Made With Love: Medicine Bag

The Medicine Bag is traditionally used by the First Nation's people to keep their sacred medicines close to the heart. The four most common medicines are sage, sweetgrass, tobacco, and cedar.

Its nice to keep meaningful things with you where ever you go. These silver coins where given to me by my bf, one of them, he engraved for me with the Tree of Life on one side and the Orion constellation on the back. He calls it an Uli Buck, lol. Sometimes i'll flip a coin when i cant make my mind up about something and before i even look i'll know what i really wanted in the first place.

Materials:

Leather - you wont need very much for this project. I recently found an XL vintage coat on Kijiji for 15 bucks that i've cut up and have been using for all my crafts. You can buy leather at Michaels but its stupid expensive and not of a very good quality. The kind that they make jackets with is the perfect thickness for this project.

Needle - There are special leather needles that have a razor tip but if you cant find one, than just struggle with a regular one.

Thread - Upholstery thread is the best, i used high end quilting thread i bought at Michael's, alternatively you can just use regular thread but double up on it.

Nailpolish - put a dab of it on all your knots to secure them (this is a good trick for all projects.)

Cord - about 100 cm to 38 inches will do, but you can adjust this for the length you want around your neck.

Nylon waxed cord - Used to sinch the bag shut (on the picture, its the string with the silver beads.) This stuff is amazing because you can melt the ends and they secure really well. Ill do a separate tutorial on how to do this kind of macrame for adjustable knots because its super handy. If you cant find it, just use whatever string you have that's thicker and tie your bag shut, you can always redo it later.

Hole puncher - the one i have is a fancy one, you can buy cheaper ones at most craft stores or you can just cut slices into the leather instead of holes. It wont look as nice but it will still work.

Instructions for the pattern - print pattern

1. Cut out two patterns by cutting along outside solid line.

2. Cut top fridge on both patterns.

3. Mark the holes with eyeliner on the good side of the fabric.

4. Sew along doted line with bag turned inside out (good sides touching)

5. Tie off stitch securely and dab with clear nailpolish on knot.

6. Turn bag outside in.

7. At the arrows, fold the sides of the bag in, and lay flat.

8. Punch holes out through 4 layers of leather on each side.

9. Pull leather neck cord through holes (all 4 layers of leather.)
10. Double back 5 cm, so that bag can open and close. (see photo)
11. Secure the end to the rest of the cord by wrapping string around it.