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  • Designing Leather Accessories: Tooling, Dying, Hand-stitching and Pattern Making

  • Designing Leather Accessories: Tooling, Dying, Hand-stitching and Pattern Making

  • Laura in the NextFab Laser Studio

  • Leatherworking I: Cutting, Snapping, and Finishing

  • Designing Leather Accessories: Tooling, Dying, Hand-stitching and Pattern Making

About the Course

Dive into our textiles and laser-cutting studios! Learn how to work with leather through these project-based classes, then practice skills by designing your small bag or pouch. Through a combination of formal classes and group sessions to work through design and fabrication techniques, you will come away with a custom leather belt, a hand-stitched wallet or pouch, a finished leather belt, a custom bag, a laser-cut acrylic template for making multiples, and the skills to continue the craft on your own!

NextFab’s Maker Series is a two-month program that gives you up to 5 classes, unlimited shop access, and a cohort to learn alongside. All materials are included in the price. This Maker Series is currently closed. To be the first to know when our next series opens for enrollment, fill out the Maker Series Interest Form here.

Q. What is included in the Maker Series package?

A. Registration in a Maker Series grants you:

  • The scheduled classes and training to complete the selected project (over $600 of class instruction)
  • 2 months of active NextFab Membership, starting on the first class date (over $400 value)
  • Adobe at Home Access ($120 value over 2 months!)
  • Special member pricing to continue membership beyond the 2 months: $149/month (over 30% discount from standard membership)
  • A cohort of peers, new skills and confidence gained, and a sense of community within the Philadelphia creative ecosystem (priceless value!)

Q: Is the Maker Series right for me? I have ZERO experience!

A: Yes! The Maker Series programming was developed with the true beginner in mind. In six weeks, you could go from zero experience to confidently navigating an active studio and future projects.

Not only is NextFab’s Maker Series designed to teach you how to use the most common equipment within the area of your program, but also how to think about design when creating something from scratch. Knowing how to follow a blueprint or plan is incredibly valuable, but designing your own project plans is what will differentiate you from the hobbyist who is “just winging it.”

Q: If I am a previous member of NextFab, can I join the Maker Series?

A: Absolutely! If you are a previous member and looking to complete the class project or get a major refresh of skills you haven’t used for a while, the Maker Series is a perfect way to get your feet wet again.

Q: I have a schedule conflict with one of the class dates. Can I make it up?

A: Yes. The Maker Series package accounts for one (1) makeup class date per student at no additional cost. Advance notice/active communication with your instructor is required to coordinate when you can make up the lesson before the next scheduled class date. Subsequent absences from the pre-scheduled classes will incur an educational fee of $60/hr to make up the material.

Q: Should I join the Maker Series or join as a regular member and take classes?

A: This depends on your goals. If you are feeling inspired and want to learn new skills but don’t have a particular project in mind, the Maker Series is perfectly suited to get your feet wet and help you find your way in the craft.

If you have a particular project in mind and want to learn all the skills needed and complete your specific project, Monthly Ultimate membership ($319/mo) is your golden ticket. Ultimate membership comes with $200 of class credits monthly, so you can get started taking the classes you need, on your schedule. You can even book Private Training sessions with those credits if you need hands-on help completing your project.

Classes included in series:

Day 1 and Day 2: Discover the basics of leatherworking by making a custom belt. We’ll show you how to create custom designs in any leather project, using dyes, tooling, and more.
Day 3: Hand-stitch a wallet or pouch using the durable saddle stitch.
Day 4: Design and Intro to Illustrator.
Day 5: Learn to safely operate the laser engravers and cut a custom template for your leatherworking design.
Day 6: Assemble your custom leather project.

Request a Class

Let us know your prefered dates and times, and we’ll work with you to put something on the calendar. Please note we need at least 48 hours notice to schedule classes.