Each container needs 4 separate pieces of leather.

When I first began, I made card templates as the measurements have to be precise for the finished containers to look good and, most importantly, so that the lids are a snug fit. (I also discovered that, unlike much of the maths I learnt at school, 2TTr still has its practical uses!)

The most economical layout is for 2 wish scrolls, so I've used the templates to draw outlines of 2 on the leather.

The leather is carefully cut out, and despite already having been pared once, the edges are pared again so that they are almost paper thin.

Click on the picture to see a close up of the pared leather..

The final piece of preparation is to cut wedges out of one end of the leather which will go around the body of the container and also out of the round piece of leather that will cover the lid. This gives a neater finish.

Next step is to cut a carcass for the container out of card. Again, there are 4 separate pieces and again, the measurements are very precise.

When I acquired a compass cutter a couple of years ago, because it happened to be in a pack that contained something else I wanted, I had no idea it would be so useful!

The larger rectangular piece of card and the smaller disc make the tube. The tube is held together with masking tape and a dab of PVA on the rim holds the disc in place. I find it easiest to work with the tube fitted onto the shank of an old brush. At this stage it is quite a loose fit.

The leather is glued to the side of tube and the overlap eased over and pressed onto the card base with a bone folder. The wedges that were taken out ensure that it lies flat.

The container is taken off the brush shank and the overlap at the top turned in and smoothed down with a bone folder. When it is put back onto the brush shank it is a very neat fit indeed, which helps to make it perfectly round.

The smaller of the 2 leather circles is glued onto the bottom of the container to neaten it off. Because the leather at the very edges has been so finely pared, the join is unobtrusive.

The larger circle of leather is glued to the lid and again, the wedges of leather that were cut out ensure that there are no overlaps on the rim.

(Despite the apparently changing colours of the leather, due to the varying light and my shortcomings as a photographer, the same piece of leather has been used from start to finish.)

The lid is finished off by adding the long narrow strip of leather to the rim. The join where it meets the top is worked with a bone folder to obtain as seamless a finish as possible. The bone folder is also used to smooth out the turn-in.

The lid is a snug enough fit that when the container is held upside down, it still remains in place.

The holes made by the compass cutter when I cut out the card circles are useful guides for where to pierce the leather so that the ribbon and ornamentation can be added.

The ribbon is drawn through the bottom of the container with a crochet hook and the beads are tied to it with the ends of the filament on which they are strung. The filament is then drawn through to the inside of the container and trimmed.

I like to include natural materials in the decoration and these brown stone chips match the leather very well. I have no idea what they are, but I bought them from a reputable shop and am assured they are some kind of semi precious stone. My guess would be jasper, but I'm a bookbinder, not a jeweller, so I could very easily be wrong!

The ribbon is drawn through the lid and a bead and a lobster clasp are added. Finally the wish scroll itself is inserted. The coin is a 10p piece, to give an idea of the finished size.

I've made the ribbon on this one very short, partly because it's much easier to photograph, but mostly because this wish scroll will be stay here with me and I like to hang them from a handbag.