There is such an overwhelming range of school bags available on the market, that it’s almost impossible at first glance to tell which would be the most suitable for the rough and tumble of school (or college) life.  But help is at hand, for here we explain why a leather backpack more than fits the purpose intended!

• Make no mistake; a humble backpack is usually the best choice for a school bag, no matter what, due to the way it’s carried.  Backpacks allow even weight distribution across both shoulders, making a heavier bag easier on the shoulders and back – ideal for growing bones and joints!
• By its nature, leather is a very durable material, so it can more easily bear the wear and tear, thrills and spills of school life.  It is water resistant, easily wipeable and without ‘threads’ which can be susceptible to rips due to catching and snagging (a lot of fabric backpacks are prone to this).  Additional sprays can be purchased to treat the leather with, to help it maintain its durable qualities and looks for longer.
• Because it’s a hard material to sew, attachments such as straps and buckles demand a high level of ‘industrial’ sewing to firmly attach them.  As a result, they tend to be very well sewn in and are less likely to spontaneously detach than those of their fabric counterparts.
• The more it is used, the more supple leather can grow over time, so once the child has got used to wearing a leather backpack over a period of time, it can become incredibly comfortable, as it will not have a rigid shape that will dig into the child!
• Despite the rise in vegetarianism, leather remains a popular material for clothing, shoes and accessories and these items are now freely available in mainstream, as well as specialist stores, so the cost of genuine leather items is now also far more reasonable than you might expect.  A fashionable leather backpack can be just as readily bought and for a similar cost to a run of the mill school bag or sports logo backpack.
• The color choice of leather backpacks is far more varied now than ever before!  Kids love to have choice and with a girls leather backpack now being available in colors such as red, yellow and purple, so you should have no problem fitting in with any school color requirements or fashion demands from the kids – it is actually possible to find a pink leather backpack!
• As well as standard pocket backpacks, popular leather ranges also include laptop backpacks.  As above, with the resilient nature of the material, plus the sturdy nature of seams and straps, a leather laptop backpack offers many advantages for the safe-keeping and transportation of a laptop – a real bonus not just for college kids, but if you commute to work and want a stylish, back-friendly but reliable means of carrying your laptop with you.

Plenty of reasons, then, why a leather backpack could be the ideal choice as an alternative and  fashionable school bag for your kids – and because it’s so hardwearing, it’s also one which could save you money in the long run!

Leather is a tough fabric that can take a lot of punishment. That does not mean it is invulnerable, however, and it will tear under the right circumstances. The easiest way to repair leather is to sew it. There are no super-special techniques to sewing leather, but there is a certain skill to it and you have to treat the leather with respect. It was once part of a living creature, after all, and therefore it is different from most fabrics. Also, there is no need to sew it by hand – you can use a sewing machine, which makes it a lot easier.

You will need to use a leather needle instead of a regular needle. Due to leather being so durable, it will snap a regular needle in two. Using a leather needle will prevent this problem. For the thread, use polyester in the dye of your choice. Cotton is too weak to hold leather together. You will also need two-sided leather tape, a rotary cutter, and a leather presser foot; again, for reasons of strength, ordinary materials just will not do.

Remember, you cannot rip out sections you didn’t sew well. This can make it hard to repair leather. It might be better to practice on a cotton sample of the area you want to repair. This way you will get a better idea of the manuevers to use when you repair the actual leather. When you sew up torn leather, take the cotton practice sample and lay it over the leather so you can get an even clearer idea of how to sew it. It is important to make it as clear as possible to yourself because you probably will not be able to undo any mistakes. You can even mark the pattern on the leather with chalk if you feel comfortable doing that.

When sewing, use a long stitch. Using a short stitch will create a perforating effect that will actually render the leather more vulnerable to tearing. If your machine skips a stitch, go back later and do the missing stitch by hand using your leather needle.

When a backpack has torn a hole, you have three options. You can sew the tear up, you can buy a new backpack, or you can keep using the backpack if the tear is not too bad. If it is, and buying a new backpack is not a viable option right now, sewing it up is your best bet. Sewing a backpack isn’t that different from sewing any other kind of clothing item, whether shirts, sweaters, pants, and so on. In fact, it can be easier to sew a backpack than to repair other types of fabric. The reason for this is that fabric threads can become loose more easily than backpack threads can. Even better, the time to sew up a tear can take mere minutes, depending on the size of the tear, of course. (If the tear is large, you might want to consider buying a new backpack anyway.)

Keep in mind that the technique you use depends on the size of the tear and how much the mend will show. Most backpacks are sewn at six to ten stitches per inch of fabric. Usually six to ten stitches is the standard to aim for because anything above ten stitches or below six begins to degrade the fabric’s strength. The fabric used for backpacks is called “denier”, although denier is a unit of measure rather than a true style of fabric. Denier is a unit of fineness of silk and artifical fibers like nylon, the most common fabric used in backpacks, which is equal to one gram per nine thousand meters of yarn. Here is an example: nine thousand meters of four hundred and fifty denier fabric would weigh four hundred and fifty grams. Denier is a way to measure the heaviness and the strength of fabric.

Another factor you should be aware of is the fabric’s tenacity. Tenacity is how long the fabric can resist additional tearing after the original tear has started.

For the basic technique for sewing a backpack, you’ll need:

Tools such as a steam iron and ironing board, sharp scissors, sewing needles in a variety of sizes, sewing machine, tailors’ chalk or pencil, and a  sponge.

Materials such as iron-on mending tape, thread in appropriate colors, patching materials, heavy brown paper, and tissue paper.

Don’t forget you’ll also need around fifteen minutes or more, depending on the severity of the tear. You can sew the backpack either by hand or by machine. Sewing it by machine may be too difficult on the device you have at home, so it’s better to sew it by hand.

Here are the steps:

1) Since most tears follow the grain of the fabric they will generally be straight or in a L-shape. If the fabric is medium-weight or heavier, use the iron-on mending tape. Cut a piece of tape about an inch longer and wider than the tear. Round off the corners.

2) Lay the backpack on the ironing board in such a way so that the tear faces wrong side up. Another way of putting this is to have the backpack inside out and on the board so that the tear on the inside faces up towards you. If it is too hard to lay the item out so that the edges of the tear stay together, get a temporary large patch made of fabric or heavy brown paper and lightly baste it to the side of the fabric opposite of where the mending tape will go. Take care that the basting threads are far enough away so that they will not be caught by the mending tape.

3) Put the mending tape on the tear, adhesive side down. Carefully position it; then use the tailor’s chalk or pencil to mark the tape at several points around the tear. This is to guide your iron leater on. Remove the mending tape briefly and heat the area to be mended up using the iron.

4) Replace the mending tape on the tear inside your markings. Following the directions on the mending tape package, iron it down completely. Make sure the tape is fully bonded to the fabric. Let the tape cool before moving the mended item. If you used a basted patch, remove the patch after the mended area has cooled.

That’s all there is to it. You should have a mended backpack ready for use. Be sure to take better care of it so the tear doesn’t open again. If it does, constantly re-mending it will wear down the fabric.