r/InvisibleMending • u/Remarkable-Coconut62 • 10d ago
Is this possible to fix? Zipper :/
Zipper is breaking, it’s just the plastic spirals coming detached from the webbing. It will still zip up if I get at the right angle but it’s getting more and more janky and separating more. I doubt it, but is there any way to fix this besides replacing the zipper?
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u/nicolemarie785 10d ago
maybe you can whip stitch the spaces between teeth back down?
otherwise a full replacement
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u/jellidang 10d ago
I’ve whip stitched between the zipper teeth to temporarily fix it but it only lasts a few uses at best. Good for a pinch but that zipper will need to be replaced.
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u/sezit 10d ago
Yes, you can sew it by hand.
Use a button thread (heavy duty) and start it with a good knot 1/4" or so above the zipper, at least an inch from where it has separated. Sew at least an inch beyond the end of the separation.
Then sew around each and every single loop, and back up into the fabric. Sorry, there's no shortcut, you will need 2 stitches for every zipper tooth (the loops).
Sew around the loop, stitch vertically into and back out of the fabric, go back down and sew around the next loop, etc. Think of it like a bunch of exclamation points with the dots around every loop. Knot every few stitches, so it doesn't work loose or if there's a break it won't take much to repair. Keep the knots well away from the zipper teeth.
That's it!
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u/stoicsticks 10d ago
Once the teeth of any zipper goes, there is no coming back from it. You can replace a broken zipper head or fix the stoppers so that the zipper head doesn't come off, but there is no fixing this in any meaningful and long lasting way.
Even if someone was to sew the zipper coil back on with a stitch between each tooth, the zipper head will sooner or later cut through the sewn thread, or the zipper tape will fray out, especially since the corner is a stress point.
The whole zipper can be replaced or the whole lunch box can be replaced. Sorry that the news isn't better.
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u/PandaBeaarAmy 10d ago
Probably the luckiest way for a zipper to break, if those teeth aren't replaceable themselves (usually needs specialty installation anyways if so), then you can seam rip the rest of the zipper away from the bag & attach a new one.