How to Fix Holes in Leather: Sub-Patch, Filler and Color in 10 Steps

To fix a hole in leather, glue a piece of canvas or denim behind it, then fill it with thin layers of leather filler. Sand the filler level and recolor it to match. Repair makers treat a hole differently from a scratch: it needs a patch behind it before any filler goes on.

This guide is part of our leather repair at home series. It works for jackets, bags, sofas and car seats. If the hole is a long rip rather than a hole, start with how to repair ripped leather.

Key takeaways- The sub-patch should be bigger than the hole: about 3/8 in (1 cm) bigger all round in one method, at least 1/2 in in another.- Use a flexible glue and let it cure before you add filler.- Build filler in 5-6 thin layers, not one thick one.- Holes over 2 in (5 cm) usually need a top patch as well.- Leather Collection doesn't sell repair kits. The tools below come from repair makers' methods.

Before you start: is it a DIY hole?

Check three things first:

• Size. Holes up to about 2 in (5 cm) take a sub-patch and filler. Bigger ones need extra care and a top patch.
• What's underneath. On a sofa or car seat, check the foam. Damaged foam has to be repaired before the patch goes in.
• Material. Faux leather is a plastic coating on fabric, and it changes a few steps. See the faux leather section.

If the leather around the hole is crumbling, check whether it's worth repairing first. Our sister site's guide to leather damage and whether to repair or replace helps you decide.

Tools and materials

Comparing kits that bundle these? See best leather repair kits: what to compare. For help choosing an adhesive, see best glue for leather repair.

Safety: glues and solvents

Many leather glues and cleaners give off solvent vapor. Read the safety data sheet (SDS) for the exact product you buy, and follow it.

• The SDS for E6000 LV Clear, a craft adhesive, lists 60-71% tetrachloroethylene. It classifies the glue as a skin and eye irritant and a suspected carcinogen. It says to avoid breathing the vapor, work with adequate ventilation, and wear protective gloves and splash goggles.
• An older safety sheet for one solvent contact cement lists it as a flammable liquid with a flash point of 25°F (-3.8°C). Keep flames and heat away, and check the current SDS for your product.
• The US EPA advises more ventilation when you use solvents, and says to follow label precautions at a minimum.
• If glue gets in your eyes or on your skin, flush with plenty of water for at least 10 minutes and get medical attention. That's the first-aid advice in the E6000 SDS.

How to fix a hole in leather, step by step

Step 1: Spot-test your products

Try the cleaner, glue and colorant on a hidden area first, such as under a seat or inside a hem. Let each one dry, then check for darkening or stiffness.

Step 2: Clean and prep the area

Gently rub the leather around the hole with a leather prep pad, then wipe it with an alcohol-based cleaner. This removes grease and finish so the glue and color can bond. For more on alcohol and leather, see is rubbing alcohol safe to use on leather?.

Step 3: Trim curled edges and loose threads

Torn edges often curl up into a lip. Cut the lip off at its base with a scalpel or small scissors, without cutting into sound leather. Snip any loose fibers so the edges are even.

Step 4: Repair the foam (upholstery only)

If the foam under a sofa or car-seat hole is torn or missing, plug it with new high-density foam, shaped level and smooth. Skip this step on jackets and bags.

Step 5: Cut the sub-patch

Cut canvas, twill or thin denim so it covers the hole with a margin all round. Furniture Clinic uses about 1 cm (3/8 in). Rub 'n Restore uses at least 1/2 in. Von Baer rounds the corners so the patch slides in without leaving ridges.

Step 6: Insert and glue the sub-patch

Push the patch in behind the hole with tweezers and lay it flat. Lift each edge of the leather, spread a thin layer of flexible glue underneath with a spatula or toothpick, and press it down onto the patch.

Step 7: Let the glue set

Makers give different times. Von Baer presses the edges for about five minutes, then lets the repair set for 1-2 hours with masking tape holding it. Rub 'n Restore lets its glue cure for about 30-60 minutes. Follow your glue's label. Test any tape on a hidden spot first, since Leather Collection advises against putting tape on its leather.

Step 8: Fill in thin layers

Spread a thin layer of filler with a palette knife. Let it dry for about 20 minutes, or speed it up with a hair dryer. Repeat for at least 5-6 thin layers, then add a final layer that sits level with the surface. Holes need more coats of filler than surface cracks.

Step 9: Add a top patch for large holes

For holes over 2 in (5 cm), glue a top patch to the sub-patch with firm, even pressure. Use leather or vinyl of similar thickness, grain and color, and cut it slightly smaller than the opening so it doesn't overlap the surrounding surface.

Step 10: Sand, color and finish

If you overfilled, sand the dried filler down gently with fine sandpaper until it blends. Sponge on colorant in thin coats, letting each one dry. Furniture Clinic builds up 10-15 thin coats. Seal with 4-5 thin coats of finish, then wait 24 hours before you use the item.

This video from Rub 'n Restore follows the same order of work on a worn upholstery hole: a rounded denim sub-patch slid in with tweezers, a flexible glue rather than super glue, then air-dry filler spread in thin layers, sanded, textured and recolored. Two points differ from this guide. On camera it cleans with lacquer thinner, though it says denatured alcohol is what it recommends, so stick with an alcohol-based cleaner as in Step 2. It also mentions a hair dryer to speed things up, which the maker's own written guide no longer advises; it uses an incandescent bulb, heat lamp or sunny window instead.

Faux leather and vinyl holes

Faux leather is usually a polyurethane or PVC coating on a fabric base. The sub-patch method still works. Rub 'n Restore's air-dry filler is made for both leather and vinyl. For a top patch, it advises against PU or polyester faux leather and uses leather or vinyl instead. For peeling or cracked faux leather, see how to repair faux leather.

Common mistakes

Preventing new holes

Leather Collection doesn't sell repair kits, glues or fillers. Its leather care instructions say not to attach pins, adhesive badges or tape to leather. For holes too large or too visible to fix at home, professional repairers are listed on leathershopnearme.com.

Related guides

• If a snap has torn out of the leather, see how to fix a snap button on a jacket once the hole is backed.

FAQ

How can I fill holes in leather?

Back the hole with a canvas or denim sub-patch, then fill it with leather filler in thin layers and sand it level. Repair makers say a hole needs a patch, not just filler.

How do you fix a hole in a leather couch from a dog?

Trim the chewed edges, plug any damaged foam with high-density foam, then sub-patch, fill and color as in the steps above. If the hole is over 2 in (5 cm), add a top patch.

How do you fix a hole in a leather car seat?

Use the same method. Prep with a prep pad and alcohol cleaner, glue a canvas sub-patch behind the hole, then build up filler, colorant and finish.

Do leather repair kits actually work?

A kit gives you the same filler, sub-patch, glue and colorant these methods use. How well it works depends on thin filler layers and on the color match. We haven't tested kits yet.