Back when I first started sewing, I did everything possible to avoid buttons.
Or zippers.
One of the notions I turned to was snaps. My first experience was bad – I tried using those sew-on snaps, thinking they’d be the easiest option. But I hated sewing them on and I found it really hard to held them in place while I sewed.
My life changed when I discovered regular snaps. A neat professional finish with just a hammer? I had NO IDEA you could do this from home! Why was nobody shouting this from the rooftops? Snaps are really easy to use and look terrific. Here’s how. . .
Give them a try!
That tiny little shirt you see up top is one of the shirts for the Dress Up Bunch dolls. All the dolls have the same basic body pattern – which means they can all share clothes. Fun!
Update! The pretty colored snaps I used to carry are no longer available in shops. 🙁 The good news is that you can now choose individual colors and buy direct from the manufacturer. The best size for Dress Up Bunch doll clothes is size 14.
Happy sewing!
Best,
Wendi
Thanks for posting this! I’ve not ventured into snaps as of yet, but I will have to try them out now. By the way … my 5-year-old was so proud of you when you finished 😉
Awww. . .Heather! Tell your son I said thanks! (I was pretty proud of myself too when I did it the first time. That is, when I was done smacking myself in the forehead for not knowing something really simple that it seemed like every other sewist out there knew already. There were a lot of those moments when I was just starting out.)
Annette sent me a private note about plastic snaps and pliers – along with a link to them. http://www.kamsnaps.com/Pliers-for-Plastic-Snaps/Pliers-for-Plastic-Snaps-Bundle-COSMETIC-BLEMISH-p150.html. I’ve never used these before, but I thought some of you might be interested in the pretty, pretty colors.
I’ve had my eye on these fancy pearl snaps for a while now – but they DO require a special (and expensive) tool to attach them so I haven’t gone there yet. Oh – but I’d love to try them. Aren’t they pretty? http://thesnapstore.com/catalog/index.php/cPath/36_64 Such pretty colors.
By the way – the tool you use to attach them is what I imagined ALL snaps required, back before I knew about the hammer type. So I wasn’t crazy after all!
Thank you thank you thank you!!! I never knew these were so easy!
Every now and then you remind me of myself with what you do (I wonder if we are close in age?). Here you are applying snaps with a hammer, reminding me of when I used to do that and my dad would chuckle in the other room, hearing me use a hammer. It just struck him silly! And you know, if I remember correctly, I think I used to use a wooden spool (there I’m giving my age away a bit…) and placed the hole of the spool over the snaps and then hammer the spool. Ever do that?
Yep. 🙂 Though I’ve found I get better results with the metal tool. It’s harder so it doesn’t absorb as much force from the hammer.
Thanks for this snap tutorial. I have sewed snaps on the old way, but this seems so much easier and quicker. I also use a hammer when I have a thick seam, works like a charm.
Another source for snaps is https://www.snapsource.com/ The equipment is less costly than the large press. Still, use a hammer or I use a rubber mallet.