Same Etsy Shop, new name - Zipper Island

Gold Teeth Zippers

K & C Supplies is now Zipper Island!
When I opened the store back in 2009 (WOW, hard to believe it's been 5 years!), I sold vintage buttons assortments, Eco-fi Felt, and, of course, YKK Zippers. A lot has changed since then. After I almost left Etsy for good in 2013, I decided to give Zipper business another try. I leased an office space and started to gradually build up my inventory. I now offer Dress Zippers, Handbag zippers, Gold teeth zippers, Silver teeth zippers, Invisible Zippers, Swivel clasps, Zipper pulls, and buttons. I am up to 700+ Etsy Shop listings and hope to reach 1200+ listings by the end of this year. Since the majority of items sold in my store are Zippers, I decided that it was time to change the shop name to include the main item sold at my Etsy store. Not only do I hope it's going to be a good Search Engine Optimization move, but I also believe that "Zipper Island" is going to be easier to remember and, therefore, my customers will have an easier time finding me on Etsy. The decision to change my Etsy shop name was not an easy one. I was worried that my customers wouldn't be able to find me or, even if they would find me (Etsy does re-direct the old web address to the new web address), they would think it's a different shop or the same shop under new ownership. But after doing some research on Etsy forums, I decided to take a leap of faith and go for it. It's only been a few days since the name change, so it's hard to tell whether there's been a change in traffic. Seems that my repeat customers are still finding me, but only time will tell. I still have my old Shop name on business cards, but I will have them updated in the next week or so.  If you have had any experience with Etsy Shop name change, I would love to hear from you. How did it affect your shop traffic and business overall?

I have been trying to announce all Shop Sales, Giveaways, new stock arrival, and any other Shop-related news on K & C Supplies Facebook page, so please do become a fan if you would like to get updates on everything related to my zipper store. I am also planning to open a Buttons & Charms shop in the near future. And Zipper Shop and Buttons Shop will share the Facebook page, so the Facebook page name will not change.

Thank you for your business!
Irina @ Zipper Island

Free Craft Tutorials

Earlier this month, K & C Supplies participated in Free Sewing Supplies for Tutorials Exchange. Kym from Totally Tutorials, thank you once again for playing the matchmaker! Initially, I offered Seven $15 gift certificates to my Zippers & Buttons Shop in exchange for Free Craft Tutorials. Since there was so much interest in the Exchange, I gave out a few extras. I want to thank everyone who is participating in the exchange. I can't wait to see what you make! I got all packages out last week and am hoping that the tutorials can be completed and posted on blogs within 2-3 weeks after the receipt of the packages. I will be posting photos of finished products with links to the Free Craft Tutorials as they are submitted. I am guessing that some of the tutorials will not be complete until early December since bloggers from Lithuania and India are also participating in the exchange (making this exchange international, yeah!), and it will probably be 2-4 weeks until they get their packages. My Etsy Shop customer Christine from England had also applied to participate in the exchange. In fact, she has completed her tutorial and has posted it online (Christine had a few spare zippers she purchased from me earlier, so she didn't have to wait for the arrival of the zippers she requested for the exchange). The PDF of the sewing tutorial is available here: Zippered wallet or purse. Please be sure to stop by Christine's Etsy Shop SewChristine and check out bags, purses, and handbags she has for sale. Thank you, Christine, for sharing your instructions for making the zippered wallet or purse. 

Zippered Wallet Tutorial

Update 10/30/13: Kim from Emerging Creatively Tutorials just Emailed me with a link to her Braided Zipper Tutorial and a simpler version of zipper coil bracelet, and I absolutely love the clear step-by-step instructions, excellent photos, and how the bracelet turned out. Be sure to stop by Kim's blog and stay a while. She has some great Free jewelry tutorials  on her blog.

Zipper Bracelet Tutorial

If you need zippers, buttons, or swivel lobster clasps for any of your sewing or knitting projects, please stop by K & C Supplies on Etsy :)

Free sewing supplies in exchange for tutorials

I am very excited to announce that K & C Supplies will be participating in Totally Tutorials Free Supplies for Tutorials Exchange. I am offering up to seven $15 gift certificates to those who are willing to write a unique tutorial using the supplies given and post the tutorial either on their blog, Instructables, CutoutandKeep, or Crafster. The tutorial must be free and posted on a non-commercial site. The exchange is a great opportunity to get free supplies and to get an extra link to your blog from my blog and Totally Tutorials blog. I will also be sharing the tutorials on social media, including my Pinterest and Twitter accounts. 

The $15 gift certificate can be applied towards anything you will find in my store: dress zippers, invisible zippers , metal zippers, handbag zippers, buttons, or purse hardware. $15 will include the cost of supplies  and the shipping cost (I can ship worldwide). 

If you would like to participate in the sewing supplies for tutorials exchange, please contact me via Etsy convo system or by Email at kcsupplies@gmail.com between October 4th and October 14th. Please include a link to your blog and/ or a tutorial you have written in the past. If you already have an idea of what you would like to make using the supplies, please do share. I am asking that you commit to writing a tutorial and sharing a few photos of the finished product and the process. If the number of applicants exceeds the number of gift certificates available, I reserve the right to choose who I think will do the best job of creating a tutorial and taking good photos. On October 15th, I will contact the selected participants for their mailing address and the supplies they would like to receive. I am asking that you share your tutorial within 2-3 weeks after receiving the package. Once your tutorial is complete, please Email or convo me with a link to your tutorial and submit your tutorial to Kym by using the "submit your tutorial" page. Please note that Kym has a few guidelines for the tutorial format, so please be sure to read them.  Also, please link to my Sewing Supplies store in your blog post. 

By participating in the exchange, you are granting Kym and I permission to use the photos of the finished product on our blogs with a link back to your blog. 

Here is the link to some of the tutorials that were created as part of the Exchange program: Previous Exchanges and Free supplies for Tutorials exchange. Need project ideas for inspiration? Please check out these Pinterest boards: Button crafts and Zipper projects. 

I can't wait to see what you guys are going to make using the sewing supplies from my Etsy store. If you have any questions, please comment on this blog post. Have a great weekend! 

Etsy Shop Tips

Etsy is a great place to make extra income selling your art and crafts. If you really have a desire to own your business and earn a living doing what you love, Etsy (handmade marketplace) is the best place to get started with a minimum investment. In this blog post, I am sharing my Top Etsy Shop tips for increasing traffic to Etsy shop and exposing your shop to your target audience. If you are new to Etsy, are looking for ways to Increase traffic to Your Shop, need ideas on how to promote your existing store, or are just researching opportunities for selling handmade online, you may find this post helpful. 

Creative packaging, shop appearance, advertising

Tip #1: Create packaging that sells. Buyers like handmade, but if you add creative packaging, you add extra value to your product and make it more attractive to the buyers. Adding a little free gift may also be a good way to create a lasting impression and to encourage repeat business. Make your handmade product stand out using creative packaging. 

Tip #2: Invest time into improving the appearance of your shop. Professionally looking avatar and a unique greeting are important when it comes to creating a unique shopping experience for your customers.

Tip #3: Add more items to your store. Try to add an item or 2 several times a week or daily, if you can. Etsy customers like choices - choices in styles, colors, and materials. Also, adding new items will help with promoting your store if you advertising budget is small and you can't afford renewing your items several times a day.

Tip #4: Do renew at least 1 item per day to attract visitors to your store and bump up your items in Etsy searches. Best time to renew is around 7-10 pm Eastern time. Do not overspend on renewing items - it's easy to get carried away and go in the negative chasing profits. Set a daily limit on renewals and stick with it.

Tip #5: Take quality pictures! This is very important selling point. Make sure to use plenty of light, contrasting background, and closeup feature on your camera, if necessary. Click Etsy photo tips to read "Give Props: How to Style Your Photos" post on Etsy blog.

Tip #6: Do try Etsy Search Ads to promote your Etsy Shop. I suggest adding at least 20 items to your store before you try the feature. Search Ads is a major advertising tool for new Etsy sellers. It will allow you to advertise your store directly to your target audience. To start out, set a very Low budget. Be sure to adjust your tags for all items, so that Etsy allows you to advertise for the right keywords. Skip any generic tags like white, long, beautiful - your ad will get plenty of impressions but will not reach the target audience. Advertise your best items with only 5 key words. Don't measure success of your ad by sales alone. You are getting exposure, some people will add you to favorites and it may lead to sales or Etsy treasury features later. Here's some great advice on how to use Etsy search ads to promote your shop.

Tip #7: Check out Craftcult, Craftopolis, Craftcount for weekly and monthly advertising options and use Facebook to share your new creations with family and friends for free, or, better yet, open a Facebook page for your business and encourage customers and other Etsy shop owners to follow you on Facebook. You will be amazed how much attention your shop can get from Facebook followers.

Tip #8: Create Etsy Treasuries. Etsy Treasury is a great place for free self-promotion and networking. Include no more than one of your own items. You will expose your shop to a lot of Etsy sellers and buyers. Some sellers may add your items to their favorites and later include in their own treasuries. Hey, you may even land on the first page of Etsy, and that's a great exposure! Etsy likes unique items and coordinating items in unique color combinations (like sunflower yellow and cobalt blue, for example). If you would like, let featured Etsy sellers know about your treasury by sending a convo. The Treasury will also show up in the featured Sellers' shop feed.
Here's one of my most recent treasuries: 


Tip #9: Tagging your item is very important. Etsy gives you plenty of tag lines - so try your best to use them all. Think about your tags as an opportunity to advertise your items on Etsy and, if Google picks up some of your tags, to the Google users! Make sure to follow Etsy guidelines for tagging your item, but be as desciptive as you possibly can: . Tagging your Etsy Items. Note other sellers' tags - you may get some ideas for tagging your items. Remember, the more tags you use and the more descriptive they are, the more potential customers are going to visit your shop. Think traffic! Also, make sure you are familiar with Etsy DOs and DON'Ts. When tagging your Etsy items, try to come up with terms your customers may be using to find your item. When someone is looking for a zippered pouch, they can Google "handmade zippered pouch", "handmade pouch", "make-up bag", "pencil case", "cute pouch", and a dozen of other terms.

Tip #10: So you put a lot of effort into attracting visitors to your Etsy shop and you make some sales! Congratulations!!! You now have a customer base to work with. By providing exceptional customer service, you can get some repeat sales. Neat packaging, business card, and a matching address label will help you promote your brand. Also, do notify your customers by a convo or an Email, letting them know when their package has shipped and providing some tracking information.

Tip #11: If you are a new Etsy seller, consider offering Sales on your item and sharing your items on Facebook with friends to make the first few sales and build up your Feedback rating and reputation on Etsy. Positive feedback will attract more buyers who prefer well-established stores.

Tip #12: Join Etsy teams and participate in Etsy forums. Not only will you be able to get some great Etsy Shop tips from fellow Etsians, but you can also participate in special team events that will help you get more Etsy sales. Etsy Forums is a great place for networking and promoting your products. Etsy sellers love Handmade, so inviting them to your store may be a great idea.

Tip #13: Ship your items fast! Customers expect quick shipments, so if you can get their order out within 1-2 business days, they are more likely to shop at your store again and to recommend your shop to their friends. If they are really happy with your service, they may even write up a blog, Facebook, or Twitter post about you - think FREE PUBLICITY! If you are custom-making an item, 1 week turnaround time is good - just keep in touch with the buyer with updates on the order progress.

Tip #14: Include "boutique" tag in your listings. There're plenty boutique owners out there looking for unique items on Etsy. If you think you can manage wholesale orders (starting at about 5 items), give it a try and earn some serious cash :). Make sure to include "please contact me for wholesale orders information" in every listing. Just found out about a website that allows you to create a wholesale website and link it to your Etsy store. Check out Etsy Wholesale, formerly Trunkt.com, for more information. If you are really serious about taking your business to a new level, this looks like a great way to increase your sales.

Be Social, Blog, Support other Blogs, and more

Tip #15. Start a Blog to promote your Etsy Shop for free. The easiest way to get started is to create a blog at www.blogger.com - it's free, and takes minutes to put your blog up. Blogging will create more publicity and may even bring direct Google traffic to your store! What can you blog about? You can share tutorials, like this Zippered Pouch Tutorial, publish your family recipes, host contests and giveaways... Blogging is an excellent way to attract Etsy buyers and make more money with your Etsy Shop.

Tip #16. Be sure to take advantage of Etsy Coupon Codes. They are great for attracting new visitors to your shop! Advertise your coupon code in Etsy Forums, post it on your Facebook page, tweet about the coupon on Twitter, mention it on your blog, do a Google search and find blogs with Etsy coupon lists and ask them to add your coupon (and your Shop) to the lists. Etsy Coupon Codes are also a valuable feature for rewarding REPEAT buyers. If you offer 10% or 20% off the next purchase, your buyers are likely to give you some repeat business. Check out this blog post for more information on how to add a coupon code to your shop and how to redeem Etsy coupons. Etsy Coupon Codes

Tip #17. Have you worked with Project Wonderful? What is Project Wonderful? It's a site that connects advertisers and bloggers. Bloggers have an opportunity to make some extra cash, and Advertisers can advertise their products online on a budget. What I like about Project Wonderful is that there's no commitment - you can change your bid on an advertising space at any time. You can advertise directly to your target audience - just pick a blog that attracts readers who may be interested in your products. You can have your ad displayed for only a couple hours a day - during the high traffic hours. You are completely in control of your ad and advertising budget. Project Wonderful is soooo easy to use. And hey, if you have a blog, it can be a way to bring in some extra revenues.

Tip #18. If your advertising budget is not very tight, consider sponsoring a high traffic blog popular amongst your target audience. For Example, there are several Etsy sellers sponsoring A Beatiful Mess blog that can get as many as 1,000,000 views in 1 month! And although the ads on the blog are pretty pricey, the traffic you can get from the sponsorship may be very well worth it :)

Tip #19. Have a plan! Just like with any business, it's essential to have a plan for your Etsy business. What do you want to achieve - are you interested in a part-time income or do you want to quit your day job? How is your product different from those already available from other Etsy sellers and generally online - is it quality, unique packaging, outstanding customer service, free gift? How are you planning to get where you want to be - how much time are you willing to spend on your business? how much money can you invest in advertising, if any?... Do you know who is your target audience is and how you are going to introduce your product to the audience? Having a business plan will help you steer in the right direction and can help you with time management and budgeting.

Tip #20. Follow other Etsy sellers. By following others, you will not only discover amazing items, but will also create more exposure and an extra link back to your shop.

#Tip 21. Offer free shipping. By offering free shipping, you get extra exposure and promotion on Etsy. That’s how new stores like this jewelry store will get noticed. 

Finally, don't give up and keep trying. Join a team, read Etsy Sellers' blogs, and learn from others who have successful stores on Etsy. Figure out who your target audience is and advertise directly to them. Also, come up with a business plan - writing down your goals and brainstorming on ways to achieve them will help you get where you want to be. Know exactly who your competition is and find a way to make your product more unique and attractive to the potential cutsomers. Also, always look for ways to be more productive and accomplish tasks in less time - "time is money" if you are trying to make money on Etsy :) For example, check your Etsy convos twice a day instead of responding to customer convos as soon as they come in - you will accomplish a lot more in a day if you avoid interruptions.

Also, be sure to keep your operating costs low by buying mailers and craft supplies in bulk - even if you can save $0.50 per mailer, it's the savings you can pass on to your customers. Etsy craft supply shop owners will often give you a discount if you buy 10, 25, or more items at at time. For example, if you make pouches or handbags, you can buy zippers on Etsy at a substantial discount: Zippers wholesale.

You may also like this great Etsy shop tips from Noadi: Etsy Relevancy and how to get noticed.

Etsy Success Stories:

Artists turn discarded items into sought-after art
"Quit your day job" - artists featured on Etsy Blog

Business cards for Etsy shop

Whether you are an owner of an established Etsy shop or someone who is just starting out on Etsy, I think it's important to have business cards for your Etsy shop. I believe that business cards help you appeal more professional. If customers like your products, they may hold on to the card for future reference or even pass it on to a friend. Business cards work wonders if you would like to share personal contact information (your phone or Email) or if you are looking for ways to increase your online presence by gaining new followers on Pinterest, Twitter, or Facebook. And if you need to share an Etsy Coupon code to encourage repeat business, you can do it on the business cards for your Etsy shop as well.

A few weeks ago, I ordered business cards from Vistaprint.com. The company is well-know for offering great deals to new and repeat customers. You can usually get 250 business cards for around $10. Vistaprint offers a limited number of pre-designed templates for free, or you can pay extra to get access to a greater variety of pre-designed cards - simply fill in the contact information for your business, and you are good to go. Also, there's an option to design your own card on Vistaprint site, if you are up for the challenge and don't mind the extra cost. As for the back side of your business card, you can either choose to keep it blank or add value to the card by including a calendar, a tip chart, or a special offer - these options are available for extra cost.

In order to keep my business costs down, I always check Retailmenot website for coupon offers or just Google "vistaprint coupons" to see what I can find. Also, I usually select the slower shipping option to save a few extra bucks. I have ordered cards from Vistaprint at least a dozen times, and I have been happy with how the cards turn out. For the first time, I decided to pay extra to have a matching full-color back side, and I love the way the cards turned out!

I probably could have uploaded my own images and made the business cards a little more Zipper-oriented, but I ran into this design and just had to get it! I do have a thing for buttons :)

Have you ordered business cards from Vistaprint? Or do you prefer to order your business cards elsewhere? Please do leave a comment and let me know you stopped by.

Disclosure: I was not compensated by VistaPrint to recommend their products and services - just using this post as an opportunity to show off my new business cards and give advice to Etsy shop owners looking for business cards for Etsy shop. 

Best zippers

1980's Vintage dress with YKK zipper

I remember playing with a stash of YKK zippers when I was a child. My Mom used to sew a lot, and Ykk zippers were on all of my handmade summer dresses. YKK brand symbol always caught my eye on clothing, bags, luggage, tents, etc. I think, in my mind, YKK equaled Zippers.

If you were to ask me what is the best zippers brand, I would, without a doubt, reply "YKK." And, to tell you the truth, it's not just because I sell the best zippers (Ykk dress and handbag zippers) in my Etsy Zipper shop, but because I honestly believe that YKK makes the most durable, high quality, and very affordable zips. YKK zippers have been around for a long time. The company was founded back in 1936 in Tokyo by a 24 year old entrepreneur Tadao Yoshida. You can learn about the meaning of YKK in my earlier blog post: What does YKK on a zipper mean?

You are probably wondering why I chose the photo of a dress for this post. This is the dress I used to wear when I was little. It was a "hand me down" from my cousins. The dress was made in Belgium by "Carabi." I wonder if they are still in business? I could not find any information about them online.

The dress is more than 30 years old and has been worn by four children. They made some high quality stuff back in the days... Despite the fact that the dress is over 30 years old, it will probably still last at least a little while. It really is in almost perfect shape and looks new. Guess what is the brand of the zipper on this vintage dress? That's right, YKK! You know how kids are not very gentle with their belongings, right? And I know my cousins wore the dress a lot, and I wore the dress quite a bit. It is my favorite dress ever! The dress was recently worn by another little girl and has gone through at least 40-50 laundry cycles in a modern washing machine. The paint on the zipper pull is a little chipped, but other than that, the zipper is in perfect working order!

best zippers!


Carabi vintage dress with YKK zipper

Is it weird to be so excited about a durable long-lasting zipper? Perhaps. But if someone asks me for advice on the best zippers for their sewing needs, I will be happy to recommend YKK. I do have a great story to tell :)

Ykk zippers at wholesale prices

I am sorry it's taken a little while, but, as I promised in the blog post on May 8th, 7 inch dress zippers and 12 inch handbag zippers are back in stock. It's going to be a few days until I list all the zippers, but I will once again be offering YKK zippers at wholesale prices. For now, I am planning to offer 12 inch Handbag zippers and 7 inch assorted zippers only.  In 12 inch size, you will be able to pick your own colors or go with assorted  handbag zipper lots. As for 7 inch dress zippers, there will be 4 options - a 12 zipper assortment of neutral colored zippers, a 14 zipper assortment of bright colored zippers, a 14 zipper assortment of dull and light colored zippers, as well as a 40 zipper assortment that combines the 3 zipper assortments I just mentioned.

As always, you will be getting low prices, good customer service, and timely shipment of the items you purchase. I will be shipping at least 3 times a week, most likely, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Thanks again for your business. I appreciate all your Emails and hope to do business with you again in the future. Have a great weekend and talk to you soon!
Irina @ K & C Supplies on Etsy, offering YKK Zippers at wholesale prices

Update 06/14/2013: I have listed 7 inch dress zippers, and 12, 14, and 40 zipper lots are now available:

Forty 7 inch zipper assortment @ $13.50 plus shipping

Fourteen 7 inch zippers in dimmed colors @ $5.75 plus shipping

Twelve neutral colored 7 inch zippers @ $5.00 plus shipping

Fourteen bright colored 7 inch zippers @ $5.75 plus shipping

Please note that I ship worldwide but can't take any requests to mark packages as "gift." All packages are marked as "merchandise." 

For more information about YKK zippers, please check out All about zippers page of my blog. Some of the topics covered include:

What does "YKK" on a zipper mean? 

Handbag vs Dress zippers

How to measure zipper length

How do you shorten a zipper

Are YKK zippers food safe and safe to use on kids products?

Strawberry smoothie with yogurt and orange juice

This morning, I picked a couple pounds of ripe juicy strawberries at a strawberry patch. Guess what I had for lunch? A strawberry smoothie with yogurt and orange juice. Yumm! It was delicious! Just in case you would like to try out my recipe, I figured I would share it on this blog.

Ingredients:
20 medium to large strawberries (just a little over a pound), 3 cups of ice, 1/3 cup of orange juice (can be substituted with water), a scoop of ice cream (optional), 1 cup of vanilla or strawberry yogurt (I prefer Stonyfield organic yogurt), 7 tablespoons of sugar.

Directions: 
1) Wash strawberries, cut off the green tops. I like to cut strawberries in half, but it's not necessary.
2) Fill blender (I use my Ninja) with 1.5 cups of ice and 1/3 cup of orange juice, blend for 20-30 seconds, until smooth.
3) Add strawberries, a scoop of ice cream, yogurt, and sugar. Blend for another 30 seconds.
4) Add another 1.5 cups of ice and blend until smooth.

Strawberry smoothie with yogurt and orange juice

The strawberry smoothie with yogurt and orange juice is a great low calorie drink that's quick and easy to make. This recipe can be modified to taste. You can add a banana, blueberries, an orange, skip the ice cream, substitute orange juice with water, use more or less ice and sugar. Yields 4+ servings. Enjoy!

7 inch dress zipper assortments and 12 inch handbag zippers will soon be back in stock

7 inch Ykk zippers

Hope you all are doing well. As my zipper inventory is slowly depleting, I am starting to miss the daily routine of working on Etsy - something I got so used to over the 4 years of running my Zipper store. I appreciate everyone's understanding and best wishes as I am searching for a more fulfilling career. The decision to cut down on my inventory was not an easy one, but, at this time, it seems to be the only way to continue towards my career goals. Although I am unable to keep up with a big zipper inventory, I would like to continue to offer 7 inch YKK dress zipper assortments and 12 inch handbag zippers - my most popular zippers. This summer, I will have a little more time to dedicate to my zipper store, and I would like to continue doing business with a limited zipper selection. In a few weeks, I will be offering 7 inch zipper assortments and "pick your own" 12 inch handbag zipper lots. Unfortunately, I will not be able to fill custom orders as they do require more time and a bigger inventory.

Once again, I want to thank my loyal customers for support throughout the years and making K & C Supplies on Etsy a successful small business. I hope you are staying busy and getting lots of orders for Spring and Summer purses, clutches, and zippered pouches. Happy Spring!

❤ IRINA

Easter garland and Easter egg fillers

Certainly feels like Easter is coming early this year, doesn't it? How does your family celebrate Easter? A family and friends get-together, egg dying, and an Easter egg hunt, perhaps? If you are looking for ideas on how to decorate you home for Easter, be sure to check out this very kid-friendly easy to make Easter garland project. Many kids are out of school for good Friday, so you still have two days to make this Easter garland - great way to keep kids occupied and add festive Easter decor to your home.

And if you like to leave things for the last minute (I am the worst offender), you probably have not picked up Easter egg fillers for the Easter egg hunt. Here are some great ideas for Easter egg fillers for kids, just in case you would like to add variety and surprise your kids with small gifts.

I think it's a great idea to include Lego figures and coins in eggs for older children and snacks, mini-stampers, and bath toys for toddlers. 

Stay safe, if you are traveling this Easter, and enjoy plenty of family time. Happy Easter!

How do you shorten a zipper?

Some of my zipper customers ask me:  "How do you shorten a zipper?" Sometimes you want to try a new project, but you don't have the right length zipper on hand. What do you do? You shorten a longer zipper. I have just shortened a 16 inch dress zipper to 13 inch size, and it only took me a few minutes.

Here is a list of the supplies you will need to shorten a zipper:

1) a measuring tape

2) a pencil

3) a pair of scissors

4) a needle and thread matching the color of the zipper

  As you probably already know, a zipper is measured by the length of the zipper coil, from the top zipper stops to the zipper stop at the bottom of the zipper (you may find this information  How to measure a zipper length helpful). In order to shorten my 16 inch zipper to a 13 inch size, I used a measuring tape, measured around 13 3/16 inches, and marked the spot with a pencil.  I then cut off the bottom portion of the zipper, leaving around 3/4 of an inch for seam allowance.

Then I used matching orange thread to whipstitch tightly across the zipper coil, working my way up (hence the extra 3/16 inches I measured off). If you are using a single threaded needle, you will need around 20 to 25 stitches for the DIY zipper stop. 10 to 12 stitches should be enough, if you are using a doulbe threaded needle. You can also use your sewing machine to speed up the process. The zipper stop doesn't need to be wide, but in my example, I created a zipper stop that resembles the original metal zipper stop. The zipper stop can be later covered up with a fabric tab (see an example of fabric tabs at Red Pepper Quilts blog).

 This is how the shortened 13 inch zipper turned out. The zipper stop is a good barrier and prevents the zipper pull from sliding down. Hope this tutorial "How do you shorten a zipper" is helpful to some of you. Please let me know if you have any questions. Have a very fruitful day!

Other Articles you may be interested in:
Etsy shop tips
Hat sewing patterns

Photo Canvas for only $10

Hi there! I ran into this deal today and just had to share it on my blog. I am a big fan of photo canvas. I already have 3 of them in my house - two  8x10 and one 11x17, all 3 with great family pictures on them. Whenever I have guests over at my house, I get complements on the photo display. Even though I used some great coupons, I ended up paying between $20 and $40 for each piece. So this deal from York Photo - $10 for an 8x10 photo canvas  - is a real steal! Also, upon registration, you can get 40 photo prints free. Can't really get much better than that.


The same company is offering custom pillowcases with photos of your child for only $5 (regular price $21.99). What a cool gift idea for kids!


For more gift ideas for toddlers, be sure to visit these gift guides:

Best gifts for 2 year old girls
Best toys for 3 year olds
Best gifts for 4 year old girls
Best gifts for 4 year old boys

Creativity Quote by Maya Angelou

An Inspirational Quote to help you accomplish more today:

Etsy Treasury is a great promotional tool

It's always exciting to see our zippers featured in an Etsy treasury. If you are not familiar with Etsy treasury, it's a promotional tool for Etsy Shop owners. Basically, it's a Pinterest type tool that lets you pull images with links to other items sold on Etsy. I believe Etsy has rules about how many of your own items you can feature, so if you have an Etsy shop and are thinking about making an Etsy treasury, be sure to check into it. After you create an Etsy treasury, you can convo your fellow Etsy shop owners letting them know that their items are featured. That's a way to attract at least 15 people to your treasury. The treasury also creates an extra link to your store and will probably generate a few extra likes and visits to your Shop. The treasury can be promoted on a number of different sites - you can share it on Facebook, Twitter, blog, bookmark it, etc. And just in case you happen to include our zippers in your treasury, K & C supplies offers a 10% discount to thank you: TREASURY10 coupon code.
In case you are wondering where I get the widget that allows me to post the Etsy treasury on my blog, it's from Craftcult.

Early Spring Flowers - Crocus

Image Source: ©Copyright 2013 Zippers. All rights reserved. 

Some Northern States of the US might still have a few weeks of cold weather left, but here, on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, Spring is starting to show itself off. The groundhog's prediction of early Spring is coming true :) The mild weather on the Outer Banks was a treat this winter. Sure, we had a few weeks of cold weather, but we also had plenty of 50°F to  65°F days. And now we are excited about the early onset of Spring and the early Spring flowers. The crocuses in the photo featured in this post are blooming in our front yard! To be honest with you, I had very little hope that these beautiful flowers would ever see the light of the day. I bought crocus bulbs in late November or early December at a 75% discount at Home Depot and only paid $2 or $3 for around 50 of them. It was around a month past the "plant by" date, so I planted the bulbs, watered them, and pretty much forgot about them for a couple months until recently, when, to my complete amazement, I noticed these yellow and purple crocuses. What a wonderful Spring surprise!

I wish I had some great gardening tips to share, but the only tip I have for an inexperienced gardener like myself is to plant early Spring flowers in the fall in an area where they can get at least 6 hours of direct sun.

We have been truly enjoying watching these beautiful crocuses grow and bloom. I think at least 40 of the 50 bulbs I planted produced flowers. What a treat! Happy Early Spring!