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How To Sew an Invisible / Concealed Zipper Neatly (+ Video)

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An invisible zipper allows you to sew a completely hidden zip inside a seam. There is no visible stitching on the outside of the project. It’s normally used in the center backs or side seams of garments like dresses, skirts, trousers, jumpsuits, and tops; pillows and cushions; and bags.

I’ll show you step-by-step instructions to sew an invisible zipper using the dedicated invisible zipper foot, how to hand sew it if you’re working with delicate fabrics, how to finish the top of the zip with a facing, and how to sew the zip without an invisible zipper foot. This comprehensive guide includes tips to achieve a neat finish and video clips of every step – ideal for beginners.

List of contents:

What is an invisible zipper foot?

An invisible zipper foot allows you to easily sew invisible zippers very close to the teeth, giving you a neat zip that’s completely hidden inside the seam. It’s flat on the top with a hole in the middle, and it features two grooves on the bottom. These grooves are designed to fit over the zipper teeth so that the needle always goes into the zipper tape through the correct spot.

How to install it on your sewing machine?

  1. Start by removing the existing presser foot on your machine. On my machine (a Pfaff Ambition 630), this is done by simply pushing the presser foot down, but on some machines, you may need to pull the presser foot release lever to drop the existing foot or even use a screwdriver to release the foot from the ankle.
  2. Next, position the invisible zipper foot under the ankle and lower the ankle to the foot, until it snaps into place.
  3. Alternatively, you can push the foot up to snap it into place.

Machine settings

  • Set your sewing machine to a straight stitch with a length of 2.5 mm. Depending on the weight of your fabric you may want to adjust your stitch length. Try 2 mm for lightweight fabrics and 3 or 3.5 mm for heavyweight fabrics.
  • When using an invisible zipper foot, keep your needle in the center position to make sure the needle goes through the hole in the middle of the foot. You can very slightly adjust the stitch width / needle position to get closer to the zipper teeth, but always check that your needle isn’t hitting the foot itself by turning the handwheel towards yourself.

How to prepare your fabric and zipper for sewing:

How to prepare the invisible zipper

This step will allow you to stitch much closer to the zipper teeth and help you achieve a more invisible look.

  1. Set your iron to a low to medium heat setting. Using too high of a heat will melt the plastic teeth of your invisible zipper. 
  2. Unzip your invisible zipper. 
  3. Using your fingers, gently roll the zipper teeth away from the tape and press this fold open using the very tip of your iron. 
  4. Repeat for the entire length of your zipper on both sides. 

How to prepare the main fabric pieces

  1. Apply a strip of lightweight fusible interfacing to the wrong side of your fabric, along the edges where the zipper will be sewn. 
    • Its length should be a little longer than your invisible zipper. 
    • You can either use a strip that’s a little wider than your seam allowance and align it with the raw edge of your fabric, 
    • or you can use a ⅜” (10 mm) wide strip and center it on the seam line.
  2. Finish the raw edges of your fabric where the zipper will be sewn. You can use a serger/overlocker machine, a faux overlock or zigzag stitch on your sewing machine, pinking shears, or binding depending on the weight of your fabric and the type of project you’re working on.
  3. If you’re working with a wider seam allowance, I recommend drawing the seam line so you can line up the zipper teeth to that exact position.

How to prepare the facing pieces

  • Apply interfacing to the wrong side of the facing pieces. 
  • Finish the bottom raw edge of the facings using your preferred method. Your options include doing a small hem, using a serger/overlocker machine, a zigzag stitch, applying bias binding, or sewing the facing to the interfacing right sides together, and then flipping the interfacing to the wrong side and fusing it for an extra clean finish.

How to sew an invisible zipper (with an invisible zipper foot):

This tutorial will walk you through how to sew an invisible zipper to two pieces of fabric using an invisible zipper foot and a sewing machine. The invisible zipper foot makes it really easy to achieve beautiful results with an invisible zipper, but if you don’t have one just skip to the next tutorials to find alternatives.

Uses

  • Adding a hidden closure to:
    • center backs or side seams of garments like dresses, skirts, trousers, jumpsuits, and tops,
    • home textiles like cushions and pillows,
    • accessories like bags and pouches
  • Sewing hidden zippered compartments

Supplies

  • Invisible zipper
  • Invisible zipper foot
  • Regular zipper foot
  • Two pieces of fabric (prepared according to the preparation steps above)
  • Matching all-purpose thread
  • Iron
  • Hand sewing needle and thread for basting or Wondertape (optional)

Step-by-step instructions

  1. Start by unzipping your invisible zipper and laying it in front of you with the right side of the zipper (with only the zipper pull showing) facing up. Lay the two pieces of fabric that will be joined by the zipper on either side of the zipper, with the right sides facing up.
  2. Next, you’ll pin the zipper to the fabric to get it ready for sewing. It’s easy to make a mistake here, so double-check that everything is facing the correct direction. Pick up one side of the zipper and rotate it 180 degrees so that it falls onto the fabric piece to its side. The right sides of the zipper and the fabric should now be touching, and the zipper teeth should be facing the rest of the fabric rather than the edge of the fabric. Pin into place, and repeat for the other side. You’ll notice that you won’t be able to pin the zipper to the fabric all the way down because of the zipper pull at the bottom. This is perfectly normal, just leave that section for now.
  3. Once you make sure that the zipper is correctly pinned into place, temporarily secure the zipper to the fabric using some Wondertape (it’s a double-sided tape that can be stitched through and that dissolves in water) or some hand basting. At this point, make sure that the zipper teeth are laying on the stitching line of your garment (meaning they follow whatever seam allowance you’re using for your garment).
  4. Install your invisible zipper foot and adjust your machine settings accordingly. Place the fabric under the presser foot, making sure the zipper teeth slot into one of the grooves under the invisible zipper foot. Take a few stitches and backstitch to lock your stitches into place. As you’re sewing, roll the zipper teeth out so that you’re sewing right next to them. Just like with the previous steps, you won’t be able to sew all the way down due to the zipper pull at the bottom. Stitch as close as you can get to the pull without changing the position of the zipper on the fabric, and backstitch. 
  5. Repeat the previous step (Step 4) on the other side of the zipper.
  6. Once you’re done sewing the zipper, zip it up to check that the pull is moving smoothly along the zipper teeth and that the teeth aren’t showing on the outside. If you can’t easily zip the zipper up, you’ll want to stitch about 1-2 mm further away from the zipper teeth. If the teeth are showing on the outside, you’ll want to stitch even closer to the zipper teeth.
  7. If you’re happy with how your zipper is looking, it’s time to close the remaining part of the seam. Switch to a regular zipper foot and choose a straight stitch with a length of 2.5 mm. Starting from the bottom edge of your fabric, sew right on your designated stitching line until you meet up with the stitches you previously sewed. Here it’s important to maintain the same seam allowance you used when you were sewing the zipper to the fabric, and to stop exactly where the other stitching line begins. As you’re nearing the bottom of the zipper, make sure you push it out of the way so that you don’t catch it in your stitching. Backstitch at the beginning and the end.
  8. Turn your work over to check if there’s any puckering near the base of the zipper. The zipper should perfectly disappear into the rest of the seam without any wrinkles or pulling. If everything looks correct, press the seam allowances open.

How to sew an invisible zipper by hand and achieve a couture finish:

Some fabrics and projects call for extra care when installing an invisible zipper, so it’s great to know how to hand-sew an invisible zipper into place. If you’re using really delicate or slippery fabrics like silk or velvet, working with textured fabrics like lace or embroidered specialty fabrics, or working with multiple layers featuring overlays, I’d strongly recommend giving hand sewing the zipper a go. While sewing the zipper by machine can cause the layers to shift and crush certain fabrics, with hand sewing you’ll have good control over the positions of the different materials and where your stitches go. 

In this tutorial, I’ll show you how to baste the zipper into place for the perfect preparation, how to permanently hand sew the zipper into place, and how to finish the raw edges of the seam allowances and the zipper tape for a couture finish. This technique is perfect for bridalwear, formal dresses, and special projects requiring a little extra care.

Uses

  • Adding a hidden closure to garments made out of delicate, slippery, textured, or specialty fabrics.

Supplies

  • Two pieces of fabric (the edge should be interfaced, but you can leave the raw edges unfinished)
  • Invisible zipper
  • Standard presser foot
  • Matching all-purpose thread
  • Cotton and/or contrasting thread for basting
  • Hand sewing needle (a shorter one for permanent stitches and a longer one for basting)
  • Iron
  • Beeswax
  • Bias binding

Step-by-step instructions

  1. Lay the two pieces of fabric that will be joined by the zipper in front of you. Unzip your zipper and place one side onto the fabric with the right sides touching. The zipper teeth should be facing away from the center edge of the fabric, and they should be directly on top of the stitching line. Pin into place.
  2. Using a long hand sewing needle and some cotton basting thread, baste the zipper onto the fabric using diagonal stitches starting from the top. If you feel like your zipper is securely held in place, you can stop here. If you want to make sure the zipper is very well secured into place, you can continue stitching diagonally in the opposite direction, forming X-shaped basting stitches. Be careful not to stitch too closely to the zipper teeth as you’ll need access to this area in the next step.
  3. Close the zipper and mark any important points the zipper is going through on the other side of the zipper tape. Examples include marking the position of any intersecting seams such as the waist seam of a dress, the top edge, key points of the pattern if you’re using a patterned fabric, and so on. These register points will help ensure that the two sides of your garment perfectly match up once the zipper is sewn and zipped up.
  4. Unzip the zipper and pin the other side of the zipper to the second side of the fabric with the right sides touching. Make sure that your zipper isn’t twisted at this point. Just like the first side, the teeth should be facing the rest of the garment and following the stitching line. Use the register points you marked in the previous step to correctly position the zipper on the fabric.
  5. Repeat Step 2 to baste the second side of the zipper to the fabric. 
  6. Close the zipper to see if the two sides of your garment correctly match up.
  7. Thread some all-purpose thread to a short hand sewing needle, and run it through beeswax. Melt the wax onto the thread using a hot, dry iron or the warmth from your hands.
  8. Starting from the top of the zipper, sew the tape to the fabric right in the crease between the zipper teeth and the tape. Roll the teeth away from the tape as you’re sewing to get as close as you can to the teeth for an invisible finish. You can either use a short prick stitch or a short back stitch to securely sew the zipper into place. When you reach the end, secure the thread in a knot and cut it off.
    • For the prick stitch, come up from under the fabric, and go back in a couple of threads behind where you came up. Come back up ⅛” – ¼” (3-6 mm) away from your previous stitch. Repeat until the end. Your stitches should look like tiny dots on the right side of the fabric, and a solid line on the back side.
    • For the back stitch, come up from under the fabric, and go back in ⅛” – ¼” (3-6 mm) behind where you came up. Come back up ⅛” – ¼” (3-6 mm) away from the first point you came up, and go back in at that original point. Repeat until the end. Your stitches should form a solid line on both sides of the fabric.
  9. Repeat Step 8 on the other side of the zipper.
  10. Close the zipper to check it zips up smoothly and that the two sides are still matching perfectly. If you’re happy with the stitching, remove your hand-basting stitches.
  11. You will now close the remaining part of the seam. You can either use hand-sewn back stitches or your sewing machine to complete this seam. I love using a hand-sewn back stitch for this step as it allows me to get really close to the end of the previous stitching line without causing any puckers. 
  12. Press the seam allowance open.
  13. Trim the excess seam allowances to be the same width as your zipper tape. Using bias binding made out of a lightweight material or some binding tape, bind the raw edges of the fabric and the zipper tape together for a beautiful finish on the inside of your garment.

Tips

If you’re sewing the zip to fabric with different thicknesses at different points (i.e. if there’s an overlay in one section of the fabric, or if there’s a waist seam in the middle of the zipper etc.), you’ll want to sew ever so slightly further away from the zipper teeth in these areas to make sure your zipper can open and close smoothly.

How to sew an invisible zipper with a regular zipper foot or standard zig-zag presser foot:

If you don’t have an invisible zipper foot but you still want to use your sewing machine to sew your invisible zipper, you can also use a regular zipper foot or a standard (zig zag) presser foot. I recommend experimenting with both options to see which one you prefer: Some people like using a zipper foot to get closer to the teeth, while others find that a regular presser foot flattens the teeth and helps them get nearer to the teeth. I’ll show you how both options perform so you can see the difference.

Uses

  • Adding a hidden closure to:
    • center backs or side seams of garments like dresses, skirts, trousers, jumpsuits, and tops,
    • home textiles like cushions and pillows,
    • accessories like bags and pouches
  • Sewing hidden zippered compartments

Supplies

  • Invisible zipper
  • Regular zipper foot 
  • Standard zig-zag presser foot
  • Two pieces of fabric (prepared according to the preparation steps above)
  • Matching all-purpose thread
  • Iron
  • Hand sewing needle and thread for basting or Wondertape (optional)

Step-by-step instructions

  1. Start by unzipping your invisible zipper and laying it in front of you with the right side of the zipper (with only the zipper pull showing) facing up. Lay the two pieces of fabric that will be joined by the zipper on either side of the zipper, with the right sides facing up.
  2. Next, you’ll pin the zipper to the fabric to get it ready for sewing. Pick up one side of the zipper and rotate it 180 degrees so that it falls onto the fabric piece to its side. The right sides of the zipper and the fabric should now be touching, and the zipper teeth should be facing the rest of the fabric rather than the edge of the fabric. Pin into place, and repeat for the other side. 
  3. Once you make sure that the zipper is correctly pinned into place, temporarily secure the zipper to the fabric using some Wondertape or some hand-basting. At this point, make sure that the zipper teeth are laying on the stitching line of your garment.
  4. Put on your regular zipper foot or your standard presser foot and adjust the stitch width so that the needle is going into the zipper tape right next to the zipper teeth. 
    1. If you’re using a zipper foot, the body of the zipper foot should be facing away from the zipper teeth. Meaning, if you’re sewing the left side of your invisible zipper, you should put the zipper foot on its left position and vice versa so that you can get close to the teeth without any obstruction.
    2. If you’re using a regular presser foot, half of the foot will be pressing the zipper teeth down. Make sure you roll the zipper teeth out as they are going under the presser foot. 
  5. Starting at the top of the zipper, sew right next to the teeth until you reach the zipper pull at the bottom. Get as close as you can to the bottom without changing the position of the zipper tape. Backstitch at the beginning and the end. Repeat on the other side.
  6. Close your zipper to see if the zipper pull moves easily along the teeth, and that the teeth and tape aren’t showing on the right side of your project.
  7. Using a zipper foot, sew from the bottom of the fabric up until you meet the previous stitching line. Follow your original seam allowance, and get as close as you can to the end of the previous stitching without overlapping.
  8. Turn your work over to check that everything is looking smooth with no puckers. Once you’re happy with it, press the seam allowances open.

How to finish the top raw edge of a zipper with a facing:

If you’re sewing a garment like an unlined top or dress, or a skirt or trousers without a waistband, you’ll most likely use a facing to finish the top edge of the fabric. If your project includes an invisible zipper closure, you’ll need to take a few extra steps to create a clean finish around the top of your zipper. In this tutorial, we’ll start with an invisible zipper already sewn using one of the three tutorials above, and continue from there to see how a facing is applied to finish the top raw edge of the fabric and the zipper tape. With this technique, the facing will be totally cleared from the zipper teeth, meaning you won’t experience any pulling or snagging when you’re trying to open or close the zipper.

You can also use this technique for sewing a lining to your garment. You’ll follow the exact same steps, except your facing pieces will be replaced with much longer lining pieces.

Uses

  • Finishing the top edge of the fabric and the zipper tape of unlined garments like tops, dresses, jumpsuits, and skirts and trousers without waistbands.

Supplies

  • Two pieces of fabric (prepared according to the preparation steps above)
  • Two facing pieces (interfaced, with the bottom edges finished)
  • Invisible zipper
  • Invisible zipper foot
  • Standard presser foot
  • Matching all-purpose thread
  • Iron
  • Hand sewing needle and thread for basting or Wondertape (optional)

Step-by-step instructions

  1. Start with your invisible zipper already sewn to your garment. The only thing you need to pay attention to is that the top stopper of the zipper is positioned about 1” (2.5 cm) down from the top raw edge of your fabric so that there’s enough room for the facing.
  2. Trim ½” (12 mm) off from the center back edges of your facing pieces. 
  3. Snip into the top edge of your main fabric at the seam allowance, which in my case is ⅜” (10 mm).
  4. Unfold the center back seam allowance of your garment, where the zipper tape is sewn. Align the raw center back edge of the facing with the center back edge of the main fabric. The right side of the facing should be facing down. Pin.
  5. Sew a scant ¼” (about 5 mm) seam allowance along the center back edges.
  6. Fold your fabric back at the snip you made in Step 3 with the right sides of the garment and the facing touching each other. The top edges of the garment and the facing should perfectly match up. Pin along the top edges.
  7. Sew along the top edge at a ⅝” (16 mm) seam allowance.
  8. Turn your facing right sides out to check if the top corners are perfectly aligned. If one side is higher than the other, stitch a little further down to even them out.
  9. Trim and grade your seam allowances. Start by trimming both layers to about ⅜” (10 mm). Next, trim the seam allowance of the facing layer to about half its width. Clip into the seam allowance every ⅜” (10 mm) or so if you’re working with a curved piece (like a neckline facing).
  10. Turn the facing right side out, making sure to poke the corner out. Give everything a good press, gently rolling the facing towards the wrong side so that it doesn’t show on the right side.

Troubleshooting problems:

I can’t easily open or close my zipper after sewing it into place.

Try stitching about 1/16” (1-2 mm) further away from the zipper teeth. If your stitching is too close to the teeth, the zipper pull may be getting stuck by the stitching.

Too much of the zipper tape is showing on the right side of my fabric.

You need to stitch a little closer to the zipper teeth. Try thoroughly ironing the zipper before sewing it into place, rolling the teeth out with your hand as you’re sewing it, and making sure the needle is positioned in a way that’s very close to the zipper teeth.

There is some puckering at the base of my zipper.

When you’re closing the remaining part of the seam, make sure you don’t catch the zipper tape at the very bottom of the zipper and don’t overlap the stitching lines. Either stop right at the point where the previous stitching ends, or sew ⅜” (10 mm) past that point right next to the previous stitching, without overlapping it.

The top edges / the waist seam on either side don’t match up.

Hand-baste the zipper into place, or use some Wondertape before you permanently sew the zipper to your fabric. Close the zipper after you baste it to make sure the top edges and the waist seams are perfectly aligned.

The fabric around the zipper is rippled or wrinkled.

This is caused when the zipper tape is stretched out over the fabric as the machine is sewing the two layers. You’ll see that the fabric is slightly gathered around the stitching connecting it to the zipper. To prevent this, it’s important that you pin, baste, or tape the zipper to the fabric in a secure way without stretching any of the layers. Both materials should be perfectly flat and relaxed as you temporarily attach them together.

Quick Q&A’s:

Do I need a special foot to sew an invisible zipper?

An invisible zipper foot makes it really easy to achieve neat results because you can sew closer to the teeth, but you can also use a regular zipper foot or a standard zig-zag presser foot if you don’t have an invisible zipper foot. It will be slightly harder to sew close to the teeth so some of the zipper tape may show on your final project, creating a less “invisible” finish.

How do you sew an invisible zipper on stretchy fabric?

Prepare the fabric by applying some knit interfacing to the area where the zipper will be sewn. Hand-baste the zipper first to make sure there are no ripples in the garment. Then just follow the first tutorial to permanently sew the zipper into place. Make sure you don’t stretch the fabric as you’re sewing the zipper, or you’ll see some unwanted gathering and bunching in the final result. 

How much seam allowance do you need for an invisible zipper?

You need at least ⅜” (10 mm) wide seam allowances for sewing an invisible zipper, but you can go as wide as you want to. If you’re using a wider seam allowance, I recommend drawing or thread-marking the stitch line so you can position your zipper correctly. 

Can any zipper be an invisible zipper?

No, invisible zippers are produced in a specific way that hides the zipper teeth at the back of the zipper. You won’t achieve a concealed zipper look with a regular zipper even if you follow the tutorials above and use an invisible zipper foot.

Is a lapped zipper the same as an invisible zipper?

No. A lapped zipper installation features a flap of fabric that folds over a regular zipper to hide it from view, while an invisible zipper is sewn directly between two pieces of fabric.

Can you cut the top of an invisible zipper?

Yes, but you’ll need to secure the top by stitching over it so that you don’t accidentally pull the zipper pull off. I find that it’s easier to shorten an invisible zipper from the bottom, so I recommend trying that instead to be on the safe side. To do so, you just need to sew a few stitches around the zipper teeth where you’d like the new bottom stop to be. You can use a few quick hand stitches or a machine-sewn zigzag stitch to form the new bottom stop.

Can an invisible zipper be sewn in like a regular zipper?

Yes, but the results may look strange depending on which technique you use. Invisible zippers are unique because they have their teeth at the back, not on the front of the tape, so they’re designed to be sewn using specific invisible zipper methods.

How does an invisible zipper foot work?

An invisible zipper foot has two grooves on the bottom. The zipper teeth slot into these grooves, allowing the foot to stay perfectly in position as you sew.

Invisible zipper foot vs regular zipper foot?

A regular zipper foot has cut-outs on the right and left that allow you to get closer to the zipper teeth without the body of the zipper foot interfering. An invisible zipper foot doesn’t have these cutouts, it looks more like a standard presser foot with a hole in the middle for the needle to go in. While the bottom of a regular zipper foot is flat, an invisible zipper foot features two grooves on its bottom. This is where the teeth slide through.

Can you sew the invisible zipper in without ironing it? 

Yes, but ironing it will allow you to sew much closer to the zipper teeth and achieve a more hidden look. If you’re using an invisible zipper foot or hand sewing the zipper, you can experiment with skipping the ironing, but if you’re using a regular zipper foot or standard zig-zag presser foot I recommend always ironing it.

What to read next:

This article was written by Nisan Aktürk and edited by Sara Maker.

Nisan Aktürk (author)
Nisan started her sewing journey in December 2019 and already has a fully handmade wardrobe. She’s made 50+ trousers, 20+ buttoned shirts, and a wide array of coats, jackets, t-shirts, and jeans. She’s currently studying for her Sociology Master’s degree and is writing a thesis about sewing. So she spends a lot of her time either sewing or thinking/writing about sewing! Read more…

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