Ying’s Leather Things

2021-Present

Ying's Leather Things is my small business specializing in handcrafted leather goods. I design, prototype, and handcraft products like wallets, watch straps, and more, all available for sale on a made to order basis on my website (the one you’re on right now!).

It all began when I made a duck tape wallet for my dad’s birthday. When Father’s Day rolled around, I decided to find a leather wallet that would be much higher-quality than the duck tape, but the only options that I could find were either poor quality, made of low-end materials, or badly designed. That didn’t cut it for me, so I set out to make a wallet myself. I started my research to learn everything I could about leathercrafting, types of leather, supplies, and tools. I taught myself how to leathercraft through YouTube, purchased a leathercrafting starter kit, selected a small panel of leather, and I didn’t look back.

Before I knew it, the rest of family and friends started making requests for leather things, so I started building a higher-end tool arsenal and I graduated to hides of leather instead of small panels. Thus, Ying’s Leather Things was born.

Ever since I began leathercrafting in 2021, it has served as my creative outlet to exercise my passion for innovation, design, and making things with my hands. I am always striving to improve my products, especially when it comes to optimizing form and function so that they are not only aesthetically pleasing, but also exceed your performance expectations.

I design all of my products in Adobe Illustrator and I utilize rapid prototyping tools such as laser cutters to streamline my prototyping process. Constantly thinking about how to improve my products has led me to embrace a "continuous improvement" mindset, and I aim to carry out that attitude in all aspects of my life.

Check out some of the cool stuff I make, below! You can also explore my website by clicking the button :)