- 1). Fold a piece of newsprint in half and lay your left (or nondominant) forearm along the fold. Trace along your arm from wrist to elbow with chalk. Move your arm from the paper and draw a horizontal line from either end of the vertical line to the fold.
- 2). Cut along your chalk lines and unfold the folded piece of paper. This is the pattern for your arm guard. The pattern must be double the width of your arm so the final product fits you.
- 3). Place the unfolded pattern on a piece of 3/16-inch-thick leather. Trace around the pattern with chalk.
- 4). Press the tip of a sharp knife against the chalk line and bear down a little as you cut, scoring the surface of the leather. Run the knife along the score lines to cut out the leather piece.
- 5). Punch 1/8-inch holes along either edge of the arm guard, using the leather punch, spacing the holes about 1/4 inch apart.
- 6). Spread the leather out on a flat surface and wet it down with a slightly damp sponge. Place a leather stamp, if desired, on the leather and tap it sharply with a mallet. Decorate the entire leather piece this way if you like.
- 7). Curl the leather piece into a tube and thread a length of leather cord through the bottom left hole in the guard. Thread the cord through the second right hole next, then the third left hole, continuing until you reach the top of the guard. Repeat on the right side of the guard.
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