Your leather purse is the most hard-working accessory in your wardrobe, wouldn’t you agree?
Being carried on your arm or shoulder or strapped across the body can be rough on the purse. Add in a few heavy items, such as your phone, makeup bag, granola bars, etc., and the purse becomes your lifeline. So, when that lifeline breaks, your first thought is to take the purse back to the shop where you bought it and get it fixed. If the purse looks raggedy, you might even have a fleeting thought of throwing it away.
We highly suggest that you refrain from doing both things! The former will cost you a lot, almost as much as what you bought the purse for, and as for the latter, we offer you a simple solution ― fix it.
Learn How to Fix a Purse Strap
Your purse gets thrown around quite a bit, so it’s a given that it might get damaged. Since the strap takes the entire load, it is the first one to take the brunt. If you are looking for easy ways on how to fix a purse strap, you have come to the right place. Whether the strap is torn, fraying from the edges, cracked, or scuffed, you can easily fix it using either glue or a needle and thread. Let’s put your crafting and sewing skills to test.
Things You Will Need
For a Torn Purse Strap
- A Thin Leather Strip
- Gorilla Super Glue
- A Small Clamp
- Scissors
- A Leather Point Needle (R Point Groz-Beckert)
- Colored Thread
For a Fraying Purse Strap
- Q-Tips
- Leather Edging Coat
- Sandpaper
For a Cracked Purse Strap
- Leather Filler
- Fine Sandpaper
- Leather Repair Paste
Steps on How to Fix a Torn Purse Strap
A leather purse’s strap usually gets torn from the bottom where its end meets the metal loop. The leather stretches due to constant use, and the connection becomes frayed. There are two ways to fix this ― using glue or sewing it.
Gluing
Step #1
Using scissors, cut the fraying ends of the strap. Make sure to cut a minimum amount so that you can reattach the strap following the next steps.
Step #2
Take the small strip of leather that matches your purse’s color and check the fit by folding it through the metal loop. The fit should be loose so that when you hold the purse, it doesn’t feel stiff.
Step #3
Apply the Gorilla Glue on the entire inside surface of the strap. Leave a thin line clear in the middle so that the loop doesn’t get attached to the strap.
Step #4
Fold the strap carefully through the metal loop and attach it to the end of the purse strap.
Step #5
Clamp the joint, and leave it in place for 24 hours.
Your purse strap is now fixed! Use the same technique if the metal loop on the purse comes off.
Sewing
Step #1
Using scissors, cut the fraying ends of the strap. If the strap has metal hardware used to shorten or lengthen the size, remove it.
Step #2
Push the strap through the metal loop, and fold it around the metal ring. If both sides of the strap are broken, make sure to measure how much you are folding to even it out.
Step #3
Use the leather point needles to sew the fold. Make sure to stay on the edge so that the fold has room in it. A leather point needle is thick and ensures that the pointy end easily goes through the leather. Use three strands of thread for stronger stitches. Lastly, stretch the strap and test its grip.
Steps on How to Fix a Fraying Purse Strap
A fraying purse strap has leather strands sticking out from the lining. This is quite an unpleasant sight and can make your leather purse look old. Fixing this mess will take only a few minutes.
Step #1
Using scissors, cut all the leather threads you can see.
Step #2
Use a Q-tip to apply the leather edging coat. Make sure to test the color on one of your old shoes to find out how the color looks when applied. Even though the coat is applied quite thin, a darker shade can make your purse stand out like a sore thumb.
Apply the coat on both sides of the strap, and let it dry for 10 minutes. If you can still see signs of fraying, apply another coat. You can go up to at least 5 coats to get a certain thickness that would hide all the damaged signs.
Step #3
If the sides of the strap don’t feel smooth to touch, use sandpaper to even them. Apply one last coat, and make it extremely thin for a glossy and smooth finish.
Steps on How to Fix a Cracked Purse Strap
A cracked leather purse strap is the worst. It’s quite prominent and destroys your purse’s entire appeal. If the strap has cracks beyond repair, you can simply replace it with a new one. However, if the damage is minimal, you can follow the below steps to fix it:
Step #1
Squeeze a dollop of leather filler on the strap and gently rub it into the cracks of the strap. Make sure that the filler is of the right color.
Step #2
Using a damp cloth, remove any excess filler, and wait an hour for it to dry.
Step #3
Using a piece of fine sandpaper, apply light pressure and sand-down the cracked-filled areas.
Step #4
Now, squeeze a dollop of leather repair paste on the strap and massage it in with your fingers. This will restore the strap’s glow. Again, make sure to buy the right color paste and test it on an old shoe before applying it on the purse strap.
Step #5
Let the strap dry overnight, and you can use your purse in the morning.
Our Final Thoughts on How to Fix a Purse Strap
As you read, these steps on how to fix a purse strap do not require any expert skills. All you will have to buy is the leather filler, paste, coating, and needle, and you will be able to fix any kind of damage. The sewing method works on any purse strap, and the filler and paste can also be used on faux leather too.
