Down Jacket or Vest Baffle Repair (No Sewing Required)

For this instructable, I go over the step-by-step process of repairing a down jacket with a surface tear, hole, or rip on one of the baffles. This repair can be completed without a sewing machine, helping keep your favorite down jacket or vest in use for years. With this tutorial, you will learn a new skill and continue to use your favorite jacket, keeping another garment out of the landfill.

I'm excited to help you along this journey, and I have included reference images and audio files for your use based on your personal preferences. Let's get to it!

• Damaged/Torn Down Jacket
• Patch Material (Duct Tape/Gaffer Tape/ Pre-Cut Down Repair Patches
• Measuring Tape or Ruler
• Scissors
• Pen/Pencil
• Scratch Paper or Note Pad

Before you start your repair journey, if you would like to order patches specifically designed for the repair of down jacket or vests, I have attached two links for your reference. These patches can be ordered on both AMAZON and  WALMART, and provide patches that create longest-lasting repair currently available. These patches have a much stronger adhesive, a matte appearance, are washable, and can be ordered to match the color of the original jacket

Now lets get onto repairing your down jacket or vest!

First, place your jacket or vest on a flat, clean surface.

Next, find the hole, tear, or rip on the surface of your down jacket or vest.

After locating the tear, hole, or rip that needs to be patched, choose a patch material you have on hand or purchase it online or at a sewing or hardware store. For example, you could use three tapes as a patch: duct tape, gaffer tape, and pre-cut jacket-specific repair patches.

Using your measuring tape or ruler, measure the size of the hole, rip, or tear on the surface of your jacket.

Record your tear/rip size on a scratch piece of paper or notepad before moving on to the next step.

Next, use your ruler to sketch out a line the size of the recorded measurement.

From the sketched tear/rip line completed in the last step, use your ruler to add a 3/4 inch border around your already drawn tear/rip line.

You can always add a larger edge if desired, as the larger patch, the more surface there is to adhere to the jacket fabric.

Please compare the size of your repair patch to your pre-sketched tear/hole diagram, ensuring that it is of the same size or larger for the strongest adhering possible.

If you purchase the pre-cut, jacket repair-specific patches, remove the paper backing before finally applying your patch and repairing your coat or vest.

Next, close and flatten the tear/hole with your fingers, ensuring the gap is as small as possible.

Finally, slowly place and secure the patch over the tear/hole, limiting the number of wrinkles beneath the patch and applying pressure until the patch is firmly attached.

After applying the patch, lay your jacket or vest face up and flat on a table for at least 24 hours. Trying to not use the coat or vest until necessary will allow the adhesive backing to attach as securely as possible.

If done correctly, your jacket or vest should be good as new! However, if the patch begins to peel or fall off, remove the patch and restart the repair process at step 1!