Video:Patch a Hole in a Fabric Bag

Transcript:Patch a Hole in a Fabric Bag

Hi! I'm Debbie Anderson for About.com. There's nothing worse than getting an unsightly hole in your favorite non-nylon fabric bag. So today, I'm going to show you how to quickly repair that hole in your favorite fabric bag in just a few easy steps.

Supplies to Patch a Fabric Hole

For this task, you will need straight pins, a sewing needle, thread, scissors, a cloth measuring tape, an iron, an ironing board, and an iron-on patch.

Size the Fabric Hole

First, lay the fabric bag flat across the ironing board with the hole facing up. Then, use your cloth measuring tape to measure the size of the hole you want to repair.

Next, use a pair of scissors to cut the iron-on patch to size so that it is just about a half an inch in diameter larger than the hole you need to repair.

Press a Patch on the Fabric Hole

Then, center the patch over the hole and secure the patch to the edges around the hole with straight pins. Next, turn on and set the iron to a high "cotton" steam setting and allow the iron to preheat for approximately 2 minutes.

Once the iron is hot, gently press down the iron onto the patch covering the fabric with a hole. Remove the straight pins from the patch and press the iron over the patch one more time.

Reinforce the Patch With Thread

Once the patch is bonded to the fabric, cut a long piece of thread. Feed the thread through the end of the sewing needle and tie a knot at the two ends of the thread.

Next, reinforce the patch by creating small stitches around the edges of the patch to secure it to the bag. With each stitch, pull the needle up through both layers of fabric to connect the fabric of the bag and the patch together and then loop the needle over the top of the edge of the patch and then back through the fabric bag material again.

Continue this process until all of the edges of the patch are secured to the fabric bag. Finally, tie a small knot in the stitching pattern with the needle and thread and use your scissors to cut off the extra thread so that the cut is close to the knot you just made.

With a few simple items, you're sure to extend the life of your favorite non-nylon fabric bag in just a few easy steps!

Thank you for watching! To learn more, please visit us on the Web at About.com.