Surf Fashion DIY: How to Iron On Patches
Use one of our cool surf-inspired iron on patches to get creative and bring to life to some of your own favorite pieces of clothing. Add them to your denim jacket, to the pocket of your jeans or even to your backpack! There are so many ways to get creative.
PLEASE NOTE: If you are planning to apply it to an item that will need to be washed periodically, we suggest sewing the patch on.
What you will need:
- An iron & ironing board
- Iron on patch
- A thin piece of fabric (like a tea towel or pillow case to protect your clothing and patch from the heat)
- The item you want to add the patch to
What type of materials & items are best
The best type of materials to add patches to are cotton & polyester. Iron on patches do not work well on rayon, nylon, leather, or waterproof materials. Types of items we suggest, jeans, jackets, backpacks, canvas tote bags or even Vans!
How to apply the iron on patch:
Heat up the iron. You want your iron to be on its highest heat setting in order for the patch to properly adhere to the clothing and remove all water (do not use the steam option). The thin piece of fabric is needed. If you do not have one and plan to iron directly on top of the patch, you will not want to use full heat as you can melt the glue or damage the patch.
Plan your design. Lay out your piece of clothing on the ironing board and place the patch in the spot where you want to adhere it. The adhesive side down. If you’re ironing it items that don't lie flat, stuff the insides with towels or cloth. (This way, when you press on the patch with an iron later, it is as close to the fabric as possible and doesn’t shift around.)
Place a thin cloth over the front of the patch. This will act as a barrier between your patch and the iron to protect the fabric of your clothing from the heat.
Iron on the patch step 1. Place the iron over the patch and cloth and hold it there for 30 seconds-60 seconds. Then let it cool before you check it. If once it cools you still see edges coming up, put the cloth back over it and hold the iron on again for 30 seconds
Flip item inside out and iron: Once it has adhered from step 1 and cooled. Flip the garment inside out (if possible) and repeat steps 3 & 4. This step is important to really make sure the patch is attached.
Let it cool and preferably set for 24 hours: Let cool before wearing or using and preferably let it set for 24 hours. DO NOT wash the item for at least 24 hours and preferably hand wash to guarantee the patch will not come off. If you can't hand wash then wash inside out on delicate and you might want to consider sewing them on.
WATCH: HOW TO APPLY AN IRON ON PATCH TO YOUR VANS
Shop our Patch collection NOw
You can shop our collection of patches, get creative and bring to life to some of your own favorite pieces of clothing. Add them to your denim jacket, to the pocket of your jeans or even to your backpack! There are so many ways to get creative .....we'd love to see how you use yours! Be sure to tag us @herwavesco or #herwaves
