If you’ve ever needed a zipper for a project or you are looking to replace a broken zipper in a ready-to-wear (RTW) garment, you probably already know that the exact size of zipper can be hard to come by in your average big box store. Purchasing zippers in bulk at longer lengths and shortening them can be more cost effective if you find yourself needing specific zipper lengths.

Maybe you inherited Nana’s zipper stash or you frequent the thrift store and pick up random bags of notions on the regular. Either way, being able to shorten a zipper is a super useful skill.