In reply to mick taylor:
Depends how small the hole actually is, but if it's bigger than a match head, one thing I've done successfully is push a small piece of duct or other good tape *through* the hole to the inside then delicately manipulate it so that it sticks over the hole from the inside. If it's a small angle tear then you need to make sure the edges are lined up before they're stuck down properly.
Then I usually put a tiny smear of SeamGrip over the top to seal it, but on some jobs this has not proven necessary. Do it right and it's almost invisible, even for a tear of an inch or so.