How to sew a zipper for a bag

How to do your first zipper

Hi everyone!

This post is dedicated for those who is feeling confused about doing zipper, well this is my first time too.

After several times strolling out on youtube and watched bunch of tutorial, I decided to give it a try.

So, the main goal is preparing zipper for my cross body bag. The final measurement of the bag should be 25cm X 10cm X 16cm in height.

Thing to consider is that I want the zipper a little bit longer, so then I can fold it a bit at the corner side.

Materials:

• 1. A zipper 30cm long
• 2. 4 pieces of fabrics in 23cm X 6cm (lets call them fabrics number 2a, 2b, 2c and  2d. All of them are same in size and colour)
• 3. 2 pieces of fabrics in 9cm X 5 cm
• 4. Thread

 Steps:

1. Fold all 2a-2d at the left and right side of  for about 0.5cm. (Follow the red line on the picture).

Fold and press the fabrics following the red line on the picture. And the folding should be maintained when we sew the zipper.

2. Sew 2a and 2b to the zipper. The upper side of 2a should meets the upper side of the zipper, while upper side of 2b meets the back of the zipper. (see picture)

notice that the right side of 2a should meets the upper side of the zipper and the right side of 2b should meets the back side of the zipper, or we can say that both of the wrong side of 2a and 2b should meet side by side.

 

this is how it should look like when 1 wing of the zipper is done. :)

3. Do exactly the same for the other side. When you finished, you will have a zipper with 2 wings, where each wing will have 2 un-sewed fabrics on both corners (see picture).

half done zipper with two un-sewed wings :))

4. Fold or roll 1 wing to the center, then wrap it with the other wing and sew it (see picture).

fold 1 wing to the centre

Wrap it with the other side

 5. Pull the the inside from the un-sewed part.

Pull the rolled wing from the hole

 6. Repeat 4 and 5 for the other side. When it done, sew the hole tightly.

sew the hole to finish the wings (see red lines) 

7. Now we are going to prepare the end of the zipper. Grab the fabrics sized 9cmX 5cm, fold each of the in half, then sew them in the letter of U. It will leave a hole in a side where you can pull the inside out.

 

sew following the cropped red line. My bad, I can't draw it nice :P

8. Attach both to the zipper and sew them tight.

9. Now you have the zipper ready to be attached to the bag. Yeay!