How many times have you been halfway through a sewing project and find that you do not have the correct
Nylon zipper for your project? Well, if you have one that is too short, you will have to buy yourself a new zipper. But, if you have one that is too long, you can easily shorten it to suit your needs!
Shortening a regular zipper and invisible zipper are both pretty straight forward, but if you want to work with a
metal zipper, there are some key tips to know, since you cannot of course sew over metal safely with your machine. But do not worry, it is still very easy to do! Just follow my tips below and you will be shortening zippers with ease! Okay, let’s get to it!
Step 1:
On a regular zipper with plastic teeth, the extra length will be removed from the bottom of the zipper tape and you will be creating a new bottom stopper by sewing it either by hand or by machine. Measure down from the top towards the bottom to the preferred length. The spot you are marking is where you will be making the new bottom stopper.
Step 2:
Mark the zipper tape with the placement of the new bottom stopper. Note: the length of a zipper is measured from the top of the pull to the stopper, not by measuring the length of the zipper tape itself. So keep this in mind if your project calls for a 14″ zipper, that distance is meant to be from the pull to the stop only.
Step 3:
Using your conventional sewing machine, sew a straight stitch over the teeth. The stitch should also extend a stitch or two on either side of the teeth as well. Make extra careful that your zipper does not have any metal teeth before sewing this step. Go back and forth a couple of times to form a sturdy stopper. To sew this by hand, simply create a bar tack over the
Metal zipper teeth by inserting and exiting the needle just on either side of the teeth a few times.
Step 4:
The new stopper will now look like the image above. Since most zippers are inserted into a garment or project on the inside, and the fabric is what actually stops the zipper pull, the stopper will not be seen.
Step 5:
Making sure there is no metal anywhere near your scissors, trim off the excess zipper tape about one inch under your newly sewn stopper.
Step 6:
And it is done! Now just sew your newly shortened zipper into your project as instructed!
