Installing Snaps for Dummies

The latest project: a little snap-closure “wallet.”

Until now, snaps have confused me. I was intimidated by the tools and the different parts, and somewhat scarred from a google search that revealed the intricate world of snaps.

But they’re not so bad (she says after installing a grand total of ONE snap.)

The hardest part is getting the right tools for your snap size, and assembling the different bits correctly. Instructions on the back of the package I got were pretty lacking. (I couldn’t find a kit at my Joann’s store, so I bought the snaps and tools separately. They helpfully list on each package which # tool you need for which # snaps. Just to note, these snaps are a little bit aggressive for this project. Really sturdy, a little difficult to pull apart. You might feel like you’re going to rip such lightweight fabric with these, so a not-so-heavy-duty snap would probably be a better choice, or make sure to use interfacing on both fabric pieces.)

Anyway, I had to dump everything out of my package, and separate the bits into groups. That’s how I discovered 4 different bits and how to arrange them into a snap.

Photo Google Photos

There they are. The blue arrows are the 2 bits that create one side of the snap, and the green arrows are the 2 bits that create the other side. You see a post sticking up out of each of those assembled  bits. That’s what fastens it to your fabric once you hammer it.

20181219_214641

You see the little concave disc in the bottom left corner of the picture above? That’s the anvil — basically your anchor for when you hammer each side together. The metal cylinder next to it has a little protrusion on one end. That goes in the post and pushes it down to curl over, like below.

20181219_214423

Something that was helpful to me was using my leather punch to punch a hole in my fabric so I could poke the post through the fabric. Worked perfectly. Then I used my mallet to do the hammering. Took minimal effort.

And now I know how to do snaps.

Onward to buttons and an ugly handtowel project I’m not overly thrilled about. I’m considering making another phone belt case and using a button as the closure instead of velcro. Just to learn buttons. To be honest, a snap seems like the most secure option for that.

Tags: ,
Posted in Sewing, The Things I've Made • December 20, 2018 | No Comments»

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *