Babylon Leather DIY Guide: Bags, Small Projects and Tool Kits Worth Making

Babylon Leather sells one thing at its core: the chance to make leather goods with your own hands, with all the hard prep already done. Leather arrives pre-cut and pre-punched, tools and thread are in the box, and every kit has a video tutorial, so you can go from a first-ever stitch to something you actually carry. The catalog is big (hundreds of items), so this guide walks through the products worth knowing: three bags, three small projects and two tool kits, ordered from quickest to most ambitious.

The lineup at a glance

Bags Aby Lock Tote Bag DIY Kit $115.29–$133.29 · 6–7 hours

Structured top-handle tote with lock charm, zip pocket and shoulder strap. 14 colors, 3 sizes. Detailed section below.

Bags Kelly-Style Lychee Leather Bag DIY Kit from $121.59 · Several hours

The brand’s best-known kit, covered in our full Kelly-style review.

Bags Men’s Leather Sling Bag $129.99 · Ready-made

Top-grain leather sling in black with an adjustable strap, zinc-alloy hardware and poly-cotton lining. 18 × 30 × 6 cm.

Small projects A6 Notebook Leather Cover DIY Kit $79.99 · About 1 hour

Epsom-leather cover with a smooth leather interior and button strap, in blue or black. Rated "very easy".

Small projects AirPods Case Leather DIY Kit $59.99 · 1–2 hours

Full-grain cowhide case with contrast stitching. 8 colors, and fits AirPods Pro, 1st/2nd gen or 3rd gen. Rated "very easy".

Small projects Access Card Holder DIY Kit $16.99 · About 10 minutes

A tiny veg-tanned or fog-wax leather project that works as a first stitch practice. Rated "very easy".

Tools 96-Piece Beginner Leather Craft Tool Kit $119.99 · Starter set

A complete starter set with stitching tools, thread and a carry bag, for people who want to move beyond pre-cut kits.

Tools 28-Piece Hand Sewing Tool Kit in Case $20.88 · Starter set

A compact boxed set of needles, awls, thread and thimbles, in blue or black. The cheapest way to start.

Start small: three projects you can finish in an afternoon

If you've never stitched leather, the small kits are the smartest place to begin. All three are rated "very easy" by the brand, and the time estimates are honest: about 10 minutes for the access card holder, 1–2 hours for the AirPods case and about an hour for the A6 notebook cover. You learn the saddle stitch, edge finishing and how leather behaves, at a cost of $17–$80 instead of $130+.

The AirPods case: contrast stitching shows off your work

A6 notebook cover with strap closure

The same cover in black

Access card holder, a 10-minute first project

Featured: the Aby Lock tote kit

If you want a bag you will really use for work, the Aby Lock is the one to look at, and it is our pick if the Kelly-style design isn't your look. It builds into a structured top-handle tote with a lock charm, a zip pocket inside and a detachable shoulder strap, with top-grain lychee-pattern leather and a polyurethane lining. It averages 4.9 across 121 reviews on the brand's store, which is the most of any bag kit we checked.

The finished Aby Lock bag in Haze Blue, with the detachable shoulder strap.

What arrives: pre-cut panels, handles, zip, hardware and tools.

Front, side, base and interior of the finished bag.

Colors and sizes. There are 14 standard colors, including Haze Blue, Brown, Caramel, Green, Peacock Blue, Black, Red, Khaki, Pink and Wine Red, plus two-tone options and a custom color. Prices are $133.29 for Large (34 × 27 × 13 cm), $124.29 for Medium and $115.29 for Small.

Caramel

Black

Green

Brown

How hard is it? The page lists it as beginner-friendly with a 6–7 hour build, though the spec sheet rates it "moderately difficult". Plan a weekend. Upgrades are optional: custom leather color +$45, genuine leather lining +$65 (the standard lining is polyurethane), or +$65 to have the brand stitch it for you.

If you'd rather not build it: the men's sling bag

Not everything here is a kit. The Adjustable Strap Men's Leather Sling Bag is a finished top-grain leather sling in black, 18 × 30 × 6 cm, with zinc-alloy hardware and a poly-cotton lining. It is the option for anyone who likes the brand's leather but wants to skip the stitching.

Worn across the chest

Side view with the adjustable strap

Tools: buy a set, or keep using the one in your kit

Every full kit includes the tools for that project, and the brand sells an "Eco Refill" version (about $2 off) for people who already own them. Once you plan to make more than one or two things, a dedicated set pays for itself. The 28-piece boxed set at $20.88 covers the basics of needles, awls, thread and thimbles, while the 96-piece beginner set at $119.99 adds more stitching tools and a carry bag for people who want to go further.

96-piece beginner tool kit

28-piece kit in a carry case

Which one should you buy?

• Brand new to leather: the Access Card Holder ($16.99) or the AirPods case ($59.99), then step up.
• Want a gift or a desk accessory: the A6 notebook cover ($79.99).
• Want a real everyday bag: the Aby Lock tote ($115–$133), or the Kelly-style kit if you prefer that shape.
• Want to keep making things: add the 28-piece set ($20.88), or the 96-piece set ($119.99) if you'll go deep.
• Don't want to stitch: the ready-made men's sling bag ($129.99).

Bottom line: Babylon Leather works because the hard prep is done for you and the projects scale from a 10-minute card holder to a weekend tote. The best-reviewed bag kit we found (Aby Lock, 4.9 across 121 reviews) is a strong place to spend, and code Chung10 takes 10% off.