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How to Sew on Snaps and Cover Snaps

WHAT IS IT?

Snaps are a type of closure used to secure garment openings. There are two parts to a snap: one with the balland one with the socket. Snaps can be made of metal (coated or uncoated) or plastic, and they come in a varietyof sizes from small to quite large. The larger the snap, the stronger the closure, but also the heavier it will be.Metal snaps are stronger than plastic ones.

Sew-on snaps are sewn to the garment by hand. Press-on or no-sew snaps have four parts; each side of the snaphas a second piece with spikes that pierces through the fabric and clamps into the other half of the snap topermanently secure it.

If you don’t like the metal or coated metal color, cover snaps with fabric to blend in with your garment fabric. Youcan also buy snap tape by the yard; this tape has snaps pre-attached evenly down the length of the tape.

WHEN DO YOU USE IT?

Use snaps when you want to secure an opening without buttons or zippers. Snaps are sewn on after the garmentis complete, so you are able to decide last minute. Snaps work well for center front openings, pocket flaps, cuffsand self-fabric belts. You can also use snaps as part of a faux-button closure. Sew buttons to the top of thegarment, but hide snaps underneath for faster opening and closing. Snaps can also be used in plackets in placeof a zipper. This feature is often used in vintage dresses, but if you’re used to zippers, this may not seem verysecure.

Snaps open and close quickly, making them ideal for sporty garments or children’s clothing. The onlydisadvantage is that they may pop open spontaneously. If you are busty, you may want to avoid snaps at thecenter front of blouses or dresses.

HOW TO SEW ON SNAPS

When sewing snaps to a garment, the ball side goes on the underside of the overlap and the socket side goes onthe top side of the underlap.

Start with the ball side. Mark the placement of the snap close to the edge of the garment. Sew through each of thesnap holes. When you move from hole to hole, do not cut the thread. Instead carry it underneath the snap and upthrough the new hole. After sewing through the first snap hole, move to the hole directly across from it, so thesnap is held in position and won’t shift.

Use the ball of the snap to press into the other side and mark the placement. Try rubbing the tip of the ball withchalk and then pressing it to the other side to make a mark. Or, if your snap has a hole in the ball, insert a pin allthe way through to mark the opposite snap placement.

Center the socket over the marking and sew through all ofthe holes, as you did for the ball side.

Tips + Notes

If you are sewing snaps through a waistband or facing,try not to catch the inner layer of the garment. It looksmore professional if there are no stitches showing onthe inside.

Press-on, or no-sew, snaps have sharp spikes that gothrough your fabric and clip into the ball or socket. Oncethese snaps are in, there’s no moving them, so mark theposition carefully!

For the top of a zipper opening, a hanging snap helps toclose the top edge. You can use a hanging snap anytime the edges meet but do not overlap. To sew a

hanging snap, sew the socket to the inside of the top edge. Make a thread chain to attach the ball of thesnap to the opposite side. Make the chain (page link) just long enough for the snap to reach the otherside.

HOW TO COVER SNAPS

You can cover snaps with matching or coordinating fabric. If your fabric is thin, you can use self fabric to cover thesnaps, but if not, choose a matching lining fabric instead. Cut two circles of fabric twice the diameter of the snapsplus a ¼” (6mm) seam allowance. If you are covering several snaps, make a circle template from cardboard foreasier cutting.

Start with the ball side of the snap. Pierce a tiny hole in the middle of the circle or a slightly bigger hole if you arecovering large snaps. The hole should be slightly smaller than the ball of the snap, so it fits snugly around thebase of the ball. With the ball side up, cover the snap with the fabric circle and poke the ball of the snap throughthe hole.

Thread a handsewing needle with a single thread and gather (page link) the outer edge of the fabric ¼” (6mm)away from the raw edge. End your gathering stitches with your needle and thread on the right side of the fabric.Pull the thread tight to fit the fabric snugly around the snap.

Wind the thread tightly around the gathered material a few times, then take a few stitches in the side of thebunched fabric and tie a knot. Trim the thread tails and extra fabric.

Place the socket part of the snap with the socket facing up and cover it with the second circle of fabric. Gather theouter edge of the fabric as you did for the ball part, and pull the gathering tight to fit the fabric around the snap.Secure the thread in the same manner, snap the ball and socket together, and sew the covered snaps to thegarment.

Source : The Sewtionary An A to Z Guide to 101 Sewing Techniques + DefinitionsAbout the Author : Tasia ST. Germaine

Tags: how to sew on snaps, how to sew snaps on fabric, snap, snap button, snap tool