.
When the bottle was dry, we poured it in hot wax (it must not boil, so it is warmed upon hot water). It takes about five minutes from both sides. There must come no more air bubbles from the seams.
The bottle must be very very dry before this step! We 'boiled' one bottle - it was not perfectly dry and it got wrinkles.
Punching the holes.
Our bottleeees!
Mine are the right light two and my husband made the left light tree (one of them is the boiled one).
Mine are the right light two and my husband made the left light tree (one of them is the boiled one).
