Introduction: How to Glue Leather for Sewing
One of the first things I discovered when I started leatherworking is that trying to sew leather together is TOUGH. However, there is hope! Gluing your projects together before you punch holes or sew makes the process much more simple.
Gluing leather also comes with its own set of problems, but they're easily avoided if you work smart. :D
Check out my other leather ibles for more leatherworking basics:
Step 1: What You'll Need
- leather for gluing
- parchment or wax paper
- paper towels
- leather glue OR contact cement
- something to hold it while it dries - I'm using small clamps
I'm using a glue specially made for leather, but I've also read on several leatherworking forums that contact cement can work just as well. :)
The parchment or wax paper will act as a guide for gluing. I tried using masking and painter's tape, but sometimes the adhesive on the tape can leave marks on the leather.
Step 2: Use the Parchment to Keep the Glue in Check
Lay the parchment or wax paper over the leather so the area you want to apply glue to is exposed. Hold it down firmly and apply the glue thinly along the edge.
When you peel back the parchment you'll have a nice crisp line! Now you can press the pieces together.
Important notes:
Always apply the glue carefully - too much glue can making sewing and punching holes impossible. You can also accidentally glue places you don't mean to if you apply too much, as it'll squish around when you press the pieces together.
The worst thing, though, is when glue gets on the grain (the nice side!) side of the leather - this will leave a permanent spot on the leather that won't accept oils, waxes or dyes.
Almost always, you'll be able to glue flesh-to-flesh sides of the leather. Grain-to-grain leather gluing can be tough. If you ever need to glue leather together on the grain sides, you might want to use a leather skiver or a hobby knife to remove the very top layer of the leather on the edge of the pieces. This will leave you with an easier to glue surface. :D
Step 3: Clamp to Dry
Once I've glued my pieces, I like to clamp them to make sure they dry in the right position.
I prefer to wrap the glued edge in paper towels and then apply the clamps. The paper towels will catch any excess glue and keep the clamps from leaving indentations in your leather.
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39 Comments
9 years ago on Step 3
One way to sew leather is to use your sewing machine WITHOUT thread---use the proper size needle and go along where you want to sew slowly---sometimes doing this by hand-turning the wheel---this gives you the pressure of the foot to hold the pieces in place plus a nice even spaced set of holes to then sew thru by hand. This works for hard and softer leather but is esp good where you have thinner leather that the glue might mark even if carefully applied to only the one side. Also if you need to use clamps using a thin piece of cardboard (not colored!) or even a thin piece of wood can make your edges easy to clamp---use one one EACH SIDE---and then you can use a heftier clamp and not leave a mark.
You might want to dye-finish your EDGE before gluing and clamping because--- as Jessieratfink mentioned---the glue can ooze where you don't want it and leave the leather unable to accept color.
My family was in the leather business for ages so I learned some of this stuff at grand parents knee---
You can even use TAPE to join thinner pieces together --butted together--and then sew OVER the adjoining seams--this is an old furrier method to get the most out of your leather and not have bulgy seams! Buying cheap pieces of leather clothing at thrift shops can give you nice pieces to practice with and gives you LOTS of chances to make something for MUCH less than buying new hide will. I check the Sal Army on "half price days" and look esp for LONG coats---for some reason these seem to be marked at a lower price to start with and when marked down can be as little as $5. Look for items with long panels rather than that "patchwork" crapola. There are also some good sellers on ebay who offer different colors and finishes on single pieces.
Reply 1 year ago
I came across your post...if you wouldn't mind messaging me...I'd love to learn about the Ebay shops (or other sites/places) to purchase leather/supplies at reasonable prices. Thanks in advance ☺️
Question 4 years ago on Step 3
Hi! Good day! I want to know how to make leather binder/ leather glue please? I'm waiting for your reply. Thanks & best wishes.
6 years ago
This is really helpful. Thank you so much. I have some leather and I have managed to make a leather case for my knitting needles, but I went through some pain to get it finished. Your simple 3 steps to keeping it together is tremendously helpful. :)
6 years ago
I have been experimenting with cyanoacrylate super glue in my limited tool pouch leather projects. It turns the leather into a very strong, fibered acrylic material and effectively welds the pieces together flesh to flesh stronger than the leather itself. There is a tendency to crack and flake over time with the liquid cyanoacrylate so I've began my experiments with the gel, which is the type recommended for leather anyway. Seems to be many other possibility's with this combo.
6 years ago
Just started looking at techniques for leather working. I found everything I needed to know here. Thanx. jesse (?)
7 years ago
Thank you. Would you know about gluing a thin piece of leather to a very dense piece of wool fabric that after its glued has to be top stitched with a machine?
7 years ago
on another note- if anyone is looking for a better way to cut leather- get a head knife and keep it sharp. I spent two years fighting with sicciors and box knifes and craft knifes- then I bought a head knife from Bob Dozier a model 3... goes through 10 ounce leather like butter and turns on a dime- best thing is with a head knife it is a lot easier to see were your cutting .
7 years ago
tried a lot of different glues- IMHO Barge is the best- I thin mine down with Barge brand thinner- doesn't work well to mix brands. keep a small amount mixed up on my work bench in one of those refillable plastic containers with the brush. It has already been said- but worth repeating you apply it to both pieces- then you wait a few minutes - the waiting is the hard part to me- so I like mine thined- starts drying faster that way. Clamps will leave marks on Veg tan- and some Metals will chemically react and blacken the leather. I use scrap pieces of veg tan over my holsters held by envelope clips- you can find large boxes of them around the mailing supplies sections in most stores. I never just use the clamp directly on my projects. It may seem expensive " at least it did to me" but it does last a long time. I put a little Vaseline around the threads of my plastic container and it keeps it from becoming glued shut.
8 years ago on Introduction
have you tried hide glue? If not what are your thoughts?
8 years ago
Hello! I recently bought a leather bag that was just made. The glue hasn't completely dried and I was wondering if there is anything I can do to dry it faster. Thanks!
9 years ago on Introduction
I really dislike the Tandy glue due to the limited holding power. It also has very little flex, while leather is a dynamic material. Barge glue is the way to go. It flexes, holds like a champ- forever. It's the real deal, used by professionals.
Reply 8 years ago on Introduction
Hello blatantimage! We also sell Barge as some people prefer it, however we are continuously developing more environmentally friendly alternatives. The regulations on liquids are constantly changing and vary from state to state and country to country, so many of our liquids (such as the above Leathercraft Cement) are formulated to meet the highest environmental standards.
9 years ago on Introduction
Has anyone any special advise for working with reclaimed leather? (Other than "don't" I know it can be a pain)
Reply 9 years ago on Introduction
Many people new to leather work will use "reclaimed" leather, if you're talking about cutting up old couches or jackets or things like that. Choose your worst pieces to practice on - then use your best pieces to make your item.
Most reclaimed leather will have had a finish on it to protect it. That can make it harder to work with. A good cleaning should always be your first step, then condition the leather afterwards to put the good oils you may have taken out during the cleaning back in. Let the cleaned and conditioned leather sit for 24 hours before using it on your project so it dries properly.
If there is still a finish on the leather where you want to sew it together, lightly sand off the area where you are going to glue it, so that it becomes a bit rough and the finish is gone, so that the glue has something to "grab" onto.
My best suggestion for marking on any leather project is to use chalk to make your marks. It disappears easily when you are done or at worst can be removed with a lightly damp cloth without leaving any permanent marks on your finished product.
Feel free to message me with any other questions you might have and I'd be happy to help if I can. :-)
Reply 9 years ago on Introduction
Good info here and on the Gorilla Glue! Thanks! One question I forgot that should be public, I think: Do veg and chrome tan behave differently in regards to any particular glues?
Reply 9 years ago on Introduction
They are very different kinds of leather. Veg tan is generally very stiff until it has been worked and becomes softer with use and breaking in. It only comes in an unfinished state and is designed to be tooled and dyed by the maker to create an end product. It comes in varying thicknesses from about 1-2 oz (thin) up to about 10oz (very thick) depending on what the maker is going to use it for. A wallet would need much thinner leather than say a saddle or knife sheath for example.
Chrome Tan (Think clothing or upholstery leather) is already a finished product and is usually both thin and soft enough to run through a sewing machine.
Contact or barge cement is usually used on both, because it is pliable enough to sew through by hand or machine, and ads strength to the seam and finished product by keeping the glued edges together even after sewing. So it's like a 2-step seam with the 2 parts working together to create the strongest possible seam.
Reply 9 years ago on Introduction
Also, has anyone tried gorilla glue? It's been around for a while, so hopefully someone can tell how well it holds up.
Reply 9 years ago on Introduction
Gorilla Glue is great for many projects, but leather working is not among them. It expands as it dries, which can really mess us your project! It also becomes very hard and leather projects need a glue that will be a bit flexible when it dries.
Contact cement is not very expensive and can be purchased at most dollar stores for a small tube, which should be ample for most small leather projects. You just brush (Q-tip if you don't have a disposable brush) onto both sides of your project and allow the cement to dry, then carefully press both glued sides together and give it a few minutes to set (30 min should be plenty on a small project, up to 24 hours for a large project with a lot of glue) and then sew away.
If you are using a thin already finished leather, you can probably use a sewing machine to sew your project. If you are using a heavy veg-tan, you'll need to punch holes into your leather after gluing it, because leather hand sewing is done with blunt needles, so you have to have the holes already made. The most important aspect of punching holes is to KEEP THE HOLES 100% VERTICAL all the way through.
Please feel free to message me with any questions.
9 years ago on Introduction
Awesome project! Are these sewn by hand? I'd love to see a tutorial for how to hand sew leather.