How to Make Embroidery Iron-On Patches

Iron-on patches are not only functional items for mending holes in clothing, they're also great for adding decorative touches to your garments. Although beautiful embroidery iron-on patches are sold, sometimes it's hard to find a design that you truly like. You can easily make your own embroidery patches using materials readily available at sewing, craft, hobby and even discount stores.

Things You'll Need

• Design or pattern
• Blank iron-on patch
• Adhesive spray
• Tear-away backing
• Iron-on patch adhesive sheet
• Embroidery hoop
• Floss
• Embroidery needle
• Scissors
• Iron
• Ironing board
• Paper towels

Instructions

1. Use a pencil to draw your design onto a blank iron-on patch.

2. Load your embroidery hoop with a sheet of tear-away backing. Make sure that it's clamped tightly enough to make the backing taut, to avoid wrinkles in your finished embroidery iron-on patch. Apply some spray adhesive to the back of the patch and press it onto the backing sheet in the hoop. Allow the adhesive to dry.

3. Thread an embroidery needle with floss and tie a knot at the end of the thread. Keep your working lengths of floss to no more than about 2 feet at any one time to avoid excessive tangling while you work. Start each strand of floss from the back side of the hoop so that there won't be any end knots on the front of your patch. Embroider your entire design onto the patch.

4. Take the backing with the attached embroidered patch out of the hoop. Tear the backing from the back of the embroidery iron-on patch carefully.

5. Trace your patch onto the unglued side of a piece of an iron-on adhesive sheet. Cut the shape out of the adhesive sheet. Set your patch on the ironing board, wrong side up. Position the iron-on adhesive cutout on top of the patch with the slightly tacky glue side down.

6. Set your iron on low. Cover the patch and adhesive cutout with a paper towel. Iron the paper towel, transferring the adhesive from the cutout to the back of your patch. The paper towel will protect your iron from the adhesive and can be thrown away.

7. Peel the backing paper from the adhesive of your embroidery iron-patch when you're ready to apply it to a garment. Position the patch and iron it, pressing firmly on the iron to produce a strong bond. Turn the garment inside out and iron the patch again to ensure the complete activation of the adhesive.