Coin / vanity trays are very useful for putting your loose change in or your jewellery. The designs can be quite boring, but they don't have to be! Lets make one in the shape of an alien hand and dye it a nice shiny blue. You can use my design or make your own.

Step 1: Create the Design

For the "alien hand - I'm going to use a normal human hand as a starting point.

Get a sheet of paper and draw round your hand.

Now I'm going to add an extra thumb. Take your other hand and match up the fingers, draw in an extra thumb and make the previous little finger the size of your index finger.

Now we have the outline of an "alien hand" with 2 thumbs.

Next we'll give the hand pointy nails, webbing between the fingers and change the finger shape.

Lastly we'll add some crease lines and texture to the webbing.

You have the choice of using my design (pdf attached) or drawing your own with whatever features you want.

alienhand.pdf
Download

Step 2: What You Will Need

3mm thick leather piece 25cm x25cm
Printed paper pattern (or design your own)
Leather scissors
Clicker knife
Swivel knife
Stylus tool
Edge beveller
Embossing tools - I'm using Bevelers both textured and smooth, background stamp, barbed wire border stamp, camo stamp and mule foot stamp, but you can choose to use different tools for your own look.
Mallet / Maul
Dome shaped object for shaping your tray - I'm using a glass ball, but a plastic ball or bowl would do
Royal blue pro dye (Fiebings) + dauber

Iridescent medium
Edge finish (gum tragacanth or similar) + edge slicker tool
Resolene finish + brush + dish

Step 3: Cut Out Your Pattern

Get some scissors and cut out the outline of the pattern.

Step 4: Transfer Pattern to Leather, Cut Out and Bevel

Place your pattern face down on the back of the leather and draw round it with a pen.

Then cut out the pattern carefully using a combination of leather scissors and a clicker knife

Using an edge beveller, bevel the edges front and back

Step 5: Wet Leather and Transfer the Pattern

Get a pot of water and a sponge and give the right side of the leather a good wetting.
Wait a couple of minutes for the water to soak in.

Now place your paper pattern on top of the leather and trace the lines of the pattern using the stylus. Since the leather is wet the lines will transfer through the pattern.

Step 6: Carve the Lines Into the Leather

Using a swivel knife carve the lines into the leather.

Step 7: Tooling - Fingertips and Finger Outline

For each fingertip I'm using 2 tools, a mule foot and a camo tool. you can use the same or choose something different depending on what tools you have.

I'm using a textured beveller to define the fingers. Move the beveller tool along the outside of each finger following the carved line, tapping with your maul as you go.

Step 8: Tooling - Texture the Finger Creases

Use a small backgrounding tool to texture the finger creases

Step 9: Tooling - Texture the Webbing Between the Fingers

Now texture the webbing between the fingers. I'm using a barbed wire tool (not as it is meant to be used) to give the texture.

Step 10: Tooling - Bevel the Lines on the Palm

Now using a plain bevelling tool , bevel the lines on the palm and the straight lines on the fingers.

Step 11: Tooling - Background the Palm and Fingers

Now lightly use a background tool over the palm and fingers to give it a bit of texture

Step 12: Make the Coin Tray Shape

To get the curved shape for your coin tray, first soak your leather in water for 10 minutes.

Once it is thoroughly soaked get a ball or dome shaped object to shape your leather over. I'm using a glass ball (because that's what I have), but a plastic ball or bowl would do.

Place the leather face down over the ball and spend 5 minutes or so gently pressing it down to shape the leather.

Once you have the desired shape take it off the ball and shape the alien fingers outwards.

Leave to dry.

Step 13: Dye Back and Front

Dye the back and edges of the tray with royal blue pro dye using a wool dauber. Remember to protect your surface and use rubber gloves.

For the front - mix some royal blue pro dye with iridescent medium and mix well - it will end up a bit gloopy. Daub it on the front of the tray to get a nice shiny blue finish.

Leave to dry.