When you buy patches, they may end up not actually making it on to your jacket. Sure, they look good online or at the vendor's booth, but motivating yourself to attach them can be hard sometimes. Well, it's time to do it?your jacket and your pride will thank you. If you don't know where to begin when attaching them, here are some tips to get you started.
Some patches are super simple, iron on biker patches. These come with glue already on the back and only require, you guessed it, an iron. Most require you to iron the material (the jacket or bag or whatever) first to get it warm, then place the patch down and iron over it or on the backside of the fabric. However, it can get complicated if the jacket you are attaching the patch to is not iron safe. Leather, for instance, would not take well to this treatment. Also, some synthetic fibers cannot take the heat of an iron. In that case, you may need to sew it on.
Even if the patch isn't specifically iron-on, you may still be able to attach it without sewing. You can use fabric glue to attach it to your jacket. Most fabric glue is just a simple application, apply it to the back of the patch then stick it onto the jacket. Be sure to know exactly where you want it to go, because smearing the glue can leave a mark (this can also happen if you use too much glue). You might want to leave something heavy on it to make sure it sticks. This should work with most natural fabrics and many synthetic fabrics. However, like above, it's not likely to work with leather, though it is possible a spray adhesive for leather might suffice.
Overall, you will be much happier with yourself if you just pull out those patches and figure out how to attach them!
