How to Attach Snaps to Fabric (Easy Beginner Guide)

Snaps are one of the easiest fasteners to add to sewing projects. They are commonly used on clothing, bags, baby items, wallets, and home décor because they create a secure closure without requiring buttonholes. Available in metal, plastic, pronged, and sew-on styles, snaps can be chosen to suit different fabrics and project types. In this guide, you’ll learn how to attach snaps to fabric, clothing, leather, and sewing projects. We’ll also look at the different types of snap fasteners and how to choose the best snap for your project.

What Are Fabic Snaps?

Fabric snaps are a haberdashery fastener for clothing and fabric items, comprised of a top and bottom that snap together. Here we will learn how to attach snaps depending on their type.

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 Attach Different Types of Snaps

Fabric 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. 

Looking specifically for hand-sewn press studs? Read my detailed guide on how to sew on snaps for step-by-step instructions.

There are 4 methods of how to attach snaps that I will discuss

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

How to Line Up a Snap

Regardless of the stud type, you must 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!

How to Attach Snaps (Step by Step)

1. Separate the Pieces

These snap fasteners have small prongs on the back and front that go 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, not leather or denim. Many shirts use this type of snap. It is up to you whether you like a matching or contrasting color. In addition to 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. Consider the thickness of a shirt’s front facing.

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.

PARTS – There are 4 parts to prong snaps

1. Top Prong
2. Top Socket
3. Bottom Prong
4. Bottom Stud

2. Setting Snaps 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.

3. How to Attach Snaps 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.

Other Ways to Attach Snaps

How to Attach Heavy-Duty Metal Snaps

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

1. Bottom post – Goes on the bottom piece on the underside
2. Bottom stud – Goes on the bottom piece on the topside
3. Top socket – Goes on the top piece on the underside
4. 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.

How to Attach Snaps on the Top Layer:

1. 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.
2. From the top, push the top cap prong through to the underside.
3. 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.
4. 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.

1. Mark the position in the bottom layer of fabric (or leather) and create a small hole.
2. From the bottom, push the bottom post prong through the fabric to the top.
3. Place the bottom stud on the prong on the top of the fabric.
4. 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

1. Topside of top fabric flap
2. Underside of top fabric flap
3. Underside of bottom fabric flap
4. Topside of bottom fabric flap

How to Attach Plastic 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 fabric thicknesses. They are 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.

How to Attach 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.

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

How to Install Snaps on Clothing

Snaps are commonly used on shirts, jackets, skirts, dresses, baby clothing, and uniforms. When installing snaps on clothing, reinforce lightweight fabrics with interfacing and ensure the snap size matches the fabric weight. Heavy-duty metal snaps work best for denim and jackets, while pronged or sew-on snaps are suitable for lighter garments.

How to Add Snaps to Fabric

When adding snaps to fabric, choose a snap style appropriate for the thickness of the material. Lightweight cotton fabrics often work well with pronged snaps or sew-on snaps, while thicker fabrics may require heavy-duty metal snaps. If the fabric is delicate, add interfacing behind the snap area to prevent tearing and stretching.

Choosing the Best Snap for Your Project

Project	Best Snap Type
Baby clothing	KAM snaps
Shirts and blouses	Pronged snaps
Dresses and skirts	Pronged or sew-on snaps
Denim clothing	Heavy-duty metal snaps
Leather bags	Heavy-duty metal snaps
Repairs and alterations	Sew-on snaps

Common Mistakes and Tips When Attaching Snaps

Mistake	Tip
Choosing a snap that is too small	Match the snap size to the fabric weight.
Installing snaps on a single layer of fabric	Reinforce with interfacing where needed.
Making holes too large	Create holes slightly smaller than the snap post.
Installing snaps unevenly	Mark both halves carefully before attaching.
Using lightweight snaps on heavy fabrics	Choose heavy-duty metal snaps for strength.

Snap Fastener FAQs

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 is certainly quick and easy, as you just need to straight stitch along the edges.

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How to Attach Snaps – In Conclusion

Learning how to attach snaps is an easy way to add secure closures to clothing, bags, baby items, and sewing projects. Whether you choose pronged snaps, heavy-duty metal snaps, plastic KAM snaps, or sew-on snaps, using the correct snap type for your fabric will give the best results. With the right tools and techniques, attaching snaps is a beginner-friendly skill that can replace buttons, buttonholes, and other fasteners in many projects.

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