CRAFT A Better Leather Apron

In this article, I want to share how to turn a deer hide into an apron you can use around your garden, in your workshop, or at your grill. (To learn how to tan a deer hide, check out one of my earlier articles online at www.MotherEarthNews.com/DIY-Deer-Hide.)

Hides from older bucks work well for apron-making, because they’re generally thicker than hides from does or younger deer. They’re also larger, so you can make an entire apron from one hide. The thickest part of the hide is on the deer’s neck and over its shoulders, so cut the straps from this part of the hide. Use the rest of the middle of the hide for the apron, and use the thinner areas along the sides of the hide for the pockets and gussets. The grain side of the hide (the side that once had hair) is the finished side of the hide. The sanded side of the leather is the membrane side.

You should be able to find all the tools and supplies required for this project at hobby and hardware stores.

Create the Pattern

To begin, you’ll need to make a good pattern. First, measure across your chest from just below the middle of your armpits. Then, measure the distance from the base of your neck to just below your waist. Use these measurements to draw a rectangle on a large sheet of paper using a pencil, ruler, and