Gluing—when to stick and when to stitch

31st March 2023

There are various ways to join two pieces of leather together. Gluing may be the easiest of them, but sometimes it’s also the best.

If you have the right equipment, gluing leather is pretty easy. There are a few different reasons you will want to do it. Sometimes it is just to hold two pieces of leather in place while you work on them with a sewing machine. In these cases, the glue just needs to provide a temporary bond, the stitches will do the work long term. Tandy Eco-Flo Leather Weld is ideal.

If you just need to test how your pieces leather fit together, you can use a normal PVA glue. This is easy to remove when you’ve finished testing.

If you are making something that needs small, unobtrusive seams, gluing often takes up less room than stitching. If the glue is intended make a permanent bond, it needs to be flexible, water resistant and, of course, strong. Contact cement is the best option.

The actual process of gluing is reasonably simple, but it takes care. Make sure the area you are working in is clean. If you get dirt in the join it will weaken it and may look unsightly. Make sure you apply the adhesive evenly and neatly then press the two pieces of leather into place. Check the packaging for the length of time the glue takes to dry and use this as the minimum. You may want to use weights or clamps to ensure the leather pieces stay in the right place while the glue dries.