Custom Iron-On Patches and Leather Don't Mix!

So you have your great leather jacket, and you want to customize it with some terrific-looking custom patches. You don’t want to bother with sewing, or you don’t have a machine that can handle sewing leather. No problem, you’ll just get custom iron-on patches and be good to go, right?

WRONG.

The combination of iron-on patches and leather is not a happy marriage. At best, the patch won’t adhere. At worst, you’ll damage or possibly even ruin a good leather jacket.

Why Custom Iron-On Patches and Leather Don’t Mix

As the song says, some like it hot. Leather doesn’t. The iron temperature needed to melt the glue used on custom iron-on patches is just too high. If that weren’t enough, the leather is too slippery for the glue, which isn’t formulated for the surface. At best, your patch won’t adhere to the jacket. At worst, you’ll scorch or burn the leather, and possibly have to deal with blobs of partially melted glue as well.

OK, if leather’s out, why not just go with faux leather? Get the look, and the patch, with less hassle?

Unfortunately, that’s not an iron-on option either. Faux leather is prone to melting under that high temperatures needed to glue on a patch. And if you’re thinking about a nylon jacket instead, forget that too. Same thing. You don’t want to have to deal with both a ruined garment and a (literal) hot mess of an iron at the same time.

A Stitch In Time…

If you’re committed to adding patches to leather – either real or faux – or nylon, the only safe solution is the traditional combination of needle and thread. Custom iron-on patches just aren’t meant for these materials.

Don't be intimidated by the idea of sewing a patch onto a jacket. It’s not difficult. If you really don’t want to do it yourself, it’s easy to find a local tailor shop that can do it for you for just a small fee. It’s worthwhile to get your patches attached correctly to your garment and looking good!