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Ready to add a leather strap to your newly finished crochet bag? If you’re adding a strap to any crocheted bag, or you just need to know How to Set Double Cap Rivets in leather, this article is for you!

How to Set Double Cap Rivets

Double cap rivets are a great way to secure leather to crocheted bags. I’ve been on a bag making kick lately, and adding these leather straps is so much easier (and more sturdy, and wayyy faster!) than crocheting them.

To set double rivets in leather you’ll need a rivet tool, double cap rivets, a rubber mallet, and a very hard surface. I am using a scrap piece of granite in this tutorial but you could also use a brick etc. I found this inexpensive rivet kit including the tool and a whopping 135 sets of double cap rivets. That’s a lot of rivets!

To use double cap rivets

Learn how to set double cap rivets with these three easy steps…

1. Using a hard, flat surface, (we use a scrap piece of granite) position the punching tool where you want the rivet to be. Lineup the sides and give it a good whack with a preferably rubber mallet – carefully of course.

2. Each double cap rivet set consists of two sides: a male and a female. Insert the male (the long one) through your newly formed hole in the leather. Place the female half of the rivet on the other side. Squeeze gently and they should stay in place long enough to position them onto the rivet tool.

3. Position the rivet so that bottom cap lays inside the dip on the circular portion of the rivet tool. Place the dipped in portion of the rod on top and give it a good whack – carefully of course.

Ta-da!!!

You are done! Wasn’t that the just about easiest thing ever? Just THINK of all of the straps we can add to our crocheted bags!

This gorgeous bag pictured is my Life’s a Beach bag pattern, a free crochet pattern right here on Heart Hook Home! Of course, you could use leather straps too, but if you have an old belt (or can find one at the thrift store!) then use that with your Double Cap Rivets instead!