Putting Zipper Slides on Zipper Tape By The Yard
 

I bought a few yards of zipper tape and matching slides because I was making some quilted pillows and it seemed cheaper than buying individual zippers. I'm rethinking that now. It's close to impossible to get the slides on the tape. I've looked at all of the YouTube videos on the subject. One tells you to use a fork, another tells you to take off a wide swath of zipper teeth and a third says just put the slide on the zipper tape and pull. My fingers and arms are killing me! Does anyone have an easy way to do this?

I had a roll of this a long time ago to make a cover for a giant piece of foam for a window seat. I think I moved the slide up and cut below it and secured that part down. And then treated it like a regular zipper

I clip the tape end off about 1/2 inch and leave the teeth. Make sure the brand of zipper tape and the zipper pulls match. It seems, they don't work across different brands.

Have you seen these tutorials?

https://www.sailrite.com/how-to-install-zipper-slider

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_Wd6Bq4Vf0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7tG3xtV_Sk

Honestly - It's like so many other things we do...practice...practice...practice. I started out using a fork secured in a small table top vice but now I don't use anything. There are lots (and LOTS) of videos and gadgets to help you along...but truthfully...like I said...it's mostly practice. Keep trying different methods and one will work eventually. The number 5 zippers are easier to start with (they're larger) but once you get it you can even change the pulls on small skirt zippers to suit your fancy. Sometimes I take the zipper pulls off and put 2 different color zippers together with an entirely different zipper pull color. Have fun...don't get discouraged. You'll get it.

I found it helpful to line up he two pieces of zipper tape and then line up the pull on the tape, then grasp both sides of the tape with one hand (at the bottom) and gently pull the pull . Sometimes I have to wiggle the pull back and forth, but usually it grabs and goes. Hope this helps.

I have a tool from gypsy quilter that makes it easy to get the zipper head on. It's called the Zipper Jig Gypsy Purple

https://www.gypsyquilter.com/category/notions/TGQ119

Thanks. I'm going to be using these for the first time. It's good to know there's a tool that helps.