Tutorial: How to shorten a zipper

Last week while working on replacing a zipper on a skirt for a girl that I work with, I made a startling realization....

The zipper that I had bought for said skirt was too long. Like, 2 inches too long.

Now this may not be a startling realization to some, but for me, it was horrifying. My brain went into overdrive thinking about where I left the receipt and what store did I buy it from?

Some slightly more intelligent part of my brain recalled my grandma mentioning that she had shortened a zipper that she'd bought a few weeks ago. This being about 10pm that night, I decided it would be in poor taste to call my poor, sweet grandma asking about zippers so to Google I ran.

I found a couple of super easy tutorials on youtube and was able to piece together a suitable method:

First: Measure youre opening to see how long the zipper needs to be (remember, do not cut it at the end of your opening or it will be too short. I made mine about an inch below to give some wiggle room).
Please pardon my suck-y pictures...

Yeah, WAY too long (thats what she said.... sorry couldnt help myself)

Second: Take a straight needle and matching color thread and make a simple whip stitch (going in from one side of the zipper, over the zipper, and down the other side)

Up and over

Third: continue doing this over and over and over until you have a little mass of stitches. This is the new "stopper" for the zipper pull. I also put a dab of hot glue over the stitches for good measure.



My lovely new "stopper" (before the hot glue)



Slightly better picture. You can see the stitches.

Finally: Snip off the excess beneath the new "stopper" and sew into your garment!



All done!

Thats it! After working myself into a frenzy, it took me about 15 minutes from start to finish to fix. 

 

Sometimes the easiest methods are the best.

 

Love

GG