Distressed leather

Dawn asks:
How do you distress leather to get those ragged, uneven edges?

This was another fun one! I hate to say it but my husband's finishing touches were what really gave this piece that distressed look. Let's look at the first photo; this is a piece of deerhide with the edges ragged because it's really thin and it ripped and tore in the tanning process. Now lets look at the second photo; this is my experiment at recreating that look. This bit of deerhide is much thicker than the first piece but I think with practice you'll really be able to get it looking good.

Here's how I did it:
1) Cut little holes in the leather and cut little strings. 2)Brush it with a wire brush like you use to clean your BBQ grill. I thought it looked okay. 3) Let your husband grab it and take it to the garage where he pounds on it with a hammer. It totally changed the look and it's much closer to what you wanted. 4) Listen to husband brag.

You have to use the edge of the hammer to break the leather at the bottom. You can probably pound on it with a rock too. Have fun perfecting this!

Judi