How to make a DIY leather watch strap

This tutorial for how to make a leather Apple Watch strap is sponsored by Gorilla Glue.

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I’ve never been much of a watch wearer – that is, until I got an Apple Watch last year. I initially bought it to track my fitness and workouts, but it’s now definitely something I’d miss if I didn’t wear it every day!

However, one thing that has been bugging me about the watch is it’s oh-so-boring black plastic strap. It’s great for workouts, but not so good for everything else! I was tempted to buy a new strap, until I learned that Gorilla Contact Adhesive works on leather (check out my other projects with this glue: desk tidy, bird feeder, spring wreath). This was all the persuasion I needed to try making my own leather watch strap. 🙂

And you know what? It was a lot easier than I expected! The glue is really strong, but flexible – and putting it all together was pretty straightforward. The hardest part was cutting the leather in a straight line!

(Also, if you don’t have an Apple Watch – no problem! This can easily be adapted to any watch strap fastenings.)

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How to make a leather Apple Watch strap

Tools and supplies

• Thin, flexible leather (or faux leather)
• Gorilla Contact Adhesive Clear
• Apple Watch fastenings/buckle
• Craft knife
• Rotary cutter
• Cutting mat
• Metal ruler
• Leather awl (optional, but helpful)
• Bulldog clip
• Leather wax (optional)

Tutorial

Note: The measurements I’ve given in this tutorial are for my size of wrist, which is approximately 20cm all the way around (adult male, medium). Make sure you adjust the sizing if you have a different sized wrist. I’d recommend using a watch strap that you know fits you well as a guide.

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1. Start by cutting two long strips of leather. One should be 25cm long, the other 16cm long, and they should both be a few millimetres less in width than your watch fastenings. In my case, the fastenings were 2.5cm wide, so I cut my leather to 2.2cm wide. Use a metal ruler and a good, sharp rotary cutter to ensure the cleanest cut!

2. Take the 16cm long leather strip and fold one of the short edges in to the middle (suede side facing inwards). Use a craft knife to make a small hole in the centre of the fold. This will be where the pointy part of the watch fastening is threaded through (it will all make sense when you do it, promise!).

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3. Open up the leather strip again, and thread the end that you folded down in step 2 through the buckle part of your watch fastenings. Poke the pointy part of the fastening through the hole you cut.

4. You now need to fold the leather back over, just like you did in step 2, and glue it in place. Apply a small amount of Gorilla Contact Adhesive Clear to both sections of leather (on the suede side). Leave for a few minutes to become tacky, then press firmly in place. Wipe away any excess glue.

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5. Repeat the same glueing process with the other end of the same leather strip – but this time, thread it through the part of your watch fastenings that will connect to the watch itself. Once you’ve folded this end over (to meet the other glued end in the middle), place a few heavy items on top of the leather and leave to dry for 24 hours.

6. While you’re waiting, you can work on the other half of the DIY Apple Watch strap. This part is even easier to make! Start by folding the 25cm leather strip in half. Make a few holes in a line down the centre, using a craft knife or, preferably, a leather awl tool. The holes need to be large enough to fit the pointy part of your watch strap through. It may be worth comparing this against an existing watch strap, so you know roughly where to put the holes to best fit your wrist.

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7. With the holes made, unfold the leather strip again. Thread one end through the second part of your watch fastenings that connect to your watch. Fold the leather back in half again, suede sides together. Fix in place with Gorilla Contact Adhesive Clear in the same way as you did earlier (apply a layer to each side, leave to go tacky, press firmly in place and wipe away the excess). Place under a heavy weight and leave to dry for 24 hours. (When it’s dry you can cut the end into a curved shape if you prefer, but this is optional).

8. The final piece to make is the little loop that will hold the loose end of your watch strap in place. Cut a piece of leather that’s 2cm wide and approximately 4x the width of your watch strap. For example, my strap is 2.2cm wide, so I cut this piece to just over 8.5cm long.

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9. Apply a thin layer of Gorilla Contact Adhesive Clear to the suede side of this leather piece. Fold the two long sides into the centre, to form a long, thin strip. Wipe away the excess and leave to dry under a heavy weight for 24 hours.

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10. When it’s dry, wrap this thin strip of leather around both of your other watch strap pieces (that you left to dry in steps 5 and 7). Overlap the ends by 1cm, making sure you don’t wrap it too tightly. Glue this in place in exactly the same way as before. It’s a good idea to also add some non-stick paper between the various leather pieces before you glue, so that they don’t all stick together! The idea is that this loop is loose and can move up and down the strap. Hold the strap together with a bulldog clip and leave to dry for 24 hours.

11. Finally, finish the edges of your DIY leather Apple Watch strap by applying some wax. This will neaten the edges and prevent any fraying.

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In all, this project cost less than £20 – which is far cheaper than buying a leather Apple watch strap would have been. I’m already planning on making more in different shades! I think a classic tan leather one would be good.

Happy crafting! – Mike.

Don’t forget to Pin this image so you can make it later!