How to Sew Leather by Hand: The Saddle Stitch in 10 Steps

To sew leather by hand, punch or mark evenly spaced holes along a stitch line, then saddle stitch: one length of waxed thread with a needle on each end, both needles passing through every hole from opposite sides. Finish by backstitching two or three holes and trimming the ends. Leather is tough to puncture, so you make the holes first rather than pushing a needle through.

This guide is part of our leather repair at home series. It covers hand stitching only; for machines and a wider overview, see how to sew leather.

Key takeaways- Use two needles on one thread. If one stitch breaks, the rest of a saddle-stitched seam stays intact.- Make the holes first, with a pricking iron and awl, a chisel fork, or an awl alone.- Cut plenty of thread. Guides range from 3.5 to about 5 times the seam length.- Use polyester or nylon thread, not cotton.- Lock the seam by backstitching two or three holes.

Tools and materials

How to sew leather by hand, step by step

Step 1: Clip the pieces together

Line up the edges and hold them with clips, rough sides together and smooth sides out for a seam.

Step 2: Mark the stitch line

Score or groove a line parallel to the edge. Make sets it back by the combined thickness of the pieces. A groove is optional; Tandy says it lets the stitches sit flush, and a wing divider marks the line without cutting a channel.

Step 3: Mark the hole spacing

Set the pricking iron's prongs in the line and strike it with a mallet. It should only cut the surface, not go through. Put the first prong into the last mark each time you move along, so the spacing stays even. Without an iron, press a fork into the leather to mark the spacing.

Step 4: Make the holes

You have three options:

• Open each hole with an awl as you stitch, as in Tandy's method.
• Drive a chisel fork through both layers on a padded surface with a soft-headed hammer.
• Pierce every mark with an awl, ice pick or nail, from both sides if the leather is thick.

Step 5: Cut the thread

Guides use different rules of thumb:

Tandy says too much thread is better than running short. Measure the seam, multiply by five, and note how much you have left over. That tells you what to use next time.

Step 6: Lock a needle onto each end

With poly thread, Tandy uses one loop through the needle; hemp or linen needs several. Make locks each needle by piercing the thread about 3 in from its end, then waxes and rolls the splice.

Step 7: Start the seam

Pass one needle through the first hole and pull until both ends are the same length. Tandy starts at the farthest mark and stitches toward you.

Step 8: Saddle stitch

Push one needle through the next hole. Pass the second needle through the same hole from the other side. Keep the front needle in front of the thread already in the hole so you don't pierce it. Pull both threads tight with the same tension, then repeat on every hole.

Step 9: Backstitch to lock the seam

At the end, stitch back through the last holes. Tandy says two or three backstitches are usually enough; Make backstitches over the last two holes.

Step 10: Finish the ends and set the stitches

Trim poly thread about 1/8 in from the surface and melt the end with a lighter, keeping the flame off the leather. For linen or hemp, tap a drop of glue into the hole instead. Tap the stitches with a smooth-faced hammer to set them.

J.H.Leather, a UK maker of leather collars and belts, demonstrates the full saddle stitch on a practice strip: marking a line with dividers, a 7-per-inch pricking iron, waxing the thread, locking a needle onto each end, then crossing the needles in every hole so the stitches all slant the same way. It differs from this guide on two details: it cuts about a double arm's length of thread rather than a multiple of the seam, and it finishes with one and a half backstitches instead of two or three.

Which hand stitch should you use?

Sewing a patch onto a jacket uses a whip stitch or backstitch instead. See how to sew patches onto leather.

Hand or machine?

Hand stitching is slower. Tandy and Make both say a saddle stitch outlasts a machine stitch; Tandy's reason is that the rest of the seam holds if one stitch breaks. Those are craft suppliers' and writers' views, not test results.

A regular home sewing machine is a different question. A patch maker says to use a machine on leather only if it's designed for leather. Leather machine needles have a cutting point and come in sizes from 70/10 for thin leather to 110/18 for leather upholstery. Longer stitches help stop the holes from acting like a tear line.

Common mistakes

Using hand stitching for repairs

Hand stitching closes seams that have come apart. For a rip in the leather itself, the method is a backing patch and glue, covered in how to repair ripped leather. Leather Collection's care page suggests a small amount of rubber cement for hem repairs on its garments. The store doesn't sell repair kits. Its leather care instructions cover hems and everyday care. For seams on a valuable jacket, professional repairers are listed on leathershopnearme.com.

Related guides

• Hand stitching is also how you sew a new zipper into a leather jacket your machine can't handle; see how to replace a jacket zipper.

FAQ

Can leather be sewn by hand?

Yes. Make the holes first with a pricking iron and awl or a chisel fork, then sew with two needles and waxed thread.

What is the best stitch to hand sew leather?

For seams that take strain, the saddle stitch. Tandy uses it for wallets, belts and bags, and says the rest of the seam holds if one stitch breaks.

Is it better to sew leather by hand or machine?

Hand saddle stitching is slower, and craft suppliers say it is stronger than a machine stitch. A machine is faster but should be one designed for leather.

Can I sew leather with my regular sewing machine?

A patch maker advises using a machine only if it's designed for leather, with a leather needle and polyester thread, and switching to hand sewing if it skips stitches.