So, you have some patches you want to proudly display on your waxed canvas bag or jacket. But how do you glue patches to waxed canvas? Easy answer: you don’t. The wax coating on waxed canvas prevents glue from sticking reliably. Rather than gluing, your best bet is to have a tailor sew or stitch your patches onto the waxed canvas.  

A few notes about stitching a patch on waxed canvas if you plan to do it yourself:  

Use a needle designed for thicker fabric.  

Pinning (to hold the patch in position) can leave visible puncture marks in waxed canvas. Use a clip instead, or be sure to keep the pin holes inside the area you’ll be stitching (so puncture holes are covered by the patch).  

Needle holes are very small, so any compromise to waterproofing should be negligible, but you can wax the thread to minimize the chance of the thread wicking moisture. Apply seam sealer to ensure water resistance.    

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