The Leather Workshop · Laser Generator Studio
Laser Leather Pattern Generator
Over 300 leather goods in 13 categories, from hat patches and wallets to belts, collars and knife sheaths. Stitch holes line up through every layer, and only laser-safe leathers are offered.
- Exports
- SVG, DXF, PDF, EPS, PNG
- Works with
- LightBurn, xTool Creative Space, Glowforge
- Materials
- Vegetable-tanned leather, veg-tan suede, laser-safe PVC-free leatherette
What the Leather Workshop makes
The Leather Workshop is a catalogue of more than 300 leather goods that people make and sell with a laser, grouped into 13 categories. Search for what you want to make (an AirTag holder, a menu cover, a guitar strap) or browse a category, and the studio opens the right pattern with sensible starting sizes.
- Patches and maker labels, including hat patches
- Card, bifold and passport wallets
- Journal and menu covers
- Keychains, key fobs and AirTag holders
- Can sleeves and coasters
- Pouches and knife sheaths
- Luggage tags and desk mats
- Belts, dog collars, guitar straps and watch bands
- A snap-cornered valet tray, and more
Stitch holes that line up
Hand-stitched leather lives or dies by its stitch line. All stitching in the studio comes from one engine that spaces holes evenly along each edge, so runs meet cleanly at corners and every layer of a wallet has its holes in exactly the same place. Set the stitch spacing and the distance from the edge, and the holes follow the outline.
Belts and collars sized for the wearer
Belts take the waist size and collars take the neck size. The studio adds the buckle end, the tip and the adjustment holes for you. If the finished strap is longer than your laser bed, it gives you two end pieces to laser onto a strap you’ve cut to length by hand.
Choosing leather for the laser
Safety first. Only laser vegetable-tanned leather, veg-tan suede, or leatherette sold as laser-safe and PVC-free. Never laser PVC or vinyl “leather”: it releases chlorine compounds that are harmful to breathe and corrode your machine. Avoid chrome-tanned leather. If the seller can’t confirm what a material is, don’t laser it.
Veg-tan engraves to a rich brown and takes dye and burnishing well, which is why most laser leatherworkers use it. Thickness matters for the pattern: around 2 mm for wallets and card holders, 3 to 4 mm for belts and collars. Enter your measured thickness so folds, slots and gussets are sized for it.
Cutting and finishing
Leather burns easily, so the usual approach is lower power with an extra pass rather than one slow pass that scorches the edge. Mask the grain side with transfer tape to keep smoke marks off, keep air assist on, and wipe the edges after cutting. Burnish the edges, then saddle stitch through the laser-cut holes.
Leather from different tanneries behaves differently, so cut a small test card on an offcut of each new hide before cutting a full pattern. For engraved logos or photos on leather, the photo engraving studio has a leather preset.
Pricing leather goods
Leather has a high material cost and real hand-finishing time, so price carefully. The laser price calculator lets you include finishing minutes and packaging, and shows the Etsy price that covers Etsy’s fees.
Questions
Which leather can I laser?
Vegetable-tanned leather and veg-tan suede, and leatherette that the seller confirms is laser-safe and PVC-free. Avoid chrome-tanned leather, whose fumes can contain chromium compounds, and never laser PVC or vinyl "leather".
Why not PVC or vinyl leather?
PVC releases chlorine compounds when it burns, which form hydrochloric acid. That is harmful to breathe and corrodes the laser. If a seller can't confirm a material is PVC-free, don't put it in the laser.
What thickness should I use?
About 2 mm veg-tan is common for wallets and card holders, and 3 to 4 mm for belts and collars. Enter the real thickness so folds and slots are sized correctly.
How do I stop burn marks on the leather?
Mask the grain side with transfer tape, use air assist, and cut with lower power and an extra pass rather than one slow, hot pass. Wipe the edges after cutting.
My belt is longer than my laser bed. What now?
Belts, straps and collars longer than your bed come out as two end pieces (buckle end and tip) to cut on a strap you have already cut to length.
xTool, LightBurn, Glowforge, Etsy are trademarks of their respective owners. Laser Generator Studio is an independent product and is not affiliated with or endorsed by them.