MEET THE MAKER

Hello All,

My name is Brandon Siverson, the face and hands behind Greenleaf leather. I have lived in Washington state since birth, with a past routed in action sports culture including motocross, skateboarding as well as normal sports like playing soccer since I was 5 years old. As fun as all that stuff is I have always been creative, I love to draw, paint on shoes, I even had a clothing brand while in high school (short lived as you can imagine..)

My leather craft story started in February of 2023 when a good friend gifted me a real leather belt purchased in California. Unfortunately, it was 3 sizes too big... However, on the back of the belt was a maker’s mark from here in the USA. That sparked something in me.

So it began, YouTube video after YouTube video on how to make a leather belt, multiple reddit searches on which website is best to get the tools I needed and staying up into the night just learning.

Immediately, I ordered what I believed was everything I
needed to make myself a belt from scratch.

Fast forward, the belt was not good.. arguably not even a finished product. Yes- it still holds up till this day, but just looking at it, you can tell I was overly excited to finish before I had even started. Completely rushed through.

Since then, leather craft has reminded me of patience. “Slow and steady wins the race”. What once was a hobby has become my escape, relaxation, and biggest passion.

I started putting a price on my items in 2024, under valuing my work and selling items to a few friends just like any other crafter at this stage. Then the orders kept coming; bigger projects, custom items and returning customers.

After about a year of doing custom items and taking orders by request. I was standing outside my second job at the time taking a break, wondering if It was time to quit and pursue leather craft as a second source of income. So, I started a website. To publish a website, I would need a name. It was my next step and I was stumped; being from the Pacific Northwest, I wanted something related to nature and it needed a ring to it. As I stood there torn and nervous between keeping my second job or replacing it with part time leather craft, a green leaf fell right in front of my face from the tree above. Noticing how unexpectedly healthy this green leaf looked to be falling off the tree, I stood there and stared as I thought “this must be a sign”. That was the moment Greenleaf leather found its name.

That brings us to today, my current workspace is about 15 square feet in a studio apartment which I share with my fiancé. The workspace is not much in numbers but it’s my Disneyland. All the leather I use is sourced ethically from tanneries here in the USA. Each item is hand cut, stitched and stamped by me. I set up shop at 15-20 markets a year and the website is live 24/7.

With all these milestones I am still so grateful for the support of others, without it I would not be able to continue growing what I fell in love with all those years ago.

Thank you,

-Brandon