Modern Style Sporran Pattern

a cloth
Sporran

Back and top flap pattern Front pattern

Grid squares
are 1”

Read/look through all of these instructions before you start to see some options you
will want to consider.
For Materials info see Old Style Sporran Patterns
There are a variety of tools I. Trace pattern 2. Cut out front 3. Your two main
you can use to cut leather. onto leather. and back. leather pieces.

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 Modern Style Sporran Pattern
4.The easiest modern style sporran you can make is the one that is stitched together with
lace which will be fully explained here. If you decide to do some other options the
instructions will not be as detailed. Now on to the instructions for the laced style. Fold the
front in half right sides together and tape shut with edges even. Next, use a leather punch
to make holes an appropriate size for your lacing, spaced evenly along the sides and
bottom. (Lacing can be leather shoe lacing, leather strips you cut yourself, plastic craft
lacing, string or cord.)Stop close to the fold so that when you open it up the two last holes
are the same distance apart as the holes you have already punched. Spacing depends on
size of lacing and personal taste. Wider spacing means fewer holes you have to put the
lacing through.
Fold line

5.Place top over bottom wrong sides together. Use a pen to mark hole placements on
bottom that will match up with the top holes. Then punch out the holes in the bottom.

6. For a very simple Sporran simply lace the front and back together. Before you lace these
together look at the rest of these instructions. Some things will be easier to do before you
lace your pieces together. The next page will show three different ways to lace, Straight,
Spiral and Fancy Spiral.
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 Modern Style Sporran Pattern
Straight Spiral Fancy Spiral

7. Straight lacing- come up thru the start hole down thru the next hole, etc.
8. Spiral lacing- come up thru the start hole, take lacing over to back and up thru the next
hole,etc.
9. Fancy Spiral lacing- this is slightly more complicated than Spiral but easy once you have
done one or two holes (This looks better if your lacing is flatter and more uniform in color. The
example is cut lacing almost square rather than flat. The top surface is black the other three sides show
up too much for my taste) A. Come up from the bottom leaving a 3” end, loop behind the end
from right to left, bring the lace over the top of lacing then under to the back side and
come up thru the next hole. B. Circle around the lacing, pull the lacing to front leaving a
loop but donʼt go to nest hole yet. C. Grab your last loop close to the top hole(X) and pull
to tighten the loop of the first stitch around the end. D. Pull your lacing tight to close your
loop. You are now ready for the next stitch. E. Take the lacing to the back side come up
thru hole, loop around the lacing right to left. Pull the loop tight. Repeat for following holes.

C.
end

B. D.

d
en
en
d

x
A.
x
E.
end

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 Modern Style Sporran Pattern
9. There are two ways to start and end the lacing, either tie a knot or lace over the end.

10. Simple Straight Lace Done? or Some options to consider? You may want a way to
keep the flap closed, belt loops, and put in a gusset.

11. CLOSURES
A leather strip attached to the
underside of the flap slides
under a leather strip stitched
to the front.This is a simple
design but you could be more
creative with the idea.
You can get snaps at fabric stores or
Walmart sewing department and install.
This sporran was sewn on a machine. I Loop and Button
sewed leather on the underside of the flap or Knot. See Old
to mace it look better when opened and Style Sporran
so the snap would not show on the Pattern for more
outside.

underside

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 Modern Style Sporran Pattern
12. BELT LOOPS

Cut slits big enough

for the largest belt
you may wear it on.

Stitch on loops to fit

your sporran belt.
These are machine
stitched but you
can do it by hand.

Stitch leather loops to D rings and attach to back. Attach short lengths of small chain to D
rings and attach to a small belt of leather. Attach metal clips(Paper Clips will work) to the
free end of your chain pieces. Slide the free end of chain through the D rings on your
sporran and use the clips to attach back to the chain. This also affords height adjustment.

hand stitched

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 Modern Style Sporran Pattern
13. A GUSSET is a strip of soft/flexible leather at least 1.5” wide that goes between the
back and front of the sporran. The gusset allows more space in your sporran to carry
things but means you have to do twice as much stitching. You have to stitch the gusset to
the back and then attach the front to the gusset. The Old Style Sporran explains how to
attach a gusset.

No Leather? How about a Cloth Sporran?

1. Take a Cereal Box open it flat, trace pattern pieces and cut out. Draw a line across the fold
line of the top flap. (ignore the dotted lines, I changed plans making them unneeded. )

fol
dl
ine

2. Cut out two pieces of fabric about 5/8” larger than each of your cardboard pieces. Then
on one Back/top flap, trace around the top flap to the fold line. Then draw the fold line on
the fabric extending the ends to the edge of the fabric. Also, draw a line across the top of
one Front and extend to edges. These will be sewing lines.

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 Modern Style Sporran Pattern
3. Join the two Back/top flap pieces right sides together. Stitch along the top flap line from
fold line to fold line. Donʼt stitch along fold line. Join the two Front pieces right sides together.
Stitch along Front top line edge to edge. Trim seam allowance close to stitching as shown.

4. Separate cardboard Top flap from Back by cutting along fold line. Turn fabric Top flap right
side out and slide cardboard Top flap in to the fabric Top flap. Draw a line just below the
edge of the of the cardboard on the inside and sew along the line( donʼt catch the cardboard
in the stitching).

Start End

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 Modern Style Sporran Pattern
5. Fold one of the fabric Backs up over 6. With right sides of fabric Tops still together,
the Top flap. Spray the cardboard Back spray the cardboard Top with adhesive on both
with adhesive on both sides and locate in sides and locate in the correct place along the
the correct place up tight to the stitching. stitching. Fold the other Top down over the
Fold the other Back down over the cardboard and smooth fabric on both sides.
cardboard and smooth fabric on both Mark a stitching line just outside the cardboard
sides. that is underneath.

7. Before continuing read: 11. CLOSURES, 12. BELT LOOPS and 13. A GUSSET above
page 4 and 5. for options you may consider and plan/do prior to joining the Front to the
Back.
8. To continue,placing wrong sides together pin the Front to the Back. Sew just outside your
line using a zipper foot. Turn right side out. Please note it is difficult to turn the right
side out because the cardboard is not flexible. It can be done but it is tough. It also
takes the smoothness out of the Cardboard because the cardboard gets mashed. Lets
say it gives the finished sporran an antique finish. You could make turning the right side
out easier if you installed a gusset. See above.

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