Today, I am going to show how to add snaps to the crotch of a leotard. It is the perfect project for you if a little girl, or even a big girl, is going to be wearing a leotard all day. With snaps in the crotch, the dancer does not need to undress every time they need to use the restroom. Instead, she can just unsnap the leotard from the bottom. So, if you want to find out how to add snaps to the bottom of a leotard, this demonstration is for you.
Supplies:
- Leotard
- Small scraps of Lycra, (Preferably
to Match Leotard) - Pronged Snaps (the kind that are
applied with special pliers) - Snap Pliers, Eyelet/Snap Punch
or Snap Attaching Tool - Thread to match leotard
- Straight pins, if desired
- Scissors
Directions:
- Choosing Your Materials
Obviously, your first choice is going to be the leotard. The process of attaching snaps works on any leotard.
Next, you will need to choose the material that you will add to the crotch. Although I like the feel and stretch of Lycra, it can be almost any material you want. Some people prefer the stretch quality of Lycra and some prefer a material that does not stretch at all. The material does not necessarily have to match the leotard but if there is any chance that it could be seen, the material should match. One of the most important things to remember is that this material will be added to the crotch so you want to use a material that is not too thick and is not scratchy. Otherwise, it could be very uncomfortable for the dancer.
The type of snaps is also important. There are many types of snaps. There are snaps that you sew on, pronged snaps and magnetic snaps. For this project, I suggest using the pronged snaps. If applied properly (with the prongs going through the material and into the backing), they are the most probably the most reliable. They are not difficult to apply to the material at all. I definitely would not use the magnetic snaps. While the magnetic snaps might be just fine, I am not sure I trust that they would stay closed during the constant movement when the dancer is dancing. Of course, if you use the pronged snaps, you will need a tool to attach them. There are at least three different kinds of tools – there are the snap pliers, the eyelet/snap punch, and the snap attaching tool. If this is definitely a one-time use, the snap attaching tool will probably be sufficient. Otherwise, I would suggest the snap pliers or the eyelet/snap punch. If you are planning on making more costumes, you might want to consider the versatility of the eyelet/snap punch which will allow you to attach snaps and also to attach eyelets. Whichever tool you choose, you need to make sure that it will work with the snaps that you have chosen. You can also purchase snaps on fabric tape. While the application of snaps on tape is easy, it is not very versatile. The spacing between the snaps is a standard spacing and may not work with the width of the dancer’s crotch since that is not a standard width by any means.
When apply snaps to the crotch of a leotard, the appearance of the snaps will not be that important a consideration since they will not really be visible. It does not really matter if they are covered snaps or ring snaps. Ring snaps are easy to recognize because they appear as just the outline of a circle on the fabric. They could be plastic or metal. If you choose the ring snaps, you would need to choose between the white, silver or black ring snaps. If you choose the covered snaps, you will also have a variety of color choices. Covered snaps are a solid circle in appearance much like a shank button that has no visible holes. The metal covered snaps come in the standard silver, white and black. But there are also plastic covered snaps which come in a myriad of colors and, of course, the pearl covered snaps. As far as functionality, any of them should work. However, if you have any question in your mind as to the best snap to use, you may want to discuss it with a clerk at the fabric store. Most likely you would want to choose the plain, metal ring snaps since aesthetics will not be important in this case and they will definitely be strong.
- Extending the Crotch
For the purposes of illustration, I have two leotards here. I have already covered one in lace and that is the one I am using for the demonstration. I have already cut the crotch out and it is ready to go. The second leotard is just to show you where to cut the leotard to accommodate the snaps.
The first step is to cut out the seam at the crotch of the leotard. It is does not matter that you will most likely going to cut away some of the fabric of the leotard because you will be adding a piece of material in the crotch that is going to give the crotch a little extra length. Just cut the seam out of the crotch of the leotard by cutting right up next to the seam on both sides of the seam. I have already opened up the seam on the leotard with lace.
The next step is to measure how wide the open crotch on the front of the leotard is. The front of this leotard measures at 4 inches wide at the crotch. I have a small piece of Lycra that I will be using to extend the pieces at the crotch. It does not have to be Lycra, I just like the feel and stretch of Lycra. Next, I am going to cut a strip of the Lycra that is 3 inches wide and about 5 inches long. I am folding the Lycra strip in half lengthwise and will stitch the ends using a 3/8 inch seam. Next, I am going to miter the folded end of the seams on the outside of the seam by trimming it at an angle and then trim the seams slightly. This miter allows you to have a nice corner when it is turned inside out and trimming the seam takes away excess bulk which can cause the crotch of the leotard to be uncomfortable.
Now, I am going to fold the Lycra inside out creating a long pouch with the seams inside of the pouch and gently prodding the material at the inside of the corners. Matching the raw edge of the “pouch” to the bottom opening of the crotch, I can see if the pouch matches up to the opening. If it is too big, I can just unfold it, sew a new seam slightly inside of the present seam – just enough to make it match the opening, trim that seam again and turn the “pouch” inside out. Once the open end of the “pouch” matches the open end of the crotch, I can sew it to the bottom of the leotard.
Place the “pouch” on top of the front of the leotard with the raw edges of the pouch matching up to the outside of the leotard. Using a straight stitch, sew that pouch to the leotard. Then either overlock or zigzag the raw edge. When folded down, you will see that you have created an extension to the front of the leotard.
Repeat this process on the back of the leotard.
- Apply the Snaps
You will now have extended both the front and the back of the leotard. So, it is time to apply the snaps. You will notice that there are both male and female sides to the snaps. Attach the male snaps to the “extension” on front side of the leotard making sure that the male “part” is on the inside of the leotard. Unless your dancer is very small, you will most likely use three snaps. Start with the middle snap, then place one on each end of the extension spacing them evenly across the extended portion of the leotard. Attach the female snaps to the extension on the back side of the leotard. In this case, you will want the female “part” to face the outside of the leotard. It is important to carefully match the placement of the female side of the snaps to the placement of the male snaps so that they will align properly. When the snaps are attached, the back of the leotard will go underneath the front of the leotard and if the female snaps are not facing the right way, they will not snap together. Before attaching the female snaps, double check to make sure that they line up and that they face the outside. Once they are attached, they are hard to remove without tearing the material.
Now you have a leotard that is much easy to wear and use when you have to wear it for a long period of time. As you can see, this is a very easy project.
