Try This Quick Straw Fix To Repair A Broken Zipper In Minutes

One of the most revolutionary upgrades to ever happen to the fashion industry was the introduction of the zipper. If you prefer zip-up clothes to button-downs, you're not alone. Zippers make getting dressed faster and easier. However, things can go south pretty quickly if the insertion pin breaks off or stops working. A broken zipper can be a frustrating fashion emergency, especially if you're not very savvy with a needle and thread and there aren't any tailors nearby. Luckily, it's possible to glue a straw to your zipper as a temporary fix to get you zipped and out the door.

This hack will only work if you have a separating zipper, and these types are commonly used on clothes that divide like a jacket. Therefore, it won't work on a closed zipper, or those that only have one open end like the fly-front on pants. It's a common separating zipper fail when the insertion pin at the end goes missing or comes loose. This is the piece of plastic or metal that you insert into the retaining box on the other side of the zipper to enable it to close. If this crucial piece has come undone, it'll be next to impossible to zip up your clothes. Fortunately, you can easily fix this problem with the piece of a plastic straw.

Replacing the missing insertion pin with the piece of a plastic drinking straw in order to save your broken zipper might stump you at first, but it won't take you more than a few minutes to accomplish. YouTube creator @homestore9770 lays out the steps in a quick and easy tutorial video. You will need a plastic drinking straw (preferably one that matches the color of your zipper fabric), a hot glue gun or heavy-duty glue, and a sharp pair of scissors. 

Start by chopping off a small piece of the straw, about an inch in length. Then, cut along the edge of the piece to open up the straw, which will provide you with a rectangular shape. Fold this piece in half to create a crease, then line both sides of the zipper fabric where the insertion pin is missing with glue. This is where you'll press the straw piece down like a clamp and hold it there until the glue dries. Finally, just snip away any excess edges of the straw, and voila. Now, you can zip up your clothes with ease. However, keep in mind that this is a temporary solution to an emergency zipper problem. A long-term solution would be taking your clothes to a tailor to either replace the insertion pin or change the whole zipper entirely.