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How to reattach your zipper pull

Posted on November 27, 2012 by Erin Erickson | 42 Comments

I made my first tutorial video!

I woke up this morning to a bunch of mentions on Twitter and Instagram asking for help, because our friend Mary had made an iPad case and when she cut the end of the zipper off to attach the tab, she accidentally pulled off her zipper pull. Oops! Everyone was afraid the project was ruined, or didn’t know how to help!

I was going to try to explain how or take photos but I need both hands to do it, so I made a video! This is really relevant because this might happen to you with any of my bag patterns! Let me know if you have any questions!

Categories : Tutorials
Comments (42)

Comments

  1. Pat H. says:
    November 27, 2012 at 2:07 PM

    OMG that was so awesome! YOU ARE AWESOME!! Now I know how to fix a zipper and make it a 2 zipper! Even better, we get to see the first glimpse of the Daytripper!

    Reply
  2. DianeY says:
    November 27, 2012 at 2:20 PM

    That’s fantastic! Thanks!

    Reply
  3. Lynne Tilley says:
    November 27, 2012 at 2:59 PM

    Oh, wow! That was SUPERB… I have actually thrown out a half-finished pouch because I thought it was just over with. Thanks so much for that video and for the two-sided zipper pull instructions. You are the best! :)

    Reply
  4. Sue says:
    November 27, 2012 at 3:40 PM

    Wow, you made that look so easy! So far when I have tried that I get the zipper pull pulling up and down with doing any actually zipping-together. You have given me hope that it can be done though, and I will try again the next time I have the zipper pull off-the-tracks problem!
    Thanks for the great video!

    Reply
  5. O. Jolly says:
    November 27, 2012 at 6:22 PM

    Well, that was informative! Thanks.

    Reply
  6. Grandma G says:
    November 27, 2012 at 7:03 PM

    Hey, what a great tutorial! I haven’t had the problem of pulling off the zipper pull (yet!), but it’s nice to know that it can be fixed if I do. And I’d have never thought of making my own double-pull zipper! Thanks for showing us how.

    Nice to see you in action, too. :)

    Reply
  7. Brandi Pond says:
    November 27, 2012 at 8:00 PM

    This is really good!!! Great job E!!!

    Reply
  8. Louise says:
    November 27, 2012 at 10:05 PM

    Thank-you for the tutorial, very good information

    Reply
  9. Carolyn says:
    November 28, 2012 at 8:04 AM

    Had to laugh when you got to the part of the zipper being twisted on the top of the bag. I can’t tell you how many times I have had to correct that issue!

    Reply
  10. Emily says:
    December 2, 2012 at 9:00 AM

    Erin, thanks so much for a very helpful video!!

    Reply
  11. Rachel says:
    December 3, 2012 at 6:15 PM

    Thanks so much for this! Because of this tutorial I was able to finally finish my hipster bag and I love it so much.

    Reply
  12. Mary says:
    December 6, 2012 at 3:41 PM

    Thanks. I used to know how to do that, but forgot. So I appreciate the refresher.

    On another note, I really like your patterns, but do not like the recessed zipper. I hope you will make a pattern with the zipper on top.

    Reply
    • Erin Erickson says:
      January 12, 2013 at 2:41 PM

      I definitely will! Part of it is that you can’t really have a gusset with a top-zip, or you get that triangley, trapezoidy effect on the top. Maybe I will try to come up with a tote bag with a top zip or at least a flat tiny hipster or something. :)

      Reply
  13. Tracey says:
    January 7, 2013 at 2:26 AM

    Hi Erin,
    Thanks so much for this tutorial. I only found your site last week and have been madly sewing wristlets for my three daughters. Got a bit whoosh happy this afternoon and the zipper pull came off. Drafts I thought and then remembered I had seen a zipper pull tutorial on your blog, project saved and back to the sewing.
    Thanks again, and love your work.
    Tracey

    Reply
  14. Erin Erickson says:
    January 12, 2013 at 2:42 PM

    Thanks everyone! I’m so glad you’ve been able to rescue your zipper projects! :)

    Reply
  15. D Hutchinson says:
    February 26, 2013 at 12:05 PM

    Thanks for the tutorial. Very good tute. Don’t know why I never thought of making a double-pull zipper! BTW, to reduce the chance of the zipper ending up uneven, just trim off 1/8: to 1/4″ of the second (right) side before inserting into the pull. ;-)

    Reply
  16. Andrea says:
    April 17, 2013 at 12:09 PM

    Thank you so much, you inspired me to try making a double ended zipper that closes when both pulls are at either end…it worked so THANKS A MILLION!!!!!!!!

    Reply
  17. Sonia the Mexigarian says:
    May 16, 2013 at 1:38 PM

    just came across this entry while looking up how to fix a zipper for my purse. thanks for the tutorial. it helped me reattach the slider! very happy. now I just got to sew the end so it doesn’t fly off again.

    Reply
    • Erin Erickson says:
      June 10, 2013 at 12:02 PM

      I’m so glad you saved your project! :D

      Reply
  18. JillyMama says:
    June 24, 2013 at 8:59 AM

    Thank you for your brilliant tutorial! Saved my pencil case prototype this morning!

    Reply
  19. andi says:
    January 5, 2014 at 3:15 PM

    Erin,

    I’m a little late to this party!

    Who knew?

    This is fantastic, thank you!

    andi

    Reply
  20. Michelle says:
    April 15, 2014 at 1:59 AM

    Thank you so much! I thought my small carry on bag was ruined, but I was able to fix it after watching this!!!

    Reply
  21. Coming soon... Date Night! :: Dog Under My Desk says:
    July 1, 2014 at 5:45 PM

    […] For those of you who’ve asked: You will need 2/3 yard for the exterior, 2/3 yard for the lining, 3 yards of woven fusible interfacing, a 18″ x 58″ package of foam batting like Soft and Stable or Bosal In-R-Form, and one 14″ or longer nylon long-pull purse zipper. I used a 16″ zip, and you can use a double-pull zip if you’d like! Watch my video to see how to make your own! […]

    Reply
  22. Laura Shears says:
    July 3, 2014 at 8:30 AM

    Great tut, Thank you Erin!

    Reply
  23. Martine says:
    September 1, 2014 at 3:37 PM

    Great tutorial ! But unfortunatly my zipper pull came off the other end, so zip is closed and pull is off. Do you have a trick for that too? Help :-(

    Reply
  24. Jennifer says:
    October 4, 2014 at 1:31 AM

    You just helped me save a brand new pair of pants. I had my hubby help me zip up said pants and he ripped the pull right off! Thank you!!!!

    Reply
  25. Cheryl Britton says:
    February 10, 2015 at 1:16 PM

    Thank you for the instructions on zipper pulls. I have been making bench cushions for the last six months or so and this really helped since I now order some of my zippers in yardage:)

    In addition to my Etsy site I also have my own website: http://www.pillowloft.com

    Reply
  26. Katie says:
    February 19, 2015 at 3:18 PM

    can you do this with an invisible zipper? I was so happy about my amazingly neat invisiable zipper in the dress I’m sewing but then I pulled the zipper right off the end. Hours of trying and now the zipper is undone. Is it ruined? Any help much appreciated

    Reply
  27. Elana says:
    February 19, 2015 at 4:06 PM

    This tutorial just saved my life! Thank you so much for this. Wallet that I was making is saved. And I got to see samples of some of your patterns which was also a plus :) thanks!!

    Reply
  28. Dee says:
    July 31, 2015 at 3:20 PM

    I have been struggling for over an hour to get the pull on. Just watched your tutorial and fixed it in minutes. Thank you, thank ypu, thank you.

    Reply
  29. Janet Beamer says:
    January 5, 2016 at 4:07 PM

    Not much help if the zipper is attached to your trousers. Genius.

    Reply
  30. Jan says:
    January 26, 2016 at 3:56 AM

    I use a small or medium safety pin as a temporary zipper stop when I am working with a zipper where I have cut off the stops for any reason. When the zipper is closed, just pin it closely across the tracks, catching a bit of tape on either side so the zip cannot go past the safety pin. When you are ready to sew that end of the zipper tape, you can easily remove the safety pin.

    Reply
  31. Janet says:
    May 7, 2016 at 7:49 AM

    Awesome tip! You just saved my 58″ upholstery zipper in a garment bag under construction.

    Reply
  32. elana says:
    June 21, 2016 at 10:02 PM

    you saved me! thank you!

    Reply
  33. Stephanie says:
    June 22, 2016 at 1:32 PM

    Oh. My. Gosh. Thank you from the bottom of my heart! I am just finishing up my very first bag from your patterns – the two zip hipster – and I just love it and the pattern went together perfectly and looks so professional and I’m singing in my heart and then it’s time to make the pull tab and BAM! Somehow the zipper got twisted despite my very careful efforts to follow directions. My heart sank. I realized that if I could just take the pull off I could straighten it out, but is that even possible I ask my sad self. I looked on your blog and found this and within a few minutes and some hyperventilating I fixed it! Happy again. Thank you!

    Reply
  34. Caryn says:
    December 1, 2016 at 11:07 AM

    Thank you for your zipper tutorial. I’m doing the happy dance after getting my zipper pull back on!!!

    Reply
  35. Aprajita Singh says:
    February 2, 2017 at 12:26 PM

    Thank You So Much… ?

    Reply
  36. Dede says:
    April 13, 2017 at 9:09 PM

    Sometimes I cut down a long zipper to fit a smaller bag or pocket. I’m accumulating a stash of zipper lengths without pulls. If I purchase new pulls, can I use this method to make new zippers?

    Thanks

    Reply
  37. Stephanie says:
    October 6, 2017 at 9:52 PM

    Thank you sooo much!!! I’m not a sewer (person who sews? seamstress?) but I came across your video having just about called it quits on a super useful (and very worn) bag of mine. You were very clear and easy to understand, and now my bag has a second life!! *being a non-sewer I added a safety pin at the end to prevent this from happening again!

    Reply
  38. Mindy Rowser says:
    February 3, 2018 at 8:40 PM

    You just SAVED my expensive upholstery project AND my sanity!! Thank you!!! Mindy

    Reply
  39. Melinda says:
    June 4, 2019 at 12:44 PM

    Question: can you put the second zipper pull on the reverse side of the zipper to make a two-sided zipper?

    Reply
  40. Lee says:
    March 13, 2021 at 2:05 PM

    Hi! I have a zipper that this happened to while altering a dress but the zipper looks different and doesn’t have slits on the side for the fabric to feed through like the one in the video. Please let me know if you have a solution!

    Reply

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