How to Make Custom Leather Hat Patches

Custom leather patch hats have really blown up in popularity over the last few years. They're awesome for ranches, breweries, outdoor brands, construction companies, makers, and small businesses looking for a premium way to showcase their logo on some custom swag! And guess what,  you can make them yourself!

One of the most common questions we receive is: "What do I actually need to make my own leather hat patches?" well, it is actually much easier than most people realize.

Step 1: Choose the Right Leather

We recommend working with real, full-grain leather and avoiding the "laser-ready" fake leatherette stuff, it's mostly plastic. Thicker is better for branding, but the thicker it is the less flexible and sew-able it will be, 2mm is about the minimum you'll want to work with.

Many leather suppliers offer vegetable-tanned leather strips in standard widths. 2-inch-wide strapping being one of the most popular options for hat patches. This is one of our favorites, they offer a large number of colors too.

A typical patch size is around 2" x 3",  using leather strapping saves a tremendous amount of time because the edges are already straight and consistent.

Step 2: Create Your Design

Most custom hat patches use one of two methods; Debossing or Hot Branding

Debossing uses pressure to press the design into the leather. This creates a clean, professional appearance with excellent detail and a "3D" look but you are a little limited on how dark the mark is.

Hot Branding Branding uses heat and pressure to permanently darken the leather while creating an impression, though usually not as deep. Many customers prefer this method because it produces a classic, high-contrast appearance that stands out well on hats. 

Step 3: Do You Need a Press?

Not at all.
While a press can be useful for high-volume production, you can get started with any of our branding irons or leather stamps and a simple workbench. 

For lower production quantities, a custom electric branding iron is often the most economical way to get started. It requires very little equipment, creates excellent-looking patches, and allows you to make patches on demand. 

If you're producing dozens of patches, a dedicated leather press may become worthwhile, in which case, we have two options, a digitally controlled heated press or a manual leather press (unheated) which gives you a debossed look but you aren't able to darken the look like you can with heat.

Step 4: Cutting the Patches

This is another area where people often overcomplicate the process. For rectangular patches, it's super easy to cut leather strapping to length using a sharp utility knife, hobby knife, or box cutter along a straight edge.

The result is clean, professional-looking patches with very little investment in equipment. For more complex shapes such as circles, shields, or custom outlines, you'll typically need a custom steel-rule die and a die-cutting press. These tools are commonly used in commercial leather production but are usually unnecessary for someone just getting started.

In many cases, simple rectangular or square patches look just as good on a hat and are much easier to produce.

Step 5: Attaching the Patch to the Hat

Once you have made your patch, it needs to be attached to the hat. Most people use one of three methods:

•  Sewing
•  Fabric adhesive
•  Adhesive combined with stitching

 
A light coat of fabric adhesive can make positioning much easier before sewing. Many hat makers use both methods, applying adhesive first and then stitching around the perimeter for maximum durability. Some customers report excellent long-term results using adhesive alone, though stitching is generally considered the most permanent solution.

TLDR

When people first start researching custom leather patches, they often assume they need expensive presses, custom cutting machines, lasers or specialized equipment. In reality, it's easy to get started with just: 

• A custom branding iron or leather stamp
• Leather strapping, we've had good results with this brand
• A utility knife
• Fabric adhesive 
• A sewing machine or hand stitching tools

That simple setup is enough to create professional-looking leather hat patches for personal use, gifts, small businesses, and even commercial production.

If your goal is to start making custom leather patches without investing thousands of dollars in equipment, keeping the process simple is usually the best place to begin and you can get started today by ordering your own custom branding iron.