Halloween How-to: Create Your Very Own Candy Eyepatch With an Edge :3

You can find all the steps on one page on my blog here ^__________^



You are going to need:

- A small piece of scrap leather; about 6cm x 6cm (I used a glossy patent lavender piece left over from making our chokers)
- Some electrical / duct tape
- Leather solvent / stripper
- Leather paint (colour of your choice)
- An eyelet punch
- Some studs / spikes of your choice
- 2 eyelets / grommets
- 40cm of thin elastic cord
- A piece of A4 card / thicker paper
- A pair of sharp scissors

1. Mark out the shape of your eye patch. I sketched a heart measuring about 6cm x 5cm and tried to get it as symmetrical as possible.

2. Divide your heart into stripes to make sure you are happy with the overall thickness of each. I made each section of mine 1cm wide.

3. Cut out your traced paper heart.

4. Gently trace out your heart on the back side of the leather, and then cut it out.

5. Apply strips of electrical tape along where you want your stripes to go. The parts that are covered are the parts that will remain the colour of your leather.

6. Shake up your bottles of leather solvent and paint. Apply leather solvent to the leather and leave for a couple of minutes, then wipe off with a damp cloth. This helps to remove the top layer of the leather so the dye can be absorbed. My leather was patent so it didn't strip much of the surface, but if you are using a non-patent piece of leather you can really see the difference after the solvent has been applied.

7. Apply your paint onto the surface of the leather with smooth strokes. Try and get your paint as even as possible, and cover every spot. Sit and let dry for 24 hours.

8. Peel off your tape slowly and carefully.

9. Using your eyelet punch, make the two holes where you are going to string your eye patch from.

10. Carefully mark out and punch more holes where you would like your studs to go. I chose to space them evenly around the edge of the heart, but you can always go for an asymmetrical design and utilise all the space available.

11. Lay out where you would like your studs to go, and screw them in tightly when you are sure of its placement. You can add a little superglue to the threads before you finish screwing to secure the studs if you wish. Insert your grommets / eyelets with a setting tool.

12a. Cut your elastic cord in half. Knot each elastic piece around each grommet hole, then bring the two remaining tails together at the back of your head as you hold the eyepatch where you want it to sit. You want the elastic to be slightly stretched so it sits on your head well, but not too taut as to make it uncomfortable. Tie your tails into a secure knot to finish. Voila!

12b. Alternatively, you can add a ball chain / chain to turn the heart into a cute little necklace for everyday wear.

The stretch elastic makes this accessory oh so versatile...

Wear it as an eyepatch for halloween / dress-ups; hang it around your neck for a bit of bling, or you can even pull it over your head to nestle as a headband / hair accessory!