How to Sew Patches Onto Clothing
Learning how to sew a patch on clothes is one of the most fun ways to add accessories to your wardrobe, flex your creativity, and extend the life of your favorite wardrobe staples.
If you’re looking for a fun, easy way to get started with sewing and customize your clothes, you’ve come to the right place!
Today we’ll show you a simple step-by-step guide on how to sew a patch. Once you’ve mastered these simple skills, you can apply them to many other fun projects on our blog.
Let’s dive in.
DIY Sewing Tips: How to Sew Patches onto Clothes
Step 1: Don’t Stress!
You absolutely can sew a patch onto clothing, even if you’re a total sewing beginner. You don’t need to be a master seamstress to add patches to your clothes, trust us.
Relax, take a deep breath, and prepare to learn a new sewing skill!
Check-out all of our fun patches in our shop. They are all different shapes, sizes, and designs. They are just perfect for garment repair or to add a little shine to your clothing.
Step 2: Prepare Your Fabric
If you’re sewing a patch on a brand new piece of clothing make sure you’ve washed, dried, and ironed your fabric as needed. You don’t want your clothes to shrink or stretch after you’ve sewn a patch on your fabric. This could ruin your patch and your clothes.
The fabric you choose for your patch should ideally be the same type of material as your clothing item, but you can always mix and match. Sewing is all about experimentation, and you can always rely on your trusty seam ripper to undo stitching you don’t love!
Step 3: Assemble the Right Tools and Materials
Next, you’ll want to make sure you have all the right tools and materials to learn how to sew a patch. This means selecting some needles and thread for your project. The best part about learning to sew is that you only need a few key materials.
When choosing a needle and thread, consider the thickness of your fabric and how much wear the item will likely experience. When patching a shirt or pants, go for a hand-sewing thread like the ones available in our shop!
Also, think about the color of your item and whether or not you’d like your thread to match. Sometimes using a thread that doesn’t match can add a fun, new color dimension to your project.
Step 4: Consider Patch Placement
Where would you like to put your patch? Don’t be afraid to get super creative here—you can sew a patch virtually anywhere on your favorite jean jacket, pair of jeans, or sweater.
Once you have chosen where to place your patch, secure it by placing a couple of straight pins through the patch to hold it in place. Check out our handy-handy magnetic spool holders to keep your pins organized!
Some iron-on patches may have glue on the back, but the advantage of not gluing a patch down is the ability to remove it and give it a new home somewhere else if you want. The choice is yours!
Step 5: Thread Your Needle
Grab the thread of your choice and thread one end through the eye of your needle. Pull your thread through until you have two equal lengths of thread on either side of the needle hole. Your length of thread is determined by how large your patch is.
You don’t want a ton of extra thread, but you also want to make sure you have a bit of wiggle room so you don’t run out or have too little to work with when you finish your patch. Aim for about two inches longer than the circumference of your patch!
Tie a knot at the loose end of your thread, securing the two equal lengths of the string together. We suggest a simple slip knot, but there are many types of knots that will work! Discover which works best for you.
Step 6: Time to Sew
Take your needlepoint through the back of the patch so that the knot is on the back (or wrong side) of the fabric, not visible. You can use a thimble to protect your finger and help move the needle more easily through your patch. Denim and leather can be hard to sew without a thimble—ouch!
Pull your thread all the way through the fabric layers and then guide your needle back down through the front of your patch. You can now repeat the process, threading your needle back up through the back of the patch. Try to make each stitch the same length.
Follow along the edge of your patch with your needlework to best secure your patch and keep your stitch work clean. The stitch that you’ve created is called a running stitch (see diagram below). You’ll continue with this process around the perimeter of your patch until you’ve secured the patch fully to your piece of clothing.
Once you’re done, the edges of your patch should not be loose. Check the inside of your garment to see the outline of your stitch work. It should be neat, with even stitch spacing.
Make a knot as close to the fabric as possible using the remainder of your thread. Cut the excess thread off.
It’s A Wrap
Now you know how to sew a patch! This simple skill will help you build your own custom, unique clothes while allowing you to express your personality and flex your creativity.
Once you’ve learned this skill, you can apply it to all kinds of sewing projects. Update your wardrobe seasonally with new patches or simply repair favorite clothes you’ve ripped.
Sewing patches on clothes is a fun and easy activity to do with friends or solo.
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