Campfire Skies - Riveted Barrette Tutorial

TierraCast's shimmering antique bronze leather, a hammer-textured spiral link, and shiny black rivets, combine to create a barrette that's perfect for Spring bonfires and Fall festivals. This securely riveted barrette project is quick and easy to make, and uses common tools that may already be in your craft room, or a relative's basement.
 

Created by: Polly Nobbs-LaRue

Designer Tips

• Wrap one end of leather around end of barrette so it extends about 3mm past the hole on the underside of the barrette. You may need to trim the corners of the leather, so the leather can extend slightly between the prongs. Keeping the leather wrapped around this end, hold firmly, and wrap the leather across the top of the barrette and over the other end. On the underside of the barrette, approx. 3mm past the other hole, mark a spot to cut the leather.
• Remove leather from the barrette. 
• Center the spiral link on the leather, and carefully mark dots through the holes. Punch each hole in leather using 2mm punch. For a professional look, be careful to center all your dots/holes on the leather. If you notice any irregularities in the image above... my excuse is that I was doing a demo when I made this, so I was talking more than I was paying attention to perfect centering.
• Following the instructions in the rivet's product details, layer the back of the rivet, the leather, the link, and the top of the rivet, and set on a metal block or rivet anvil. Place the rivet setter (curved end down) on the rivet head, and whack firmly with the brass hammer. Check to make sure your join is secure. If it wiggles, then whack again. Repeat for other side of spiral link.
• Now that your decoration is attached, center the leather on the barrette again. Verify that the ends still wrap around properly. Mark the spots to be punched at one end, then punch holes through both layers of leather at once.
• Wrap around that end of the barrette again, and thread the rivet bottom through all the layers. Add the rivet cap, and secure just like before.
• Repeat for other end of barrette.
• You'll use approximately 4" of leather per 80mm barrette, so you can make 2 barrettes per 10" strip of TierraCast leather, and have a bit left over to make an earring, 1" bracelet section, or fringy embellishment.

Suggested Supplies

• 1 each #30-554-80 80mm French Style White Steel Barrette Back
• 1 ten-pack (use 1 piece) #69-982-01-5 TierraCast Spiral & Rivet Links - Antiqued Pewter
• 1 each (use about 4") #61-091-05-54 TierraCast Leather Strip, 1/2" Wide - Antiqued Bronze
• 1 ten-pack #69-981-05 TierraCast Gunmetal Leather Rivets, 3/32" dia (or use antique pewter or silver plate)

Tools

• #69-633 EURO TOOL ProShear -- these shears may be overkill for leather, but if you already have them on your bench for metal, they also happen to cut through leather ""like butter"".
• #69-104 Rotating Leather Hole Punch -- use the 2mm punch (the smallest punch). Leather stretches a bit, so it's better to cut a hole that's smaller than your rivet diameter, rather than the same size or larger.
• #69-348-04  Rivet Setter
• #65-375 Bench Block or #69-936-10 Rivet Anvil
• #69-346 or #69-345 Brass Hammer (The heavier 2lb hammer makes it easy to hit with a nice solid blow.)