Tutorial on How to Sew a Saddle Bag

Saddle bags are shaped pouches designed to sit either in front of or behind the saddle. They are typically made from leather, canvas or heavy duty nylon. You can make your own saddlebag or repair an existing one. How you sew it depends on the material you are using. Sew leather by hand unless it is very thin; sew canvas and nylon by machine or by hand. If hand sewing, wax the thread beforehand by pulling it through beeswax. This strengthens it and make it waterproof.

Things You'll Need

  • Leather needle
  • Pliers
  • Thimble
  • Thread
  • Awl
  • Cutting board
  • Leather or nylon patches
  • Scissors
  • Fabric glue
  • Matches (optional)
  • Paper
  • Pencil
  • Webbing or leather straps
  • Pins
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Instructions

  1. Repairing Saddlebags

    • 1

      Examine the saddlebag. If it has split along a seam, check whether there is enough left to stitch to or whether it needs patching. On a fabric bag, trim off any worn or frayed edges. On a leather bag, trim off any broken needle holes to give a straight edge.

    • 2

      Stitch the broken seam together. For a fabric bag, over-sew by hand or use a sewing machine. For a leather bag, mark out the position of the new stitches using an awl, and put a thimble on to protect your thumb. Put a board behind the seam, and punch the holes through.

    • 3

      Position the two seams flat against each other, and pass the needle and thread through both pieces. Make two or three stitches in the same hole to fasten the thread, then continue along the seam using running stitch. When you reach the end of the seam, pass the needle through and continue back down the same line using running stitch again to fill in the spaces. If the leather is thick, you may need to use the pliers to pull the needle through. Stitch three or four stitches on top of each other to fasten the thread.

    • 4

      Apply patches where necessary. Cut out a piece of leather or fabric and glue it over the hole to hold it in place. Sew on a leather patch by pricking out two lines of holes, one on the edge of the patch itself and the other on the main saddlebag. Sew the patch on by over-sewing over the seam between the holes. For a canvas patch, fold the edges in before gluing the patch in place and hand or machine sewing round the edge. For a nylon patch, either fold in a seam or use a lit match to seal the edges before sewing on.

    Making a Saddlebag

    • 5

      Make a template by drawing a figure eight with an elongated middle section. The middle section will pass over the horse; the loops of the figure eight will become the saddle bags. Cut the shape out of fabric or leather. Cut the template into three pieces: two "loops" and the middle section. Discard the middle section, and cut the two round sections out. These will become the top of the saddle bag.

    • 6

      Lay the round pieces over the main body of the bag so that they match up, and glue into place. With a fabric bag, machine or hand sew around the seam and then turn the saddlebag inside out so that the seam sits inside. With a leather bag, punch holes around the seam and stitch into place with a double running stitch.

    • 7

      Lay the bag in position with the saddle, and decide where to put the straps. The saddlebag should have at least two straps, one on each side, to keep it in position. The straps will attach to the D rings on the saddle. Mark the positions with a pin, and then sew the straps on. If required, you can also add straps to the top of the bags to fasten them and prevent the contents from being jolted out.