So You Want to Learn Leathercraft? Here's How to Do It the Right Way.
There's something deeply satisfying about making something with your hands. Not assembling something. Not unboxing something. Actually making it, start to finish, with your own two hands and a set of tools you've learned to trust.
That's the entire premise behind the ColsenKeane Leather Crafting Residency, and honestly, it's one of the things we're most proud to offer.
What Is the Leather Crafting Residency?
The Residency is the cornerstone program of our School of Leather, located right here in our Charlotte, North Carolina studio on E. 7th Street. It's a 10-week, immersive experience, running 10 hours per week (typically two five-hour sessions per business week), designed for people who want to actually learn the craft, not just dip a toe in.
You don't need experience. None, zero, zilch. The program is designed for complete beginners. But if you've got some prior knowledge and you're ready to level up, we want you too.
What Will You Learn?
You'll be learning alongside our leathersmith team, Andy, Buck, and Zack, who collectively bring years of combined knowledge into this studio every single day. These aren't instructors pulled from a certification course. These are the same hands that build our satchels and small goods for customers all over the country.
Over your 100 hours in the studio, you'll get into it, including our signature hand-stitching method, setting rivets, affixing hardware like buckles, production methods for small goods like wallets, and hands-on time with the tools of the trade: awls, needles, mallets, and more. All tools are provided during your time in the studio.
We're not teaching you a hobby. We're teaching you a skill set.
Who Is This For?
If you're a self-starter who loves working with your hands, has a thing for problem-solving, and gets genuinely excited about the idea of building something from scratch, you're exactly who we had in mind when we created this program.
The Residency is open to anyone 18 and older. And if you're a current college or university student, we're happy to work with your academic counselors to explore course credit opportunities. Reach out and let's figure it out together.
What Do You Walk Away With?
Upon successful completion of the Residency, you'll receive a Certification of Completion with 100 documented Residency Hours in Leather Crafting. You'll also get the opportunity to build your own piece, either our No. 714 Tote or our No. 4313 Minimalist Satchel (valued at up to $950).
That's not a participation trophy. That's a portfolio piece.
And there's one more thing worth mentioning: when we're actively hiring, we look first to our current and former Residency participants. This program is, for some people, the beginning of something bigger.
"Wait — I have to pay to learn?"
We get it. The word "residency" sometimes comes with an expectation of free (or even paid) training. Here's our honest take on why that's not quite how this works.
The Residency isn't a job. It's an education. You're getting 100 hours of one-on-one time with seasoned craftspeople who have spent decades mastering this skill, in a working professional studio, using real tools and real materials on real products. That kind of access has value.
And here's the part people tend to overlook: you don't walk away empty-handed. Upon completion, you build your own piece - either our No. 714 Tote or the No. 4313 Minimalist Satchel, worth up to $950. At $295 for the program, that's not a fee. That's an investment that pays you back in product. Run the math and you're essentially earning back more than the cost of enrollment in finished goods alone, on top of a certified skill set and 100 documented hours of hands-on craft experience.
We think that's a pretty good deal.
How Do You Apply?
The Residency is $295 to enroll. Once you've checked out, you'll complete a short application form telling us a little about yourself, your background working with your hands, your availability, and what you're hoping to get out of the experience. From there, someone from our team will follow up within 48 hours to get your time scheduled. We love to know a bit about you and things you have worked on before - it can really be anything you made with your own hands or enjoy doing, so a little introductory email with some pictures of your work isn't required but we will definitely ask.Â
We keep the program to consecutive weeks. No skipping around, no long gaps. That consistency is part of what makes it work.
Ready to get your hands in it? Enroll in the Leather Crafting Residency here.
