Leather is made from the skins of animals such as cattle, sheep and goats. The skins are made into leather at a tannery. First the skins are washed and then they are soaked with chemicals to remove the hair. The skins with the hair removed are called pelts.

The pelts are then tanned to stop them from rotting. The pelts may be tanned.

If they are to be made into leather items such as the soles of shoes and belts they are tanned with liquids from the bark of trees such as oak or pine. The bark is soaked in hot water and chemicals called tannins leave the bark and enter the water. The pelts are then put in a machine with the water and tumbled for some hours. This process is called vegetable tanning.

If the pelts are to be made into soft leather such as needed for coats and gloves they are tumbled with a liquid which has chromium dissolved in it. This process is called chrome tanning.

After the tanning process the leather is treated with oil. This stops the leather from cracking. The leather may then be polished or stamped with a hot metal plate to make it look grainy.