Embossed Leather Earrings DIY

Emboss leather earrings using a Sizzix machine.

embossed leather earrings

Making this Embossed Leather Earrings DIY is easy with a Sizzix machine (which is super cheap)! In this post, I’ll share multiple phones and explain how I made DIY leather earrings using various types of leather and multiple embossing folders. I’ve also linked a video for the full tutorial.

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Check out my favorite diy earring essentials on Amazon here!
Check out my favorite diy earring materials on Amazon here!

Details for making this embossed leather earrings DIY can be seen in my YouTube video below.

My Favorite Cricut Machine Options

Cutting Tool and Accessory Essentials

Must Have Earring Tools

Must-Have Earring Findings

Heat Press Essentials

Heat Transfer Vinyl

I used to only purchase Cricut brand HTV; however, the colors are very limited. I know enjoy the large range of HTV colors available on Amazon. Check them out here.

EXAMPLE PROJECTS

embossed leather earrings diy
embossed leather earrings diy
embossed leather earrings diy

    embossed leather earrings diy

      embossed leather earrings diy

        embossed leather earrings diy

          embossed leather earrings diy

            embossed leather earrings diy

              embossed leather earrings diy

                What You’ll Need to make this Embossed Leather Earrings DIY

                • Embossing Machine
                • Embossing Folders
                  • Weave Embossing Folder
                  • Diamond Embossing Folder
                  • Scroll Embossing Folder
                  • Damask Embossing Folder

                USING THE SIZZIX MACHINE

                It’s super easy to emboss earrings on the Sizzix machine.

                Sizzix Texture Botuque Embossing Machine

                Embossing Supplies

                Below you’ll see the embossing supplies that I used for this project. I used my Sizzix embossing machine and four different embossing folders.

                Sizzix Texture Botuque Embossing Machine and Embossing Folders
                embossed leather earrings

                Before embossing the earrings, cut your leather into whatever shape desired.

                leather earring diy ready to emboss

                The picture below shows me putting a little bit of water on the leather earrings with a dauber. You can do a couple and compare results with and without water. I think they emboss fine without, but I often do as a habit. The idea is to soften the leather a bit.

                putting water on leather earring to prepare for embossing

                Simply put the earring into the embossing folder. Align it to the embossing folder to a part of the design you want on your earring. I often align both of mine the same way so that they match.

                embossing folder with embossed leather earrings

                I love how you can see where the design will be embossed through the clear embossing folder.

                embossing folder with embossed leather earrings

                The folder is ready for the next step.

                diy leather earring in an embossing folder

                Place the embossing folder between the two plates that come with the embossing machine.

                embossing folder with plates, ready for embossing machine

                Here’s a view of the plates with the embossing folder in between.

                embossing folder with plates, ready for embossing machine

                Put the plates into the Sizzix embossing machine.

                using embossing machine

                Turn the handle until the plates have gone all the way through the machine.

                using embossing machine

                When I open the embossing folder, I like to do it slowly, while keeping the earring in place. I do this so that I don’t feel it has embossed enough I can run it through again. To run it through again, put it back between the plates, but add a shim (a little more thickness).

                checking to see if leather earring is embossed before removing from embossed folder
                checking to see if leather earring is embossed before removing from embossed folder

                Here’s a view of some earrings in the diamond embossing folder, before I put it into the machine.

                Embossed leather earrings in embossing folder

                If you find that the embossing folder, leather and plates create a thickness do thick to go through the machine, try to remove one of the plates. That worked for the weave embossing folder.

                It wouldn’t go in/through so I tried it again with just the bottom plate.

                leather earrings in an embossing folder
                Leather earrings in an embossing machine

                And it came out beautiful!

                leather earrings on embossing folder

                You’ll find links to dozens other earring DIY posts at the bottom of this blog post. But before that, I’ve included the directions for making the teardrops on a Cricut machine, in case you need that information as well.

                HOW TO MAKE DIY LEATHER EARRINGS ON A CRICUT

                Select an earring template and upload it into Cricut Design Space.

                You can find many templates for your earrings on Design Bundles, Pinterest and Etsy. Many bloggers offer them for free and others are available for sale on the Etsy website.

                For this embossed leather earrings DIY, I used an SVG cut file that is available here: SVG Cuttables – Assorted SVG Earrings file

                SVG Cuttables Earring SVG Bundle

                Open Cricut Design Space and start a new project

                Start a new project to make your faux leather statement earrings by clicking on the + icon.

                Start a new project in Cricut Design Space
                How to make faux leather earrings on a Cricut machine

                Upload Image, if not already uploaded

                Upload the cut file for this project, by clicking on the upload icon on the left and navigate to the file on your computer.

                I always recommend adding tags when uploading new files. Pick word that you would type in if you were looking for the file. This makes it much easier when you’re looking for the file in the future.

                Insert the cut file onto the canvas of your new project.

                Click on the Images icon on the left.

                How to make faux leather earrings on a Cricut machine

                Tip: To easily find my upload files, I usually filter by files that I have uploaded. Click on the Filter option.

                How to make faux leather earrings on a Cricut machine
                How to make faux leather earrings on a Cricut machine

                Click on “Uploaded.”

                Select the cut file you want to use. It will have a green box around it when selected. Then, click on the insert image button in lower, right-hand corner.

                insert SVG file image in Cricut Design space

                Once you’ve inserted the image onto the canvas, you can see the dimensions of the file you’ve inserted in the height and width field.

                How to make faux leather earrings on a Cricut machine

                Note: when this file comes onto the mat there are earrings with holes and earrings without. You will need to delete the ones you’re not using. (Ungroup and then click the earrings you don’t want and click the X icon in the upper left-hand corner of the image. I deleted all earrings, except one.

                I clicked the UNLOCK button (between dimension fields) an changed my dimensions to 2.5″ tall and 1.5″ wide.

                earring svg on a Cricut Design Space

                You’ll want to decide the height of your earring based on personal preference.

                Delete the top layer of the earring (with the scallop lines)

                Ungroup the image.

                Click on the earring and then click on Ungroup while it is selected.

                Ungroup a faux leather earring image svg on Cricut Design Space

                Move the top layer to the right of the bottom layer.

                Click on the top layer and move it over on the canvas.

                Delete the top layer of the earring.

                While the top layer is selected, click on the X in the upper left-hand corner.

                deleting an image on Cricut Design Space

                Duplicate images, as needed

                Now it’s time to duplicate your statement earring. Click an earring and then click Duplicate in the upper right-hand corner to make your second earring.

                faux leather earrings on a Cricut Design Space Canvas

                MAKE IT

                Once your mat has all the earring components ready to cut for your earring components, click on the Make It button to cut your statement earrings.

                How to make faux leather earrings on a Cricut machine

                On the left you’ll see the different mats that will need to be cut.

                mats on Cricut Design studio, ready to cut statement earrings

                Mirror your design, if necessary

                Since the good side of your leather will almost always go onto the mat facing down, click on each mat where the material is facing down and click mirror. If the cuts on your mat are symmetrical it really doesn’t matter, but it’s probably a good idea to go ahead and click mirror any time your material faces down, as a good practice.

                Mirror the mat on Cricut Design Space

                Set the Cricut machine on the right setting.

                Turn your dial on your Cricut Explore to Custom. This lets you look at the long list of materials.

                Click on the Browse All Materials link to see the menu of materials options on your Cricut.

                Browse All Menu

                If you’re cutting genuine leather, the Cricut Genuine Leather option normally works best.

                Genuine Leather - from Browse All Menu

                If you’re using the Metallic genuine leather, it is important to select the METALLIC genuine leather option because it is a bit thicker than the regular Cricut leather.

                Metallic Leather - from Browse All Menu

                For your faux leather, if it is Cricut faux leather, you’ll select the Cricut faux leather option from the Browse materials menu.

                Faux Leather - from Browse All Menu

                If you’re using non-Cricut faux leather, the Shimmer Leather option normally works best.

                Shimmer Leather - from Browse All Menu

                Move the star wheels.

                The Cricut machine has star wheels to keep materials from shifting during cutting. However, when cutting thicker materials such a genuine leather, the star wheels can leave track marks. When you select a material from the browse menu that is thicker, the Cricut machine will prompt you to move the star wheels to the right.

                Push the wheels to the right. They may be on there tight so put some strength behind it.

                Make sure you’re using the right blade.

                When you’re cutting genuine leather, you’ll need to use the Cricut deep blade.

                Place your material on the cutting mat(s).

                After placing the material on the mat, you can use a Cricut Brayer roller to press the leather onto your mat.

                Using a Cricut brayer to make sure leather was firmly pressed upon the Cricut mat

                Trim any felt, fuzz, or glue from the earrings.

                Using a pair of sharp scissors, trim fuzz from around the earrings. Be very careful not to cut any of the earring, you’re only cutting the fuzz off of your earrings.

                When I’m working faux leather, I generally prefer to use Crafter’s Pick Fabric glue to attach two pieces back to back because it doesn’t dry so fast and I have time to get my earrings situated/lined up better.

                Place a hole in the top of the earring.

                When my earrings don’t have holes, I use a leather punch to put the holes in my diy faux leather earrings. The tool linked above cuts through multiple layers of the earring at the same time.

                punching a hole in the leather earring with a leather punch

                Gather necessary earring components and tools to finish your diy faux leather earrings.

                It doesn’t take much to put together earrings.

                For these earrings, I used these earring hooks (shown below) that don’t require jump rings. You just put the earring onto the earring hook.

                wire ball hook on diy leather earring
                tighten the wire ball hook once in the diy leather earring

                It doesn’t take much to put together earrings. You either need a couple of pairs of pliers or a jump ring tool and one pair of pliers. You can get the two tools below along with a full kit of earring hooks and jump rings on Amazon. It is the perfect starter set. Great for you if you’re getting started and a great gift for anyone that likes to DIY.

                earring components
                supplies for making jewelry

                Place the earrings onto the hook.

                wire ball hook on diy leather earring

                You can either push the earring through the ball on top of the hook or you can push it through the opposite side of the hook.

                tighten the wire ball hook once in the diy leather earring

                See Other DIY Earring Posts Below.

                Everyday Earrings DIY

                Sports

                My Favorite Leather

                My Favorite Faux Leather

                Valentine’s Day Earrings

                St. Patrick’s Day Earrings

                Winter-Themed Earrings DIY

                Christmas -Themed Earrings DIY

                Keep Up with My Inspiration Corner

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