So, we’re going to make a bush craft pouch which can be used for fire lighting materials or coins or anything you want. If you don’t have all the materials you can improvise and the skills you learn will be easily replicated when you have gathered better materials.
Materials
- I used leather from an old settee, but you could use canvas from an old tent or any material. Please don’t cut a hole in the family settee!!! Material will tend to fray at the cut edge that’s why leather is better. You can often get nice leather from a furniture store if you ask for some old samples.
- A piece of paracord, string or twine for closing it.
- A sharp pair of scissors or a craft knife.
- Hole punch
- Pen
We are looking for a piece of leather/material/canvas about 25cm diameter or about the size of a dinner plate. The bigger the piece of material/size of circle then the more you can store in the pouch.
Place on a flat surface and draw around the plate or use a pair of compasses to draw a circle. Watch the point doesn’t puncture the leather.
We need to make holes around the outside edge about 1cm in so it’s better to mark them out first.
We need an even number of holes. 16 will work fine but 32 gives a better finish.
Start drawing a line from top to bottom through the centre like marking out north to south. Then east to west. Keep following the compass points and you’ll have 16 or 32 evenly spaced holes.
We now need to make the holes on the marks. Either a hole punch or a nail or scissors.
We now need a little scrap of leather with 2 holes punched in it. This will help keep the pouch closed. You could make a bead from wood or use a plastic bead or whatever you have.
So, we’re almost there. Take a length of twine or string, the stronger the better and thread it in and out of the holes. You want to end up with both tails on the outside of the pouch.
Take the leather tab with the 2 holes in it and fold in half. Thread both tails through the tab or bead that you have chosen.
Once you pull the cord the pouch will close up.
Congratulations, you should now have a bush craft pouch. With a little practice and finding the right materials you will get better at making these. I hope you have fun and enjoy making them.
Share pictures and videos of you making your pouch on social media using the hashtag #BlairEverywhere
Contributed by the Bush Craft team