Bend Eyes Into Bars – DIY Hook And Bar Closure

Turn Eyes Into Bars - DIY Hook And Bar Closure

It’s easy to turn store-bought hook and eye closures into hook and bar closures. In this short tutorial I’ll show you how to make a DIY hook and bar closure.

Hook and eyes and hook and bars are a great way to fasten your garments: I use them on skirt waistbands, as vintage dress closure together with snaps instead of a zipper closure (picture below) and as secure and historical accurate closure for my Victorian bodices.

DIY Hook And Bar Closure - No Gap

I prefer a hook and bar closure to a hook and eye closure because bars can be sewn closer to the edge of the garment. So a hook and bar closure creates a smaller gap than a hook and eye closure. In the past I made DIY bars with half-hard craft wire because I couldn’t find hook and bars in the stores or online.

Hook and eyes usually come in sets. So instead of buying bars separately (or making my own bars with craft wire) and having the eyes leftover, that I can’t use for anything else, I thought why not turn the eyes into bars! And it’s so easy to bend metal eyes into bars and no leftover eyes!

DIY Hook And Bar Closure

You’ll need:

  • hook and eyes
  • round nose pliers
Bend Eyes Into Bars - DIY Hook And Bar Closure
DIY eye turned bar & DIY craft wire bar

Straighten the eyes. Then, using the round nose pliers, create an indentation for the hook.

Dress With DIY Hook And Bar & Snap Closure

DIY Vintage Dress Closure - DIY Hook And Bar Closure - Dress With Snap Button Closure

I used the DIY metal bar together with snaps for my 1950s taffeta dress. Click on the link to see more picture of my 1950s white taffeta dress. I really like this vintage snap button closure: it looks good, is secure and easy to make. I followed this tutorial for a vintage snap button closure. But I added my DIY hook and bar at the waist. With the hook and bar the snaps never come undone!

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