How to Mend Heavy Canvas

Learning how to repair canvas is a useful skill for any camper or boater. For a camper, particularly, carrying a canvas repair kit is a good idea, since a hole in your tent has the potential to ruin an otherwise pleasant outing. Canvas tends to lose its shape and tensile strength when damaged, so you may ultimately decide it is a better idea to replace the item than repair a large breach. However, as a temporary solution or for a fairly small rip or hole, patching the canvas can make sense.

Things You'll Need

  • Canvas repair kit:
  • Assorted canvas patches
  • Canvas cement or resin adhesive
  • Needle
  • Heavy-duty nylon thread
  • Waterproofing spray
  • Scissors
  • Tape measure
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Instructions

    • 1

      Measure the tear and choose two canvas patches to cover it, one for each side of the tear. You need patches whose dimensions are about 2 inches larger on each side than the original breach in the fabric. For instance, if you need to cover a tear that is 3 inches long by 1 inch wide, choose a 7-by-5-inch patch. This will give you room for stitching, and will enable you to surround the tear with adhesive to minimize further tearing.

    • 2

      Trim stray threads from around the tear and from the edges of the patches.

    • 3

      Apply canvas cement or resin to the first patch and place it squarely over the tear or hole, on the outside surface of the canvas you are repairing. Smooth out the patch.

    • 4

      Stitch around the outside edge of the patch, using a whip stitch to tack down the edges.

    • 5

      Repeat the procedure from Step 2 on the inside of the canvas, lining up the inside patch as closely as possible with the outside patch.

    • 6

      Seal the sewn areas of the outside patch with cement or resin, making sure some of the adhesive gets in each of the needle holes. Let the adhesive dry completely before proceeding.

    • 7

      Spray the entire patch, including seams, with waterproofing spray designed for use on canvas. Allow the spray to dry.