Embroidered patches have become one of the leading commercial businesses of the time. Embroidered patches are inspired by all! Many organized groups like businesses, schools, cheer squads, scouting troops, fire departments, police officers, sports teams, and motorcycle clubs use patches for different purposes. So making custom patches can be an excellent way for startups to earn more money in less time! Embroidery consumable materials like thread, yarn, and patch twill are super affordable, offering an increased profit margin. These patches nowadays are more like the representation of a personal statement, so if you’re missing out on making and selling embroidered patches read our article below to get nifty ideas about how to make patches with an embroidery machine and without an embroidery machine.
Methods For How To Make Patches with an Embroidery Machine
Make embroidery patches today with the Plastic Film Patch Method and Hot-Knife Cutting Method. Using these two methods to make patches is easy by following the instructions:
In this method, the emblem is entirely created with embroidery only. The plastic film patch method is comparatively less complicated, and this method can be done in both commercial systems and traditional.
The process begins by forming a base using a span of the non-soluble film. This base material for the patch is hooped wither with the prepared sheets in commercial units or hooped span of 20 gauge clear vinyl like in a traditional manner. To hold the thread together and make it stay more stable, we work on a non-soluble plastic film where digitizers will fill the main area of the patch design by creating an underlay mesh underneath the background of the patch. In this way, the patch gets somebody in the finished piece.
Step By Step Process:
- First step: Hoop the plastic film
- Second Step: Runs the background underlay and fill
- Third Step: Move to the central design
- Fourth Step: Finish the border before tearing the patch out of a plastic film.
Make Embroidery Patches Today With the Hot-Knife Cutting Method
In this method, follow the three basic steps to make custom patches with embroidered patch machine:
1) What Do You Need To Make Patches?
In the first step, you need to make a patch. For this, you should buy a patch material like a patch mat or patch twill. It is cost-effective because it does not require any expensive merrowing machine and saves energy and time by reducing the number of stitches needed in a patch.
Patch material has an embroidered style that allows you to embroider your patch design. For example, a red patch twill mimicked red embroidery.
2) Using Heat Seal For Heat Applied Patches
Heat Seal backing hosts sky-limit advantages to your embroidery patches. Heat seal is excellent to make your patches sturdier because it adds extra stability and prevents them from being damaged, and keeps the thread on the back protected by sealing it in place.
So to apply heat seal onto your patch cut a piece of heat seal of a similar size to your patch. After the patch is sewn out using a heat press to adhere the glue to the back of your patch, if you want to sell it commercially, you can sell heat on patches as it is, and your clients can iron them onto the garment themselves.
3) Using The Hot Knife
In the final step, your patch is ready to cut out using a hot knife. Do not use the hot knife on any surface that gets damaged. Tempered glass is best for cutting out patches with a hot knife. Follow these steps for a finished result:
- Hold your knife at a certain angle before you start.
- Cut only with the tip of the blade.
- Apply even pressure while slowly moving the knife.
- Make sure to clean the tip of the knife with a paper towel after a few inches.
- Use the barrel of a hot knife to smoothen the edges.
- One great tip to make the final product look better is to keep the borders broader. It will help you later in cutting out the patch.
How To Make Patches Without Embroidery Machine?
Earlier, we learned how to make patches with an embroidery machine. However, we have also come up with solutions for our readers who don’t own commercial patch embroidery machines. There are three different methods of making patches without an embroidery machine. I am going to share the method of making patches without an embroidery machine:
Inkjet Transfer Paper
The Inkjet Transfer Method is comparatively the easiest way to embroider patches without a machine. Materials needed: hand-drawn design heavyweight cloth inject printer heat n bond inject transfer sheets scanner iron peel n stick fabric.
Method: You can use your drawing or capture any picture, whatever you want. After that, make sure to adjust the size of the picture according to your patch size. As preferred, use available inject transfer sheets to print out the scanned picture or create your design on the sheets. Now apply the iron heat on the heavyweight cloth without removing the paper. Let it dry for a few minutes. Remove the back paper, and your patch is ready to cut to the desired size.
The third method of transferring design into the fabric is a hand-embroidered patch. Read it below for some great tips on how to make embroidered patches by hand.
How To Make Embroidered Patches By Hand?
Hand embroidery is the traditional method of creating design into the fabric. If you want to create a perfect look, grab these materials and start working on them. Materials needed: hand-drawn design heavyweight cloth thread sewing needles embroidery hoop peel n stick fabric fuse.
Method: Start with choosing a design! Trace the selected design onto the fabric using the window trace method mentioned above. Secure the position of your fabric with the embroidery hoop. Make sure to hold it tight and fix it in place. Now it’s time to do the favorite part – Embroidery! Pass multiple strands of thread through a needle and stitch embroidery to cover the design with your hands. Your hand-made embroidered patch is now ready!
In our guide about how to make patches with an embroidery machine, our next topic is about making applique patches with an embroidery machine. Let’s see how we do it!
How To Make Applique Patches With An Embroidery Machine?
What is an applique patch?
Embroidered Applique: An applique is a piece of fabric stitched onto another piece of fabric with a decorative stitched border.
How To Make Patches With An Embroidery Machine? (Creating the Applique)
Step 01: Trace a Design: Trace a design on the paper side (smooth side). Use a fabric pen to avoid ink bleeding. Now iron the applique.
Step 02: Cut the Design: Cut the design outside the tracing. Make sure to cut at least ¼ inch (0.64 cm). In this step, do not cut the design along the lines.
Step 03: Iron the interfacing: Hold the interfacing down on top. The glue side must be downward. Use the heat setting as per the labeled instructions as few require covering it with an iron cloth.
Step 04: Cut the Applique Out: Let the applique cool down. Once it is cooled, carefully cut out the applique along the drawn lines.
Step 05: Peel away the Paper Backing: Peel off the paper backing, and your applique is ready to get set and go!