Setting Snaps - How to Set Snaps (4 Types)

Learn all about setting snaps. Snaps can be used for shirts, bags, kids' clothing, and all kinds of sewing projects. They are a great alternative to sewing buttons and buttonholes and are perfectly suited to beginners. Here we will learn how to set 4 types of snaps suitable for fabric and leather.

Types of Setting Snaps

Snaps come in different sizes and colors and differ in their method of setting. The bigger snaps are useful for thicker fabrics such as denim and leather, and smaller snaps look more discrete on lighter fabrics. Snaps come with two parts that ‘snap’ or pop together.

There are 4 methods of settings snaps that I will discuss

Pronged Snaps - Best for thin to medium-weight fabric.
Metal Snaps - Best for thick denim and leather.
Kam Snaps - Plastic snaps are best for kids and baby nappies and clothing.
Sew in Snaps - Best for thin to medium-weight fabric and knitted items.

Other names for snaps - You may see snaps referred to as press studs, gripper studs, poppers, press fasteners, or any combination of these.

How to Line Up a Snap

Regardless of the type of stud, you will need to line up the top and bottom pieces. Set the top snap in place first, then rub a bit of tailor's chalk on the inside and press it over to the other piece of fabric. The chalk that rubs off will mark the exact spot for the other half. SNAP it is a perfect match!

Setting Snaps - 4 Types

1. Setting Snaps with Prongs

These snap fasteners have small prongs on the back and front that goes through the weave of the fabric. They can also be called gripper studs and poppers.

Look for Hemline, Birch, and Dritz brands.

They are designed for light to medium fabric and not leather or denim. Lots of shirts use this type of snap. It is up to you whether you like a matching or contrasting color. As well as the usual silver and gold, you will often find enamel-colored snaps like my red and blue ones below.

The area these are to go through should be doubled or faced with interfacing first. Think about the thickness of the front facing of a shirt.

Pronged snaps come with a ring style or solid style top. You may have even seen the ones with a metal ring and a pearl look on the inside down the front of some shirts. I always think of this style on the front of checkered shirts.

SUPPLIES - You will need a metal setting tool which is normally included in the packet, and a hammer to set the snaps.

PARTS - There are 4 parts to prong snaps

Top Prong
Top Socket
Bottom Prong
Bottom Stud

Setting Snaps with Prongs on the Top Layer

From the top layer, push the top prong piece through the fabric. You will see the small prongs pierce through the fabric underneath.
On the underside of the top, place the top socket on the prongs.
Set it by placing the metal setting tool on top of the top socket and giving it a firm hit with the hammer. I usually put a cutting board underneath so I don't mark my table.

Setting Snaps with Prongs on the Bottom Layer

From the underside of the bottom layer, push the bottom prong piece through the fabric to the top. You will see the small prongs pierce through the fabric.
On the top side of the bottom, place the bottom stud on the prongs.
Set it by placing the metal setting tool on top and giving it a firm hit with the hammer.

2. Setting Heavy Duty Press Studs

These metal heavy duty snaps are suitable for denim jackets and skirts, and leather items such as jackets, bags, and purses. If your leather or fabric is not thick enough, you may need to reinforce it with interfacing or another layer before you begin. You will normally need to put them through at least 2 layers.

LENGTHS - These metal studs come in different length prongs to suit different thicknesses of fabric.

QUALITY - If you will be making leather bags, purchase them from a leather supplier, as the chemicals from the leather can rust and discolor cheaper brands more quickly. Generally, the ones you purchase from a haberdashery are good enough quality for denim clothing.

PARTS - These setting snaps come in 4 pieces

Bottom post - Goes on the bottom piece on the underside
Bottom stud - Goes on the bottom piece on the topside
Top socket - Goes on the top piece on the underside
Top cap - Goes on the top piece on the top piece. This is the part that is visible when the snap is done up.

TOOLS - When setting snaps like these, you will additionally need a setting tool and a rounded cap tool as well as a hammer and either a hole punch or sharp pair of scissors.

Setting Tools Needed — Tools Needed for Snap Setting

Setting Snaps on the Top Layer

Mark the position in the top layer of fabric (or leather) and create a small hole. I used a leather punch, but you can also use an awl or the end of a small pair of scissors. If you are using scissors, be careful not to create too big a hole. The hole needs to be smaller than the size of the prong on the top cap.
From the top, push the top cap prong through to the underside.
Place the top cap on the rounded cup tool and place the top socket on the prong on the underside. The purpose of the cap tool is to prevent the rounded cap from being squashed flat when you take a hammer to it. Work on a steady table or the floor. You don't want to be setting snaps on a wobbly table.
Place the tool in the inner circle of the prong and hammer it down firmly. If you look closely you will see that the edges of the prong round over and hold the socket in place.

Setting Snaps on the Bottom Layer

The steps for setting the bottom layer are very similar to the top.

Mark the position in the bottom layer of fabric (or leather) and create a small hole.
From the bottom, push the bottom post prong through the fabric to the top.
Place the bottom stud on the prong on the top of the fabric.
Place the setting tool in the inner circle of the prong and hammer down firmly. If the bottom post has a flat base then you don't need the curved cap tool underneath. For bottom posts that are curved or are even capped, you will need the curved cap tool. Usually, the bottom pieces for clothing are flat and for bags, they are often capped like the top.

Here is what all your finished pieces look like

Topside of top fabric flap
Underside of top fabric flap
Underside of bottom fabric flap
Topside of bottom fabric flap

3. Kam Snaps

Kam snaps are a brand name for plastic snaps designed for home use. You will often see them on baby nappy covers and kids' clothing. Like most studs, they come in different sizes to cater to different fabric thicknesses. They are really reasonably priced and come in kits with the awl and setting pliers on Amazon and eBay.

They come in 4 parts and are set in a similar way to regular snaps. The awl is used to make the hole in the fabric, and then the pliers set the snaps. One side of the pliers is designed for the cap, and the other pushes down the prong.

Read my full article on how to use kam snaps for more photos and instructions.

4. Sew on Snaps

Setting snaps is easy when you use the sew-in variety. No special tool is needed for these, just a needle and strong thread.

PARTS - Unlike the other styles of snaps we have looked at previously in this article, sew on snaps only have 2 parts. Just a top and bottom. You will notice that one side has a ball cap, and the other side is a socket, so they fit together. There are four holes around the edge of the snap.

How to Set Snaps (Sew-In Type)

Start your stitching with a knot or double backstitch that will lie under the snap.
Then work through each hole with a couple of stitches to secure it and make sure you do not have stitches showing on the right side of the garment. You can stitch with a normal over stitch or you can be fancy and use a buttonhole stitch.
End off with a stitch concealed under the snap.

If you would like more pictures and a video, see my article on how to sew on snaps.

Alternatives to Setting Snaps

An alternative to setting snaps is using snap tape. Snap tape has the ball snaps on one side, and the socket snaps on the other. The two pieces of tape snap together in a long row. While this is a more expensive option, it certainly is quick and easy as you just need to straight stitch along the edges.

Setting Snaps - In Conclusion

Whichever type of snaps you use, you will get a great result without having to do fiddly buttonholes. Setting snaps really is quite an easy and cheap option when sewing and is a must for bags and denim clothing.

Setting Snaps - How to Set Snaps (4 Types)

Types of Setting Snaps

How to Line Up a Snap