How To Iron On Patches

Patch 'Em Up And Send 'Em Back Out

Iron on patches can be either bought or made. You can find pre-made iron on patches at tourist attractions, social groups, surplus stores, associations and fabric stores.

You can also make your own iron on patches. Colorful old garments such as dresses, polo shirts, concert shirts, curtains and upholstery can be used to create wonderfully inventive and unique iron on patch.

You can also find interesting fabrics at a fabric store that can be made into custom iron on patches.

When making your own iron on patches you will need to purchase iron on adhesive tape. The tape works quite well and is often used by commercial garment manufacturers to construct a great deal pieces of apparel that range from suits to dresses. My mother used to use the adhesive to apply my sister and my scout badges.

Preparation

1. The first thing to do is to make sure the garment and the patch is clean and free of dust.

2. If the patch is being used to cover a hole in a garment make sure to trim back frayed edges. Leave a bit of fray, though, so that the adhesive can stop continued fraying.

3. Inspect the entire garment for other issues such as holes or fraying. This would be a good time to repair these areas as well.

Time To Do The Iron On Transfer

1. Fill your steam iron to the top with water.
2. Smooth the fabric prior to ironing to prevent odd creases under the patch.
3. Take time to find the exact place you would like to apply the patch. Once it has been applied it can be quite difficult to move.
4. Put the iron on its highest setting if applying to denim, khaki or canvas.
5. Iron the garment first without the patch. This serves two functions. It allows you to see if creases that would interrupt application will be a problem. It also allows you to heat up the surface of the fabric so that the adhesive will activate more quickly.
6. Line the adhesive up with the patch and the area of application.
7. Finally, iron the garment, patch and adhesive about four or five passes should do it.

Once the patch has been applied let the garment sit for about an hour. This will allow the adhesive to cool. If you move the garment before it is allowed to cool the patch can shift. If the patch shifts you can stain parts of the garment and also wind up with a crooked or poorly placed patch.

More information on Irons