Teacher Toolbelt

How many times a day do you end up walking back to your desk or around the room to pick up that pen, scissors, or glue stick you left lying in the last place you used it? With an art teacher toolbelt, you'll always have what you need right on your hip. This is seriously the most useful thing I've ever made. I can't imagine my day without it anymore. I even reach for it when I'm not wearing it.

Materials and Tools:

leather

rivets

leather punch

sewing machine

2 clasps

rotary cutter and cutting mat

sheet of paper

pencil

Step 1: Sizing

Use a piece of paper to decide on the size of the pouch remembering to allow an additional 1/4" on the sides and bottom. Fold it at the height you'd like the front pocket.

I used the following measurements:

8.5" width

7" pouch height

4" pocket height

Use the paper template to cut two pieces of leather the full size of your template.

Step 2: Pocket

Fold your paper template and cut an additional piece of leather for the pocket.

Step 3: Stitch Pocket

Sew the pocket to the front of one of the larger pieces of leather as shown. Think about the tools you need to put in this pocket. I needed room for different pens and pencils as well as a glue stick, so I made three smaller slots and one larger.

Step 4: Rivets

To strengthen the pockets, use a leather punch to put a hole at the corner of each pocket seam.

Add a rivet to each hole.

Step 5: Flap and Snap

Cut a small piece of leather about 3" long and 1" wide to create a flap.

Add a snap to the end of the flap and front of the pouch.

Rivet the other side of the flap to the back piece of of leather.

Step 6: Sewing

Sew the sides and bottom of the pouch inside out.

Cut off the bottom two corners outside of the stitches. This helps the corners be less bulky when turning it right side out.

Step 7: Buckles Part 1

Add a clasp to each 1" D-ring.

Cut two pieces of leather 3"x1"

Fold each piece in half and punch three holes in each piece as shown.

Step 8: Buckles Part 2

Use the leather pieces you punched holes in as a template to mark their placement on the back of the pouch.

Punch corresponding holes in the back of the pouch.

I punched a hole at the edge of the center of each piece to help them fit the D-rings better.

Fold the small pieces through the D-rings and rivet them onto the back of the pouch.

Step 9: Enjoy

Clip the clasps onto your belt buckles and never rush around your room looking for a pen again.

I have fit around 10 pens, a glue stick, a roll of scotch tape, and scissors in mine with ease.