How to Repair Cuts in Leather

Cuts Smaller than Two Inches

• 1

  Squeeze the cut between your fingers to expose the inner part of the leather where it would be joined if it was not cut.

• 2

  Place a small amount of leather glue onto the scalpel. Rub the glue onto the inner part of the leather.

• 3

  Let go of the leather and push it back into place so that the two sides of the leather fuse together again. Use the plastic handle of the scalpel to push the two sides of the cut into place. Wipe away excess glue with your fingers. Allow the glue to dry for 24 hours.

• 4

  Place some leather filler around the area to seal the crack. Work some leather dye into the filler to make it match the color of the original leather. Allow the filler to dry for 24 hours before using the leather again.

Cuts Larger than Two Inches

• 5

  Cut a rounded patch two inches larger than the cut on all sides. Slip the patch under the cut. Glue the patch in place.

• 6

  Use a small putty knife to fill in the area between the cut and the patch with leather filler. While the filler is still wet, work some leather dye into the filler with your fingers to match the color of the original leather.

• 7

  Press a leather grain patch into the leather filler while it is still pliable to give the filler the same texture as the original leather. Allow the filler to dry overnight.

• 8

  Sand the edges between the filler and original leather with a fine grit sand paper to smooth the patch. Rub leather conditioner into the patched and surrounding area to retain leather softness.