Fix It Friday - How to Fix A Broken Zipper

How do you fix a broken zipper and NOT have to replace it?
No sewing machine is required, no heavy duty sewing. Read on!
The zipper head of my pair of jeans is off it's track! Fortunately it was only one side of the track, but still enough to get me worried.
I tried to use pliers to open and insert it back on, but no matter how hard I tried I couldn't get it to open up - a very good quality YKK zipper!
In the end I asked my readers what the next best thing would be to do. I got a lot of tips, including using graphite on the teeth to ease the zipper head back on, replacing it completely, and even adding oil. Eventually, I settled for opening up the bottom end of the zipper so that I could insert the head back on.

Tools needed:
Scissors, needle and thread.

Watch the video on how to fix a broken zipper without replacing it.
But here are some tips on doing it:

#1 Snip Low!
When choosing the place to make a snip in your zipper, go as low down as possible. Remember, the fly opening allows you to slip on your jeans / trousers. If you snip it too high up, your garment will be completely useless (unless you can fix the snip that you made!)

#2 Alignment, alignment!
Before you insert the cut track onto the zipper head, always make sure the 2 sides of the track are aligned. Any misalignment and you will have a wonky zipper.

#3 Make it Smooth!
Rub some wax onto the tracks of the zipper so that there are no kinks and the zipper will run smoothly over the tracks.

Are you ready to fix your zipper? If you are thinking of replacing a zipper, you might want to try using masking tape (yes, that's right), and I share it in this blog post.