How to put an old zipper to good use. Sharing ideas

Do not rush to get rid of zippers that have become stuck, come apart, or even lost some of the teeth. Old lightning bolts make very beautiful things. I will show you photos with ideas and describe in detail how to make a brooch. And you see for yourself.

8 craft ideas

To begin with, I will say that crafts are made from entire parts of lightning. We trim off areas that look downright bad. You can leave only one metal rim. Don’t throw away the dogs either, they’ll come in handy.

Interesting crafts from old lightning bolts:

1. Decor of a boring dress (jacket, trousers). Zippers will help decorate clothes. You can hide spots and holes behind them. Many designers use clasps for decoration in their collections. We sew on the decoys by first inserting the teeth into each other and basting with thread.
2. The bow tie. It will be the highlight of the outfit and will make you or your man (child) stand out from the crowd.
3. Pencil case or cosmetic bag. Old zippers can be useful. You can sew them together. We cut the resulting fabric into a pencil case or small bag. Note: one of the locks must open and close.
4. Brooch. The simplest craft from literally nothing: scraps of felt, fabric, an old zipper and a couple of beads. This brooch will become a stylish decoration. It can be pinned not only on clothes, but also on a bag or scarf.
5. Hair clips and elastic bands. You can make a hair decoration like a brooch. Glue the figure to a regular elastic band or hairpin. Ready!
6. Bracelets. To make bracelets, you can use only a shiny metal rim, creating wonderful weaves. Or you can sew a decorative chain to the zipper or insert rivets. Here's what might come of it:
7. Valentines. On Valentine's Day, lovers give each other hearts. It’s especially nice to receive handmade valentines. This heart can then be used as a car pendant, keychain or brooch.
8. Christmas gifts. Old lightning bolts make original Christmas trees and snowmen. We sew a thread on top and hang it on the New Year's beauty. Or we glue a magnet on the back and attach it to the refrigerator.

Making a brooch

Making crafts from old zippers is easy. I will prove this to you using a brooch as an example. I describe in detail how to make a dragonfly brooch:

1. To begin, we prepare the materials: an old zipper, a candle, felt of the color you like, a pencil, scissors, a needle and thread, hot glue or Moment Crystal glue.
2. We cut the fabric from the lock to the very root. To get rid of protruding threads between the teeth, light a candle. Hold the lightning over the flame for 1-2 seconds. So we process it along the entire length.
3. Cut a strip of felt 7-10 cm long and 3-4 mm wide. We apply it to the metal rim and twist the coil. From the wrong side we fasten everything with a thread and a needle. This will be the dragonfly's head. We do not trim the edge of the zipper.
4. Place the workpiece on the edge of the felt sheet. It should be of such a size that the entire dragonfly fits. You can make the brooch smaller or larger.
5. Using the edge of the zipper we form a wing. We put felt under it. We trace with a pencil. Cut out 2 parts (use the first wing as a template).
6. Glue the first wing to a sheet of felt under the dragonfly's head.We sew the metal rim along the contour with thread.
7. Similarly, we glue and baste the second wing next to the first.
8. Place a sheet of felt again and lay out the bottom wing. We trace with a pencil. Cut out 2 parts.
9. Glue the bottom row of wings one by one and sew on the zipper. After the second wing you can trim it.
10. We twist the dragonfly's tail from the zipper and fasten the edge with thread. We apply it to the felt, trace it, and cut out the part. We glue the tail under the wings and baste the metal rim.
11. Cut out the brooch from the sheet. If desired, we perform embroidery with contrasting threads.
12. To make the brooch neat, place the dragonfly on a sheet of felt, trace it and cut it out. Glue the part to the reverse side. Attach the brooch clasp (sew or glue).

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