How to make your own leather Chessboard (pieces not included :)

You will need...

1 Large piece of leather (size depends on what size chessboard you wish to make)

1 Piece of wood the size of your chessboard

2 different leather dyes

Leather sheen (to waterproof)

ruler

pencil

swivel knife (optional)

Leather modelling spoon and stylus (optional)

nails

Step 1: Measuring and Cutting

Measure your leather to what size you want. I made mine 29 cm x 29 cm, allowing 3 cm per square, 8 squares by 8 squares, the extra 5 cm was to allow attachment to the wooden board.

After you've cut out your leather, you need to measure the depth of your wooden base board, and then cut a square of that measurement out of each corner of the leather - see second picture.

Step 2: Marking

Using a ruler and stylus or pencil, mark out a border around the edge of the leather, and then mark out the squares.

Sorry, the picture doesn't show it very well :-/

Step 3: Dyeing

Now its time to start dyeing the leather, using a paint brush go through and neatly paint every first and third square in the first row, and then every second square in the second row, keep alternating between first and third and second, until you have the effect pictured, then paint the blank squares and the edge a different colour.

After its dried coat it with come leather water proofer.

Step 4: Nailing

Now you need to nail the leather to the wooden base board, make sure your board is the right size, so that you can nail the tabs around the edge as shown in the photos, and make sure you pull the leather tightly, so that the playing surface is flat.