How To Make A Letterman Jacket: DIY Guide With Less Than 10 Steps

Have you ever wanted to but don’t know how to make a letterman jacket? In this article, Jacket Wow has everything you need to know to create a varsity jacket from scratch. The process involves a mix of sewing, cutting, and constructing different materials.

Preparation Phase

1. Sewing Equipment

• Sewing machine

• Leather needles and regular needles

• Heavy-duty thread

• Scissors or rotary cutter

• Pins, clips (for leather), and fabric chalk/marker

• Iron and pressing cloth

• Measuring tape and ruler

2. Materials You Need

• Felt
• Vinyl or faux leather
• Aatin
• Lining
• Cotton batting
• Rib-knit fabrics
• Snap fastener buttons
• Snap fastener tool

• Patch Options: We recommend buying pre-made patches since they are budget-friendly, but if you want to make one yourself, prepare cotton terry cloth and Rit dye

3. Measure These Parts Of Your Body And Write Them Down

• Shoulder and chest will be used for the back and front pattern
• Waist for the hem
• Arms and wrist for the sleeves and wristband
• Neck for the collar

All of these measures shouldn’t be too tight or too loose, so the varsity jacket will be comfortable when you wear it.

Make Your Pattern

• Pattern: Find a varsity jacket pattern that suits your style (you can purchase a pre-made pattern or design one using super wide paper).
• Sizing: Choose the right size based on your desired measurements.

Read more: How To Style a Varsity Jacket? 18 Fashionable Ideas To Check Out in 2025

2 Preparation Steps For A Good Start

1. Planning Your Design

• Choose the color combo for the varsity jacket
• Decide the bars you will use (letters, numbers, custom)
• Sketching your design concept to decorate your jacket
• Taking your body measurements for a good fit

2. Working With Your Pattern

• Selecting the fitting size based on measurements
• Making pattern adjustments for a perfect fit
• Cut the pattern into pieces following our instructions below from 1 to 6 and lay them neatly so you can easily use them for your project.

How To Make A Letterman Jacket: A Under 10 Steps Guide To DIY

Step 1. Sew The Main Body Of The Jacket

Take these 3 pieces: 1 felt piece for the back, 2 felt pieces for the front, and sew them together with the sewing machine. You can use a regular thread for this step.

Step 2. Sew The Sleeves Onto The Body

Attach the leather sleeves to the body of the jacket using a heavy-duty sewing machine needle. Leather can be thick and tricky to sew through.

Step 3. Open The Pocket At The Front Panel

1. Identify the position your pocket gonna place at the front panel of the jacket.
2. Sew the yellow line that we marked in the picture.
3. After sewing, you will determine the lines to cut open your pocket just like how we marked in the picture using the green lines.
4. Now grab your scissors or rotary cutter and cut open your pocket.

Step 4. Sew A Welt Pocket For Your Varsity Jacket

1. Turn the jacket inside out to show the leather double welt you just sew
2. Take 2 satin pocket pieces and sew each of them onto each of the leather double welt
3. Sew the satin pieces together.
4. You should try to put your hands in your pocket to see if there are any adjustments that you need to make.

A Quick professional tip: Use appropriate needles – A heavy-duty needle for leather and thick fabric will make the sewing process smoother.

Step 5. Add The Cuffs, Collar, And The Hem

Once the jacket’s body is sewn together, you can take your rib-knitted fabric out and measure the cuffs, collar, and hem.

Step 6. Now You Ready To Sew The Lining

1. You need to grab these patterns:
   1. For the back: 1 satin and 1 cotton batting
   2. For the front linings: 2 satin and 2 cotton batting
   3. For the button linings: 2 felts
2. Now sew the batting cotton onto the satin.
3. Just like how you sew the varsity jacket, attach all these lining parts so you can have a lining look like the picture below:

Step 7: Finally, Sew The Lining And The Body Altogether

1. Sew the left side of the button linings to the left chest of your jacket similar to the picture below.
2. Then flip the linings and do the same thing to the right chest of your jacket.

Step 8. Finish The Final Details

Go over the entire jacket and sew the lining onto the collar, cuffs, and hem. Grab the lining, fold it inside just a little bit, and pin it onto the areas that you are going to sew.

Step 9. Appy Your Snap Button

1. Mark all the buttons on your varsity jacket
2. Use a snap fastener tool

Small Tip That Will Do You A Favor: Buy a fabric punch so you don’t have to struggle using a hammer and a ranch

Try on your jacket and check the fit. Make any final adjustments if needed. Once you’re happy with how it looks, your custom varsity jacket is ready to wear!

You can read our related topic: How To Customize Varsity Jacket? Craft Your Perfect, Standout Design

4 Common Issues You Might Have And How To Deal With Them

1. Dealing With Thick Seams Your sewing machine struggles with multiple layers of making the varsity jacket. But don’t worry, you can a heavier needle (size 16 or 18) so it can be easier for you.
2. Uneven Ribbing: Rib-knitted fabric can stretch unevenly. To prevent this, pin at quarter marks first, then stretch the ribbing slightly as you sew.
3. The varsity jacket doesn’t fit as expected: You can avoid this problem when you are in the preparation phase by using another jacket that you already have that fits you comfortably and measures its size instead.
4. Leatherworking Difficulties: Leather is difficult to sew or marks from pins so you should use leather clips instead of pins or leather needles.

FAQs

1. How Much Does It Cost For Making A Letterman Jacket?

It costs about $75-200 for a DIY letterman jacket depending on your material choices.

2. What Are The Most Common Material Used For Letterman Jacket?

Traditional letterman jackets have wool bodies with leather sleeves. To learn more, read our blog: What material is a varsity jacket? Choosing the right one

3. Can I Use An Iron-on Patches For My Varsity Jacket?

Absolutely! Iron-on patches work well, especially on the wool body portions.

4. How Long It Takes To Make A Letterman Jacket?

For someone who has sewing skills, expect to spend 2-3 hours. Beginners will need longer, potentially 5-6 hours, even days for this project.

5. Is It Hard To Make A Letterman Jacket?

Yes, it is. Making a letterman jacket is a bit tricky. But, if you take your time and follow our guide closely, even if you’re new to sewing, you can make a great jacket.

This Is The End Of Our Tutorial

Jacket Wow believes that this tutorial will help you on your project of learning how to make a letterman jacket for yourself at home. But if you want to save time and think this project might be too complex, consider giving our jackets a chance! We have an enormous collection of unique customized jackets with budget-friendly prices that won’t disappoint you, visit: Jacket Wow to choose your favorite one!