How to Do Leather Embroidery

Embroider your favorite leather jacket to add a personal touch.

Embroidering leather is a daunting task because it is much less forgiving than fabric — once you put a hole in your leather item, the hole will remain there forever. Fabric on the other hand conceals any holes you might make. Don’t let this stop you from adding embellishments to your leather clothing, because embroidery looks great on leather and can make your leather clothing more personalized. Before you get started on your leather embroidery project, practice on some regular fabric so you are less likely to make mistakes.

Things You'll Need

• Embroidery hoop
• Padding
• Pattern
• Thread
• Needle

Instructions

1. Apply padding to your embroidery hoop so the leather doesn’t become damaged. Use foam or a soft cloth and place it along the inside of your wooden hoop — this will make sure the leather isn’t scarred by the wooden surface of the hoop.

2. Find a pattern that is not overly complex. Leather embroidery should be quite simplistic, and the more dense the pattern, the more likely you will make a mistake. Use a simple pattern that uses simple stitches for your first leather embroidery project.

3. Thread your needle with a cotton, polyester or silk thread which works best for leather embroidery. Your needle should be small and incredibly sharp so that the hole will be smaller if you do happen to make a mistake.

4. Insert the thread up through the bottom of the leather to start your embroidery. Follow the instructions on the embroidery pattern to complete your project.

5. Remove the finished leather piece from the embroidery hoop and shake it out. The thicker the leather the more time it might take for it to regain its shape.

References

• Best Hand Embroidery: Dare to do Leather Embroidery