Asked on Mar 12, 2015

Repairing a leather armchair

Kathy
by Kathy
What can I do to repair this wonderful old leather chair? Short of getting the whole chair redone, (which would be terribly expensive) there has to be something I can do. Any suggestions?
  12 answers
  • Maryjack Maryjack on Mar 15, 2015
    go to a leather store, maybe a shoe repair store and find a scrap wide and long enough to fill the gaps. glue one side of the new piece to the old from underneath then pull the second side onto the patch gluing it just before you match them, Hold them in this position for a few minutes to secure the bond and then find something you can throw over it, weigh them down to hold it and they should be secure in a few hours.
  • Lola Lola on Mar 15, 2015
    You can use an old leather coat or purse if you find one that matches. Also, you can buy leather shoestrings and sew it in a criss cross pattern. It would emphasize the tear but would look cool.
  • MagnoliaMama MagnoliaMama on Mar 15, 2015
    I used Bish's Original Tear Mender adhesive to repair a leather car seat. Five years later, it still held, so now I swear by it for all heavy fabrics, tents, and leather! Reinforce underneath the tear with a scrap of heavy canvas, applying the tear mender to both surfaces. It is critical to hold the tear firmly in place for at least 3 minutes. Push it together with your fingers and hole, or push straight pins down through both layers, but keep the edges of the tear TOGETHER with edges overlapping just as they did before the tear. (A tiny hole is less obvious than a big tear.) I bought the adhesive at Hancock Fabrics, but I think I've seen it on Amazon too. They probably have a website.
    • See 1 previous
    • MagnoliaMama MagnoliaMama on Mar 21, 2015
      @Lois It can be used on leather, faux leather, or any heavy fabric, even canvas tents and other camping gear. (Once I used it on leaky seams.) I wouldn't use it for light-weight or loosely woven fabrics because it is a rather thick, gooey liquid and I think it would show through. Also, I would definitely recommend using a patch on the underside, whenever possible, to reinforce the tear. Sometimes this product is called simply Tear Mender on Amazon.
  • Renee Renee on Mar 15, 2015
    My husband decided that cammo duct tape was the answer.....YIKES! I was not a happy wife!
    • Sophia Retief Sophia Retief on Mar 20, 2015
      @Renee Hi Renee. Please don't scoff at your husbands idea. I had a rip in my leather sofa, and as a temporary solution used duct tape (I stuck it on the inside though) Matched the sides as closely as possible. Where the white showed through used permanent marker. I mean this is only temporary and when I was finished you could not notice it at all. It is now two years later, and it is still holding beautifully. I will still get round to it, at least it is not getting bigger.
  • Lisa J Matthys Lisa J Matthys on Mar 17, 2015
    a patch from an old pair on denim jeans (the leather brand type) might look cool
  • Rhe316235 Rhe316235 on Mar 20, 2015
    Bummer! I wound up donating my couch. My kids have not stopped complaining about that. It was too $$$ to redo professionally, but it was the most comfortable couch in the world.
  • Mehartgallery Mehartgallery on May 07, 2015
    Tuck a piece of heavy fabric such as denim inside the sofa...maybe an inch larger than the tear all around. Then inject some leather glue, such as Weldbond, or even some of the white glues will work on leather, check the label. Then pull the tear together, and place masking tape crosswise,,, probably 5 strips...to hold the edges together for a day or so while the glue cures. If the tear is still visible, since it appears lighter in the photo, you can 'stain' it with shoe polish, black coffee, or olive oil.
  • Lis Ricketts Lis Ricketts on Jun 25, 2015
    Boat repair places usually have a person who can fix tears in leather seats. They mix a special epoxy/ fill (color matched) and repair tears and punctures. Twenty years and still looks great!
  • Gail D.Bertrand- Meir Gail D.Bertrand- Meir on Aug 15, 2015
    Lis Ricketts, I agree with you. Another place to contact a repairman, is at your car dealerships. They get people trading in their vehicles... and these are cleaned and repaired professionally. The repairman, usually comes to the dealership monthly.. and he does the same at most dealerships,
  • Eddy Foster Beard Eddy Foster Beard on Oct 19, 2015
    Actually leather repair is rather easy. You can find excellent products to restore your leather to new condition. Go to http://www.leatherworldtech.com/LeatherColorChart.aspx?CategoryID=1&CategoryName=Acura%20%20Honda and watch the videos to see how it is done. Then order the needed products. There are also other companies that have professional supplies. If you search http://www.youtube.com and look for "leather repair" you can see excellent videos that will show how to solve about any problem you may have with your leather furniture.
  • Kathy Kathy on Oct 19, 2015
    Thank you Eddie; I checked the website at leatherworldtech.com and it has all the supplies that I need. I think this will be the best solution for making it look like new... Kathy
  • Eddy Foster Beard Eddy Foster Beard on Oct 20, 2015
    Good luck Kathy. When I started working to improve leather I was surprise to find that putting on the color was as easy as polishing a pair of shoes. It is disappointing when I see people give up on lovely leather pieces when they can be restored.