Leather is decorated by leather carving, leather stamping, leather embossing, pyrography, beading, dying of leather or painting on leather.

Today, most leather is made of cow hides, but many exceptions exist. Lamb and deer skin are used for soft leather in more expensive apparels. The leather made from some more exotic skins has during different times in history been considered very beautiful. For this reason certain snakes and crocodiles have been hunted to near extinction.