Zipper Comb tutorial

Yah, I have a tutorial for you! I told you I would be back to my crafty-self soon enough...living out of boxes can't stop me! I had several of you lovely ladies request a tutorial for the zipper headband that I made a few weeks ago. I decided to do this tutorial as a comb but it will work just the same on a headband.

Let's get started!

Supplies:

16-18" zipper -depending on how large you want your zipper rosettes

hair combs or fabric headband -I think these combs came from Michaels or Joanns. You can get packs of 5 colorful fabric headbands at Target for a few bucks. They are the only ones I like to wear.

scissors

glue gun

pinking shears optional (to keep ends from fraying) -not pictured

Start out by cutting off the ends of your zipper at the metal stoppers...I'm sure there is a technical term for those little silver thingies. Pull off your zip pull and seperate your zipper.

Cut the following sizes: 12 inch, 8 inch and 5 1/2 inch

Sew a running stitch along the end opposite of the teeth (see below) of the 12, 8, and 5 1/2 inch pieces leaving the threads long at the end so that you can gather. I like to backstitch when first getting started so that when you are gathering the zipper you do not have to worry about pulling your thread out. You can also just knot the end you started with a few times before gathering.

Now gather each piece by pulling one of the threads that you left at the end...one thread will pull and the other will not. Gather until you have a 3 little spiral rosettes.

Cut a 2 3/4 inch with your pinking shears (this is to cover the width of the comb, this will vary depending on your comb choice). You will not need the smallest piece if you are using a fabric headband.

This is what you have before you begin to glue. 3 rosettes and the 2 3/4 inch piece to glue to your comb.

Glue your small piece to your comb to give the rosettes a base. The pinking shears will keep the ends from fraying but you could also singe the ends with a lighter.

Start gluing your rosettes together. Begin by adding a bit of glue to both ends and folding over like so. Trim off any threads you have left and any frays from the zipper.

Then you are going to just tack your rosette together with glue to hold it's shape. It works best to start at the base and work your way to the middle. Add a bit of glue to the end and glue to the next layer.

Continue adding little bits of glue here and there to hold your rosette together, as shown. Hold a few seconds each time to allow the glue to cool.

Here's what you have when you are finished.

Now begin by gluing the largest rosette to the middle of the comb.

Then add the smaller to either side, shoving them together to create a little overlapping.

Add a bit of glue where they overlap each other and press to allow the glue to cool.

And you're done!!

Rock it with an updo or with your hair down and a little combed to the side, ca-ute!

I did the same thing for the headband except that I arranged them a little differently.

Now that you know the basics you could make tons of them in all sizes and glue them to headbands, shoe clips, pin backs for brooches, packages, etc, etc, etc. You could even make them huge for fascinators! My beads are all boxed up but you could add a little bling in the center to spice them up. 

I'd love to see yours!! ♥