Broken Pin Zippers for Bobby
If you have something fastened together with a zipper that doesn’t need to be fastened together – whatever it is, for whatever reason – a broken bobby pin can be a great stitch removal tool.
Yes, I know that in most cases (for example, if you open the package) you will need scissors to cut off the zipper. But there are a few situations in which you may not have a pair of scissors on hand, and a few situations in which you may need a tool that you can easily hide in your hand.
This is where the hair clip comes in . Director and director Ava DuVernay recently shared a TikTok video from maikocosplay showing how it’s done:
Here’s how to do it yourself:
- Wear a hair clip in your hair, or carry it in your pocket if you don’t like styling hair clips.
- When you find something that has not been properly tied with the zipper, remove the barrette from your hair and start bending the flat end back and forth until it breaks. (This may take a while. Continue.)
- If you have a broken hairpin, insert the broken flat end into the zipper so that it presses the tab holding the tie in place. This frees up the rest of the tie, which can then be pulled out.
- If you see other people encountering uncomfortable zippers, pass a bobby pin and / or offer help.
If you don’t have a hair clip on hand or don’t want to take the time to break it, a paper clip will work too. Lifehacker’s Beth Skoreki tested both methods, as you can see in the following video:
Skvaretsky also said that while she did not have a long enough zip tie to wrap anything over a couple of inches in diameter, she was able to unfasten the zipper by placing her hands behind her back.
You may find yourself in a similar situation just in case.
UPDATE. Knowing how to remove zippers is a useful skill, but in some cases, removing zippers can be more dangerous than people think. Be careful before removing the ties and ask yourself if it is worth risking any of the consequences you may have.
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