Punch holes in leather & make this stunning project

Designer handbags may be considered a status symbol in some circles, but many people aren't interested in carrying a purse at all, much less spending a fortune on one. If your style is more understated than flashy, then save yourself hundreds by creating your own leather cardholder.

It takes a little bit of leg work to create a cardholder so well-made that it could pass for Florentine craftsmanship, but if you're the kind of crafter that enjoys a bit of a challenge, then you'll love this project. You'll come out the other side more organized and fashionable to boot.

Materials
- Piece of leather at least 9 by 6 inches
- Scissors
- Paper
- Ruler
- Pen
- Punch pliers
- Pointed tool
- Eyelet
- Eyelet setter
- Rivet
- Keychain ring
- Keychain clip
- Quilting clips
- Jump rings
- Leather button screw
- Needle-nose pliers

Instructions
1. Create the pattern for the card holder on paper. It should be an oval-type shape 8 inches wide and 5 1/2 inches tall. The top sections will be rounded, but the left and rightmost edges should be cut to points. Cut 1-by-3/4 triangles out of each quadrant so the rounded top and bottom sections are 3 3/4 inches wide, and the pointed side sections are 2 1/2 inches tall.

2. Put the pattern on top of the leather and cut around it.

3. Using a pen, mark a dot at the center of each section — at the top of the curve on the top and bottom sections, and near the tip of the point of the side sections.

4. Create a hole at each of the pen marks with the punch pliers.

5. Fold the two pointed sides inward and the bottom rounded side upward to make sure the holes match up.

6. Punch a hole in the top left corner. Use a pointed tool to remove the leather circle from the hole and insert the eyelet in its place, fastening it with the eyelet setter.

7. Remove the leather circles from the other punched holes using the pointed tool and scissors.

8. Fold the right side inward, and push the back of the rivet through the hole; fold the left side inward on top of the right, and push the rivet through that hole as well.

9. Fold the bottom rounded flap upward, pull the back of the rivet through its hole, and fasten the front stud to it.

10. Enlarge the hole through the top rounded flap by adding a very short slit in the leather, and pull it over the stud to fasten the cardholder.

11. Measure a thin strip of leather from any leftover scrap, and cut it out.

12. Fold the keychain ring with the clip under one of the strip's ends, and hold it in place with a small clip.

13. Punch a hole through the strip and the folded end, and poke out the leather circle.

14. Attach a leather button screw in its place, and remove the clip.

15. Using the needle-nose pliers, insert a jump ring through the eyelet in the corner of the cardholder and the keychain ring.