Many makers seem to be in a consensus that working with zippers can be a bit tricky, especially for beginners. But with some basic knowledge and tools, a few easy-to-learn methods, and a bit of practice, it is possible for you to become a zipper sewing master in no time.
The moment you become more confident in installing zippers, you will have so much fun and excitement challenging yourself with new bag designs and patterns! This post covers the different types of zippers with tips on how to pick the best one for your next project.
Different Types of Zippers
There are two primary types of zippers —metal and nylon coil.
Nylon zippers are basically made from a small plastic-like coil. These are very flexible, close and open smoothly, and can be sewn easily over or cut without causing damage to your scissors, rotary blade, or needle.
Nylon zippers are also often versatile. For instance, these can close and open in either direction. This means that with two zipper pulls, you can use nylon zippers as two-way zippers, ideal for larger backpacks and bags. Generally speaking, nylon coil zippers are quite inexpensive and come in all colors you can imagine.
As the name suggests, metal zippers, are made from metal. These don’t feature a coil but small metal teeth instead. Metal zippers are available in various finishes like brass, nickel, or bronze. These zippers give bags a very polished or professional look that is not usually as easily achieved with nylon zippers. These are also super durable and ideal for bags that get lots of wear.
However, there are also a few challenges you may encounter when using metal zippers. For instance, these are a bit clunkier to close and open and are usually more expensive. This can be risky for both your eyes and for your sewing machine needle if you sew over these metal zippers so beware!
It is also not easy to cut metal zippers to shorten them. Although you can use pliers to take off some of the metal teeth to shorten the zipper, it is not really recommended.
Zippers by the Yard
Zippers by the yard available at https://www.zippershipper.com/zipper-chain-by-the-yard are also a great option for bag projects. The best thing about zipper by the yard is the fact that it is versatile and even helps reduce waste in sewing. You can cut zippers to any length you need for every project.
However, you do need to thread the zipper pull onto the coil if you will use a zipper by the yard, and this can be fiddly at first although it also gets easier with practice so you can be sure that you can master it after a while.
Zipper by the yard is often made with nylon coils and is also available in various colors. These are even made with metallic finishes such as nickel, brass, rainbow and even rose gold! You will surely love the results you will get if you use metallic nylon zippers because they look very classy just like metal while offering the perks of nylon.
