Now you need to decide how many eyelets you would like on your vambrace (an eyelet is the round metal ring that will reinforce the hole for your lacing. kits can be purchased at your local craft store.) The eyelets will go on the reinforced edges. My vambraces are 8" long and I used 5 eyelets (odd numbers are easier to position evenly.)
Side note: eyelets come in different colors, but you can also buy plain silver and spray paint them (I painted mine black.) They are easier to paint if you stick them into a thick piece of carboard so they don't roll around.
Position your eyelets on the reinforced edge of your vambrace as shown
(about 1/2" from the edge.)
Mark the places with a piece of chalk, and put the eyelets aside. Next, get an icepick and stick it straight through one of the end dots:
Take an eyelet and push it through the hole you just made, so that the rough end is facing the underside of the leather. If the hole is not big enough, trim it with scissors. It should fit snugly, not too loose.
Using the special hardware included in the eyelet kit, place your leather on a wooden surface and tap the end of the silver bar:
Hit it until the eyelet is folded tightly against the leather. Don't make it too tight, or you will cut the leather.
Do the same for all the other holes. Now, overlap the ends of your vambrace so that the side you just fiitted with eyelets is on top. Making sure that the tops and bottoms are even with each other, take the icepick and poke through the eyelets to make a mark on the other side of the vambrace. This will show you where to put the eyelets on the other side, so that the two sides are even when you go to lace them. Using the instructions above, place your eyelets on the other side.
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