DIY leather bookmark

Leather bookmarks are fun and easy to make. One variant is available on my website, www.atelieruldeistorie.ro, that specializes in handmade artifacts inspired by the civilizations of Antiquity, mainly Dacian, Roman, Celtic etc. The bookmarks in question can be included among those from the first category, as the chosen symbol that decorates them is the so-called draco (meaning dragon in Latin), the mythical half wolf, half serpent war standard of the ancient Dacians, once inhabiting the present-day territory of Romania. See my previous post on DIY leather project HERE.

The first step is to cut strips of sturdier leather, the size of the intended bookmarks, and to cut-out the draco shape out of thinner leather, after marking its contours with special marker on the back of the leather, following a cardboard model. The decorative effect of the draco is obtained through punching holes that suggest its eye and body straps.

Cut-out draco shapes

Bookmark-shaped rectangle leather pieces and punched-out draco leather shapes

Then, glue the back of the draco (or other) decorative shape with leather glue applied with a brush onto the base trips. Be careful not to put too much glue on the edges, as the surplus might come out while pressing the two elements together. Leather glue dries fairly fast, so not much pressing is needed.

Apply glue to the back of the draco shape

Gently press the model onto the base strip of leather

The final step is optional and purely decorative. I find the strict rectangular contours of the bookmarks not so pleasing, so I add some asymmetry by cutting out its corners and creating V-shaped indentations, of various sizes, throughout the long sides. They are randomly placed and sized, so just follow your instincts. Thus, no two bookmarks shall be identical!

Finishing touches - cutting off the corners

Creating V-shapes indentations along the long sides of the leather bookmarks

And so the draco leather bookmarks are ready to be used! See other color combinations on my website HERE.

Handmade leather bookmark inspired by the ancient Dacian civilization, by Atelierul de istorie

"One-of-a-kind medallions" special online sales event

Atelierul de istorie has started a new series of online sales events hosted by Facebook. The first focuses on unique handmade medallions inspired by the civilizations of antiquity - mainly Dacian and Roman. The Facebook event is entitled "Wearing Antiquity" [Romanian: Antichitatea la purtator].

For two weeks shoppers will have the opportunity to acquire one-of-a-kind jewelry items, made of natural materials available during the ancient period - leather, metal, glass, and burnt clay. Though the small company specializes in handmade objects inspired by the civilizations of Classical Antiquity and its website presents a wide variety of such items, the medallions available during this special, limited-time event are single items that cannot be purchased normally online.

Join the event [June 9th-23rd 2017], see the products and drop us a line if anything is unclear or you wish to communicate in English - we do ship abroad as well :) And remember - this works on a first come first served basis.

Join the Facebook sales event by Atelierul de istorie!

Handmade leather flag

A special order received by Atelierul de istorie consists of an entirely handmade leather flag inspired by the ancient Dacian civilization. The project is a complex one, with several working stages and materials involved. The central element is a piece of veg tan leather, tooled with the ancient Dacian war standard, the Draco, hand-dyed in contrasting colors The background is made of brown, predyed leather, with the letters for "Dacii liberi " (the Free Dacians") perforated and sewn with silk thread, as it is more resistant. The flag is meant to be attached to an inverted L-shaped support.

Size: ca. 50 x 40 cm

Read more in Romanian HERE.

 

Silk thread sewing on leather

work in progress handmade leather flag

Freshly dyed veg tan tooled leather

 

Free Dacians leather flad

Dacian-inspired gifts for women

Atelierul de istorie has officially started the 2016 end of the year shopping season with special sets for both men and women. The special packs are inspired by the history of the ancient Dacians and, starting with the ladies, the gift wrapped set includes:

- black cotton T-shirt with serigraph rendering the war standard of the Dacians, the half wolf-half snake mythical Draco

- natural color cotton bag with the same imprint

- special edition coral pendant on leather string

- handmade, linocut book mark/business card

Pendants

Atelierul de istorie, a handmade company specialized in objects inspired by the Dacian and Roman civilization, has several novelties in the category of pendants. They are made of various materials (clay, leather, gems, bone) and render representations of Decebal (the portrait of the Dacian king as seen on Trajan's Column) and the Dacian draco (half wolf, half snake, employed by the ancient Dacians as their war standard). Others are inspired by Roman jewelry items made of precious stones or are made of exotic materials such as camel bone.

The clay pendants are mold-pressed and the leather pendant is stamped and dyed by hand.