Stay tuned! We have more online events planned for 2021. Join our email list to be the first to hear about them.

Tips for Heavy-Duty Sewing on a Home Machine

Wednesday, September 2 @ noon PST

At Klum House, we design all of our bag patterns for the home sewing machine. We’re strong believers that you don’t need a fancy machine or expensive industrial equipment to make professional-quality bags. In this session, Ellie will give tips + tricks for sewing multiple layers of heavy-duty fabric and pushing the limits of your home sewing machine! This event was free of charge, but we encourage non-Black folks who are able to “pay it forward” with a donation to Black Mamas Matter.

This event was free of charge, but we encourage non-Black folks who are able to “pay it forward” with a donation to Black Mamas Matter.

How to Process Your Own Leather Straps

Wednesday, August 26 @ noon PST

Our bag making kits come with fully-prepped leather straps, but you can totally make your own from raw leather strips with just a few strap-making tools! In this session, you’ll learn how to strap, cut, hole-punch, and round-end punch your own leather straps for all kinds of bag making projects.

This event was free of charge, but we encourage non-Black folks who are able to “pay it forward” with a donation to G.L.I.T.S.

Let’s Talk Hardware!

Wednesday, August 19 @ noon PST

Hardware can sometimes be intimidating for bag making newbies, but it shouldn’t be! With just a few tools, you’ll see that it’s actually quick and easy to set lots of different types of hardware and take your bag from looking homemade to truly professional. In this session, you’ll learn about magnetic snaps, Line 24 snaps, Chicago Screws, buckles, O-rings, and more.

This event was free of charge, but we encourage non-Black folks who are able to “pay it forward” with a donation to The Okra Project.

Rivets, Rivets, Rivets

Wednesday, August 5 @ noon PST

If you’ve ever made a Klum House bag, you know that we LOVE rivets. Rivets are metal fasteners that are great for securely attaching leather to your bag. In this session, you’ll learn about two types of rivets, double-cap and tubular, as well as setting tools, best practices, removing rivets, how to pair leather thickness with rivet size, and more.

This event was free of charge, but we encourage non-Black folks who are able to “pay it forward” with a donation to Black Voters Matter.

Ask Ellie Anything

Wednesday, July 29 @ noon PST

Klum House founder Ellie Lum has been a professional bag designer and maker for over twenty years. At age 18, she co-founded a custom messenger bag company called R.E. Load Bags, which she ran for over a decade before pivoting to bag making education (and starting Klum House!). Bring ALL of your bag making questions to this one—anything is fair game!

This event was free of charge, but we encourage non-Black folks who are able to “pay it forward” with a donation to Activation Residency.

Essential Bag Making Tools

Wednesday, July 22 @ noon PST

What do you need to have in your toolbox to become a bag maker? In this session, Ellie will share all of her favorite bag making tools and supplies for beginning bag makers. She’ll explain why you need each of them, show you how they work, and help you understand when it’s okay to bootstrap something at home vs. when you really need to invest in the right tool for the right job.

This event was free of charge, but we encourage non-Black folks who are able to “pay it forward” with a donation to Loveland Foundation.

Waxed Canvas: Our Favorite Bag Making Fabric

Wednesday July 15, 2020

Klum House founder Ellie Lum talks all about our favorite bag making fabric–waxed canvas! You'll learn the basics about what waxed canvas is, how it's made, and where it comes from, along with a bunch of tips and tricks for working with this heavy-duty, heritage fabric.

The Process of Designing the Slabtown Backpack

Tuesday June 30, 2020

Ellie gives a behind-the-scenes look at her process designing the Slabtown Backpack. She talks about her design inspiration, her roots in the industrial sewing industry, and special considerations for designing for education rather than market. She also shows off a bunch of old Slabtown samples, so you can see how the initial idea evolves into a finished product over the course of almost two years of refinement.