Samhain Mystical Market in Katy, TX: Wet Formed Leather Art

Oct 24

3 min read

On Saturday, October 24, a Katy backyard turned into something out of a storybook. The Samhain Mystical Market, hosted by Moon Girl Boutique with Serene Beans as a partner, put up string lights, a stage and a ring of canopies. I set up under a red pop-up tent with a table full of handmade leather.

I am Laird Krug, a leather artist and craftsman in the Katy and West Houston, Texas area. Everything on my table is fully handcrafted, with no outsourcing and no mass production. Here is a look at the night.

The Booth Under the Red Tent

The booth stayed simple so the leather could do the talking. A white tablecloth carried the round Lairds Leather Lair logo and the words Hand-crafted in Texas. A sign on the tent frame read "Thank You For Letting Me Craft For You!" with QR codes for easy payment. Leather armor hung from the frame overhead.

The Lairds Leather Lair booth at the Samhain Mystical Market in Katy, Texas.

Smiling bearded man in a black sleeveless shirt giving a thumbs up, with a green leather hat and hanging leather pieces behind him and a pink tent on the lawn — Daylight at the booth, with leather hanging overhead.

A Table of Wet Formed Leather Faces

There is something almost unnatural about taking a flat piece of leather and convincing it to become something else. A face. An animal. A form that seems to emerge from the hide itself. That is wet formed leather, and the front of my table was covered in it.

A bearded face with a golden beard sat beside red and orange faces and a pale natural-toned one. Knife sheaths lay next to them, one patterned with tiny skulls, along with small tooled leather panels and pouches. How I make them stays in the Lair. What I make was right there on the table for anyone to see.

Table of wet formed leather faces in yellow, red, orange and natural tones beside knife sheaths and small tooled leather panels on burlap — Wet formed leather faces, knife sheaths and tooled panels, all handmade.

Hats, Horns and Moss

Then came the headwear. Red and tan leather wizard hats with hand stitched seams sat beside orange belts, an orange roll case and small pouches. On a mannequin head, a green leather hat trimmed in moss carried a skull and roses at its center. Next to it sat a horned red-brown leather mask with etched marks, and a spread of leather feather earrings in purple, green, red and black.

On my Specialty Wet Forming page I describe chrome-tanned lambskin as something made to drape and taught to stand. That is the spirit of the whole table: leather asked to do more than it was born to do.

Red and tan handmade leather wizard hats with stitched seams on a burlap-covered table beside orange leather belts and pouches — Red and tan wizard hats, hand stitched in leather.

Moss-trimmed green leather hat with a skull and roses on a mannequin head beside a horned red-brown leather mask and leather feather earrings — A moss-trimmed hat, a horned mask and leather feather earrings.

Smiling woman at night wearing a moss-covered hat and a fur and leather corset over a red skirt with a coin belt, with string lights and market tents behind her — A moss-trimmed hat and a fur and leather corset in the evening glow.

Leather Under the String Lights

As the sun went down, the string lights took over. Canopies glowed, a stage lit up at one end of the yard, and guests settled into lawn chairs across the grass. The flyer promised a costume contest, a pet costume contest, music and treats, themed drinks, and vendors and readers. Plenty of costumes showed up to match.

I wore my own costume for the night: a red top and a gray hat with a leather patch on it. A market built around costumes is a good place to wear leather.

Man in a gray wide-brimmed hat with a leather patch on top, glasses and a long gray beard, wearing a red sleeveless top, with a smiling woman seated behind him in a fur and leather corset, red skirt and beaded headpiece — The gray hat with its leather patch, out at the market.

My favorite moment of the night was listening to the live music while the string lights glowed over the lawn.

Backyard market at dusk with string lights, a stage, canopies and guests seated on the lawn — The Samhain Mystical Market settling in as the lights came on.

Five costumed guests standing on the lawn at night in red and gold, red lace, a black gown, a red top with a gray pointed hat and a black dress, with a lit stage and string lights behind them — Costumes and string lights after dark.

Close night selfie of a man in a gray hat, glasses and a long gray beard in a red top beside a smiling woman in a beaded headpiece, red bead necklace and a fur and leather corset — Costume night under the lights.

Blessings, feather earrings and bookmarks found new homes tonight. The blessings are laser etched on linen paper. Thank you to everyone who took a little piece of the Lair with them.

Want Custom Leather Work Made for You?

Everything you see in this post started as an idea. If you want custom leather work of your own, whether it is wet formed leather art, a hat, armor, a sheath, a belt or a bag, tell me what you are picturing. Every piece is handmade leather in Texas, made by one pair of hands. Custom orders currently run about 6 to 8 weeks, and work begins once your design is approved and your 50% payment is in.

Start on the Custom Orders page or browse finished pieces in the Shop. You can also call me at 832-578-9697.

Thank you to Moon Girl Boutique and Serene Beans for hosting such a magical night, and to everyone who stopped by the red tent.

I will be back at the next event, and I would love to see you there.

Lairds Leather Lair

Custom Leatherwork • Wet Formed Leather • Handmade Leather in Texas

Katy & West Houston, Texas