Patches & Pins: Customising Your Eastpak Backpack
Want to make your backpack different from the rest? Eastpak bags are easy to customise. They're designed to express your style and personality and built to resist whatever your life throws your way. Besides offering functionality and durability, our bags are blank canvases for creative expression.
If you're the proud owner of an Eastpak backpack, there are many ways you can customise it. Whether you like to switch up your style with temporary additions or want something more permanent, it's up to you.
Get inspired by these fun and affordable ways to add your personal touch to your favourite bag. Ready to get creative? Let's get into it.
How to customise a backpack
So you've picked out an Eastpak design in a colour or print you love, and you want to take your creativity and expression to the next level.
Backpack patches and pins make great additions to any Eastpak backpack. Pins are the quickest and easiest way to create a custom look: You can add, move and remove them as you like.
Read on to find out how to make a custom backpack using your favourite Eastpak design.
Where to pick up pins and patches
Ready to reinvent your backpack with some fun pins and statement patches? You'll need to source some designs you love.
You can find backpack pins and patches in many places. If you have something specific in mind, you can search for these online and order them from web stores and online boutiques.
If you're looking for something more unique or perhaps a vintage-style patch, try your local record stores, thrift stores and craft markets. Here, you're likely to find designs that no one else will have.
Next time you attend a concert, museum or cultural event, you might find pins or patches on sale there, too.
Tips for putting pins on your backpack
You may be wondering how to customise a bag without committing to any permanent decisions. We know that your style and preferences can change over time, and so backpack pins are an ideal option for flexible styling. Here are some of our tips for personalising your backpack with pins.
Pick a pin that is true to you
Find a pin in a design or symbol you love, and attach it to your bag. You can build on your collection of backpack pins over time or stick with one. The choice is all yours. Look out for backpack pins that represent your passions, from your favourite band to a cause you believe in.
Play around with the placement
You can attach pins to (almost) any part of your Eastpak. Whether you like the look of a small pin on the front pocket or want to spread your pins across the surface, you can attach them wherever you want.
Secure your pins with extra reinforcement
Want to secure your special pins and avoid losing them? Place a secondary safety pin on the inside of the bag and poke it through the circle at the end of your pin. If you want to keep a pin in place forever, you can add glue to your pin from the inside of your bag so it doesn't move or fall off.
Switch up your style
With backpack pins, you can add fun and fresh designs to your bag and change or remove them over time. If you change your mind about your personalised backpack design, you can always change or remove the pins and patches you added (unless you've glued them, of course).
Avoid adding pins to leather or delicate materials
Most of our Eastpak bags are suitable for adding backpack pins. However, to prevent damage, we don’t recommend adding pins to designs made with delicate fabrics. It's also best not to pin through leather bags, as the pinholes are more noticeable once the pin is removed.
How to put patches on your backpack
Once you’ve got your hands on a backpack patch you love, it’s time to
attach it to your bag. Follow these simple instructions to get your patch in
place in no time.
Sew-on backpack patches
You'll need a needle and thread (we recommend using thread in a colour
that matches your patch). Place the patch in an area of your choice, and use a
pin to secure it while you sew. Sew the edges of the patch on your bag with a
simple stitch, like a blanket stitch. Secure the stitching with a knot and cut
the thread for a tidy finish.
Iron-on backpack patches
If you have an iron-on patch with the appropriate adhesive, you can
secure it on your bag in minutes. Place the patch on the backpack's surface and
cover it with baking paper or a thin cloth.
Use an iron to apply heat (we recommend following the instructions that
come with the patch to get the heat setting and timing right). Leave the patch
to cool off, and you're ready to enjoy your personalised backpack!
How to put patches on your backpack
Once you’ve got your hands on a backpack patch you love, it’s time to
attach it to your bag. Follow these simple instructions to get your patch in
place in no time.
Sew-on backpack patches
You'll need a needle and thread (we recommend using thread in a colour
that matches your patch). Place the patch in an area of your choice, and use a
pin to secure it while you sew. Sew the edges of the patch on your bag with a
simple stitch, like a blanket stitch. Secure the stitching with a knot and cut
the thread for a tidy finish.
Iron-on backpack patches
If you have an iron-on patch with the appropriate adhesive, you can
secure it on your bag in minutes. Place the patch on the backpack's surface and
cover it with baking paper or a thin cloth.
Use an iron to apply heat (we recommend following the instructions that
come with the patch to get the heat setting and timing right). Leave the patch
to cool off, and you're ready to enjoy your personalised backpack!
Custom bags for school
Customising a backpack is a great way for teens and young adults to show off their personal style as they head back to school or college. Adding patches, pins, or other accessories that reflect their interests can turn an Eastpak school backpack into something unique and meaningful.
It’s also a fun way to get creative—letting them choose designs they like and arrange them how they want. Not only does it make their backpack stand out, but it also gives them a sense of ownership and pride in something they carry every day.
The best Eastpak bags to customise
Now you know how to personalise a backpack to express your style and personality, you can start creating your own. Do you have an Eastpak backpack in mind to use as your creative canvas? If not, we’re here to help. Get inspired by our top styles to use for your custom backpack design.
