Make a strap with me!

Do you have loads of beautiful webbing hanging around but don't have the appropriate sized hardware? Or is a 2" lobster clasp just too big for your bag?  Here is a way to adapt any 1.25" or wider width webbing to 1" or 3/4" clasps using our 1" or 3/4" cork strapping.

What you need:

Approximately 2 yards of webbing (1.25" or wider) 

A slider that is the same width as your webbing

A rectangle ring that is the same width as your webbing

2 lobster clasps (either 1" or 3/4" - same as your cork strapping)

12" of cork strapping (either 1" or 3/4" - same as your lobster clasps)

4 rivets

The photos taken for this tutorial include 2" poly webbing, 2" slider and rectangle; 1" black cork strapping, 1" lobster clasps and medium double cap rivets.

What to cut:

Webbing into two lengths: one 8", one at least 54" - 64" note - if your webbing is polyester, carefully burn and melt the ends to prevent fraying.

Cork strapping into two 6" lengths

Step one:

Mark the middle on the wrong side of both ends of your 8" webbing and one end of your long webbing. 

Fold the edges of the ends in to meet at the middle marking, creating a point in the middle.

Sew in place.

Repeat to all three ends (both ends of the 8" webbing and one of your long length webbing).

Step two:

Round off all four ends of the cork strapping.  This can be done carefully with scissors of using a leather punch tool as shown. 

Step three:

Take your 8" length of webbing and place one of the 6" lengths of strapping 2.5" from the tip.  

Sew this piece of strapping to the end of the webbing and proceed to top stitch the entirety of the strapping.  

Now feed the end through your rectangle ring, and fold in half, ensuring that the points of the webbing match up. Feed a lobster clasp through the strapping.

Then make two marks on the strapping that is sewn to the webbing.

Fold your strapping in half so the unattached end will now match up with the attached end.  Using your guide marks, punch two holes all the way through both strapping ends and two layers of webbing.  Insert rivets, set aside.

Step four:

Feed the non-altered end of the long length webbing into the slider, fold over and stitch in place.  

Then feed the "pointy" end through the rectangle ring from the last step and back through the slider.

Step five:

Repeat the step three to the end of the long length of webbing attaching your second lobster clasp (but this time there will only be the end of the webbing, thus only one layer of webbing). 

Step six:

Marvel at your beautiful strap!!

Hope to see you try this method! I use the strapping since it is factory glued and non stretchy, BUT you could try this method using two layers of cork that are glued together.  Just make sure you have cut along the selvedge where there is no stretch.