no for real how do you make a patch?
- think up a design (the hard part)
- draw directly on the patch with a pencil or a ballpoint pen or whatever
- use cheap acrylic paint - you dont need fancy fabric paint
- paint in thin layers
- be patient. dont glorp it on thick or it will crack :(
- YOU JUST MADE A DIY PATCH!!!
- im not kidding thats really all there is to it
below is a list of resources i found helpful when learning how to do this myself
i did not make any of these but i think they're quite good ☻
none of this is gonna be behind a paywall! check ur local library for physical books
videos
- SKETCHING
- ___[link] how to transfer a sketch to the patch
- you can use chalk, charcoal, pastels, anything soft. whatever you have on hand
- ___[link]the window tracing method
- ___[link]the window method, on fabric
- you do not need to buy a light box. if its bright outside, use your window
- if its dark, open up a blank word doccument and use your desktop monitor. gently.
- ___[link]freezer paper stencil method
- if im the first person to tell you about reptil im glad you know now :)
- PAINTING
- you can just use regular acrylic its fine trust me. if you wash it harshly in hot water it will fade but touch it up if it needs attention. you can laundry strip it if you want to keep it from flaking off
- ___[link] literally just painting it on there
- ___[link] mixing the acrylic with textile medium
- textile medium is found in the same places you find acrylic paint. its super cheap
- ___[link] fabric softener + mod podge method
- if you happen to have these on hand and/or just dont want to go out and get textile medium :)
- SEWING
- i know you're scared.
- hold my hand.
- the sewing needle wont be able to hurt you any more.
- just follow along with me:
- 1. its okay if its absolutely hideous
- 2. thats it <3
- ___[link] local goth teaches u the whip stitch
- ___[link] local cute mom teaches u the blanket stitch
- ___[link] local metalhead teaches u the running stitch
- these are the three stitches i use interchangably for all of my own projects. whip stitches are quick and dirty and use lots of thread; they're durable and ugly and we love them. blanket stitches are great for stuff that runs along the edge - joining two edges flush together. running stitches are quicker and uglier. go around your patch twice with a running stitch if you think its starting to fray.
- ___[link] methods, alternative materials
- a brief rundown of some of the other ways you can attatch patches to your garment. ive used fishing line before and i regularly use dental floss. i use embroidery thread almost exclusively now because i got a bag of more than 100 of the things at a thrift store for $5. hobby lobby does not have rfid scanners. i also use a curved upholstery needle cause i think its rad and it works great with thick denim. ive also used thick embroidery needles, sashiko needles, and leather needles.
- ___[link] sashiko visible mending method
- if you're into a cleaner looking aesthetic you can go this route. it looks great, especially with a little bit of planning and you dont have to know any embroidery knots or stitches. if you dont have sashiko thread you can use white embroidery thread
- ___[link] embroidery stitch tutorial
- if you DO know embroidery stitches or want to learn more then you can do that here! ive used a couple of embroidery stitches to attatch patches before and it looked really elegant and cute
books
- all of these are inks to bookshop.org; i make no money off the clicks but independant bookstores make a little bit. BEFORE YOU GO THERE THO check your local bookstore or BETTER YET your library. im based in usamerica (cause thats where i live) but when i say "local" i mean "local". go to your city's library for more information before you start shipping books from american authors
- ___[link] Mend! A Refashioning Manual and Manifesto by Kate Sekules
- ___[link] Creative Mending by Hikaru Noguchi
- ___[link] Beyond Darning by Hikaru Noguchi
- ___[link] How to Blow Up a Pipeline by Andreas Malm
- A bunch of books talking about how (and importantly WHY) to stitch, patch, fix, decorate, and have fun with your clothes! These come with excellent detailed illustrations and break down projects. you can follow along with the projects or just take them as inspiration.
- [link] Joyful Stitching by Laura Wasilowski
- [link] Make and Mend by Jessica Marquez
- [link] A-Z of Embroidery by Multiple Authors
- heres a couple of accessible how-to books. if you want to go the sashiko or embroidery route when attatching your patch you can look here for guides
- ___[link] Hoopla by Leanne Prain
- one of my favorite books about mending. it talks about embroidery as art, mending as art, both as personal political philosophy. even if patching your pants wont Save Us, its a great venue thru which you can start to think about materials. :)
PDFs + Zine scans
- ___[link] Making Stuff and Doing Things by Kyle Bravo
- A popular and thorough DIY zine that covers much much much more than just patches. the patch info is on page 67. you can buy a physical version of this HERE in case its not available at ur library
this is a living doccument. im trying to keep it as accessible, as useful, as thorough as possible but i am only one sheep. if you have any additional resources or you notice a link is dead please message me @earthwyrm on telegram (preferred) or earth.wyrm on discord (ew).
