How to Sew a Leather Patch on a Hat (Pre-Punched Holes)

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  3. How to Sew a Leather Patch on a Hat (Pre-Punched Holes)

Bought our leather patches with pre-punched sew holes and plan to sew them on yourself? Good call. It takes a beginner about 20-30 minutes, and you don't need a sewing machine. Here's exactly how you can accomplish.

Download the printable one-page guide (PDF)

What you'll need

  • Your leather patch (it comes with peel and stick adhesive already on the back if you ordered that option. We suggest you do to hold the patch in place.)
  • Ritza Tiger Thread, 0.6 mm
  • John James needle, size 18
  • Scratch awl, or a spare needle
  • Thimble
  • Scissors

If you don't have the thread, needle, or awl, we recommend Weaver Leather Supply.

Step 1: Peel the backing

Peeling the 3M backing off a leather patch to expose the adhesive

Peel the 3M label off the back of your patch to reveal the adhesive. It's very sticky, so don't set it down once it's exposed.

Step 2: Stick it to your hat

Leather patch centered on the front of a hat

Center the patch on the front of the hat, left to right and top to bottom. Press it on firmly. The adhesive holds the patch in place while you sew, so you're not fighting it the whole time.

Step 3: Cut your thread

Thread measured to go around the leather patch three times

Pull enough thread to go around the patch 3 times, then cut it from the spool. That covers both passes plus the tail you'll tie off with at the end.

Step 4: Thread and lock your needle

Threading a needle and piercing the thread to lock it in place

Pass the thread through the eye of the needle. Then push the needle point through the middle of the short thread end and slide it down past the eye. This locks the thread so it won't slip out while you work.

Step 5: Punch through the cap

Punching through the cap with an awl using the patch sew holes as a guide

Use the holes in the patch as your guide. Gently push an awl or needle through each hole to punch through the cap fabric. This makes sewing much easier, because you can see exactly where the needle needs to go from the inside.

Structured hats have a stiff insert behind the front panel. Use firm pressure, but don't force it.

⚠️ Careful: keep your fingers off the back of the cap while you punch the holes. The awl comes through faster than you'd think, it's sharp and it hurts. Hold the cap from the side instead.

Step 6: Start from the back

Needle coming up from inside the cap with a 5 inch thread tail left inside

From inside the cap, push the needle up through any hole to the front. Pull most of the thread through, but leave a 5 inch tail on the inside.

Step 7: Anchor your first stitch

First stitch with the knot tied snug against the inside of the cap

Pick a direction. Push the needle down through the next hole and pull it through. Tie a knot on the inside using the tail, snug against the cap. Keep the rest of the tail. You'll need it at the end.

Step 8: First pass, all the way around

First stitching pass around the leather patch with gaps between stitches

Go up through the next hole and pull snug, then down through the next one. Repeat all the way around the patch. You'll see a gap between every stitch. That's normal.

Step 9: Return pass, then tie off

Return stitching pass filling the gaps, then tying off and trimming inside the cap

Now go back the opposite direction to fill in every gap. This second pass gives you a solid, double stitched line all the way around. When you get back to the start, finish with your needle on the inside of the cap. Tie it off to the 5 inch tail and trim.

Rather have us sew them on?

No problem. Reach out and let us know what you'd like to send us and we'll give you a quote to sew the patches onto your garment.

Questions about sewing on your patch? Contact us and we'll help you out.

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