Symmetry, contrast, and texture have a special appeal, but it’s easy to miss their beauty in everyday objects. Consider the zipper. This commonplace closure suddenly has impact when cut, shaped, and sewn into an accessory.

It’s simple and fast to make this edgy pin from a zipper. What’s more, it costs a lot less than designer versions, which are priced at much more than what you’ll pay for supplies. Choose the zipper for this project with the teeth in mind. This is not the occasion for a shy, invisible zipper. Metal teeth offer contrast to colored fabric zipper tape and add a cool heft to your brooch, while rhinestone teeth have glamour and sparkle.

Go ahead; liberate a few zippers from a utilitarian fate. Susan Crane shows you how to let them have a star turn as a featured accessory in this article from Quick Stuff to Sew, Vol. 4.