Many of us own bags that we adore and if the zipper suddenly comes off or gets off the zipper track, we often despair. Nowadays zipper repairs and such odd job shops are difficult to come by and hence, it is best to know handy and easy ways to make such repairs yourself.

  1. What you Need

When you are trying to get a zipper fixed or a broken track of the same you need the following:

  • Thread
  • Sewing needle
  • The zipper of length that is longer than the opening you are trying to fix
  • Pliers
  • Lighter
  • Scissors
  • Screwdriver with a flathead

  1. Examine the Damage and Take off the Zipper

  • Often the zipper comes out on a side and track is damaged; if the zipper is half hanging then you need to replace this with a new one.
  • The zipper needs to be removed and this can be done by wedging the screwdriver with the plier to one side. With a sharp twist, the screwdriver needs to open the side wide and this makes it easy to slip the zip off its track.
  • After this, it is easy to remove the zipper.

  1. Sew Back the Track

  • In order to sew the track, a side needs to be picked to start. Take the new zipper, find its center and match the same with the top center. After the edge is lined up and stitch the new track.
  • Even if you do not know to stitch, simply looping the thread or following the previous sewing pattern is often enough. You can work down a certain side by starting from the center top.
  • Once one side is done, a loop off the thread by making a knot. Then again thread the needle and make a knot to start stitching on the other side. Start from the center top and work down. Try to prevent gaps and uneven sewing marks.

  1. Flip Bag inside Out

  • The flip bag inside out and repeat the process of stitching the zipper on both sides, now with the bag turned inside out. It is best to start from the center top and down both sides.
  • When sewing is being done the new zipper should not be unzipped. It will ensure that the zipper gets stitched on evenly alongside the opening of the bag.

  1. How to Finish off?

  • Once the tracks are stitched you need to stitch the ends of the zipper as well. That will help to close these openings. Ensure that you double stitch these ends as they tend to be pulled every time you open and shut the zip.
  • The excess track needs to be cut off. A lighter can be used for burning the edges so that these don’t end up fraying. Once these steps are completed you can flip the bag and turn it right side out.
  • It will help you see the final outcome. It would be best to reinforce your stitches with two more lines since these needs to withstand the pressure of being pulled and tugged the more you use the zipper and the bag.

The above steps help you take off a damaged zipper from a bag you would like to continue using and get a new zipper and track in place. The same steps can be followed for any small zipped device or accessory which can be used as good as new once the zipper and track have been replaced. If you can perform zip repairs at home it would certainly help elongate the use of any zipped bag you own.