How to Install Purse Turn locks and Flips Locks in Bags and Purses: A Tutorial

Would you like to install a gorgeous lock on your wallet, bag, satchel, etc., but are not sure how? Here are some simple instructions that I hope will help you out. Beware, purse locks are addictive.

The following instructions are for two kinds of locks, but they are installed almost the same way.  Once you figure out what the little parts are in these locks, when you get some that are a slightly different style, you won't have any troubles figuring it out on your own.


I will show you how to install:
1) Purse Turn Locks (also called twist locks) in two different ways:
     a) with prongs
     b) with screws
2) Flip Locks (installed with the same method, but a slightly different hole is cut).

1) Purse Turn Lock With Prongs:

What parts you will have:
   1 face plate for the front of your opening flap
   1 back plate for the back of your opening flap
   1 turn part for body of your bag or wallet
   1 washer to attach the turn part


What you will need:
   1 heavy interfacing or Pellon Peltex square about 2" square
   Fraystop or Fraycheck fray stopping liquid
   sharp scissors
   marking pen
   Glue for metal that dries clear, such as Beacon 3-in-1
   Seam ripper or craft knife

Attach front & back plates of turn/twist lock: 
1) Place face plate of twist lock (with prongs) upside down where you want to be and trace around the opening for your hole.  
2) Using pointy tipped embroidery scissors, cut out hole, making it large enough so that when you place back piece in from the back, you can see all the metal edges, but be careful not to make hole too large! 
3) Use Fraystop on edges, and wait for this to dry.  
4) Sparingly, squeeze strong fabric adhesive onto both sides of the hole pieces. (Glue is optional) 
5) Place both sides over hole, and squeeze together making sure they are perfectly straight.  Use something very strong and hard (like a screwdriver or edge of scissors) to push down prongs onto back plate.

Click to enlarge

Attach turning part of twist lock:  
1) Find center of your exterior piece of your bag or wallet by folding in half on edge.  Measure down to where you want your turn part placed, and at exact center, mark a dot. (You should have a heavy interfacing or Pellon Peltex square about 2" square on the back side of your fabric at this exact spot.) 2) Using the prongs on the back of the twist part of the lock as a guide, draw two lines where your prong holes will be cut. 
3) Using seam ripper or embroidery scissors, cut the prong holes for the twist lock.  Do not make them too big, smaller is better than bigger.  Use Fraycheck^tm on holes if desired.  
4) Place the lock in from the exterior, place washer with slots over prongs and using a metal tool such as a screw driver or the edge of your scissors, flatten out prongs making them as tight as possible.

Click to enlarge

2) Purse Turn Lock With Screws:

What parts you will have:

   1 face plate for the front of your opening flap

   1 back plate for the back of your opening flap with screw holes

   Screws to attach back to front plate

   1 turn part for body of your bag or wallet 

   1 washer to attach the turn part

What you will need:
   1 small screw driver to match size of screws
   1 heavy interfacing or Pellon Peltex square about 2" square
   Fraystop or Fraycheck fray stopping liquid
   sharp scissors or leather punch for screw holes (optional)
   marking pen
   Glue for metal that dries clear, such as Beacon 3-in-1
   Seam ripper or craft knife

These are the instructions I send with my locks when they are purchased from my website. The instructions are very similar to the ones above, but you will need to make screw holes for the screws to attach the back plate to the front plate, and you won't be bending any prongs.  You can click the photo to enlarge the instructions.

Click to Enlarge

3) Flip Lock With Screws:  I think if you have installed either of the two above locks, you will have no trouble at all installing this lock and will not even need to glance at these instructions. But just in case you haven't, I am including these for you. It's a big lock, but don't be scared. You just really need to be carefully you measure a few times before you cut into that beautiful exterior of your bag - holes are permanent!

What parts you will have:
   1 face plate for the front of your opening flap
   1 back plate for the back of your opening flap with screw holes
   Screws to attach back to front plate
   1 flip part for body of your bag or wallet
   1 washer to attach the flip part

What you will need:

   1 small screw driver to match size of screws

   1 heavy interfacing or Pellon Peltex square about 2" square

   Fraystop or Fraycheck fray stopping liquid

   sharp scissors or leather punch for screw holes (optional)

   marking pen

   Glue for metal that dries clear, such as Beacon 3-in-1

   Seam ripper or craft knife

Attach front and back plates of flip lock:

1) Place your backing plate over the mark where you want your plates to be, & measure from edges to make sure it is straight and even.  You REALLY don’t want this crooked!

2) Trace the center rectangle, and mark dots where the screws will go.

3) You have two options for cutting out these holes. If you have a leather punch, go ahead and punch out the screw holes [I have heard a hammer and nail work too ;)] If you don’t, then draw yourself a line that goes around the 4 screw holes in a diamond shape, staying as close to the holes and the center rectangle as you can. (See cut out in picture 3 below.) Use your seam ripper or craft knife to cut a slit for your scissors to fit in and carefully trim out the center rectangle (if holes are punched) or diamond shape. Hold your scissors very straight so the cutting is even on the back. Trim slowly and only trim little bits at a time so you don’t make your hole too big!!

4) Pop your front plate underneath so you can have a look and see if you have trimmed out enough and there is no fabric left in the center rectangle and the screw holes (see picture 3).

5) This part of the project is kind of like doing a craft because you get to use glue! Do a dry run: Place the front plate and back plate together with the flap in between and make sure everything lines up properly.  Make note of how you will have to make sure that front plate is straight and even when you put it together. Now it’s time to glue. On the back of the front plate, spread a small amount of glue around screw holes, etc. Don’t get too close to the edges. A toothpick works great for spreading if you need to.

6) Place your front plate on and make sure it is very straight (use a ruler!) then press down into glue to secure, and then flip it over so you can press the fabric into the glue from the back (see picture 3 below).

7) Put glue on your back plate and press in place.

Click to Enlarge

Add Flip Part of Lock:  (Caution: You will need to reinforce the area you are placing your lock on with a square of Peltex or heavy fusible interfacing before attaching.)

1) Find center of the section of your bag/wallet where the lock will be and mark a dot.

2) Using the metal washer and the holes that the prongs will go through as a guide, draw two lines where your prong holes will be cut. Make sure these are perfectly even and the same distance from the edge of the fabric or your lock will be crooked!

3) Using your seam ripper or craft knife, cut two prong holes for the flip lock. Do not make them too big, smaller is better than bigger. 

4) Use Dritz FrayCheck or FrayStop on holes. 

5) Place the lock in from the exterior, place washer with slots over prongs and using a metal tool such as a screw driver or the edge of your scissors, flatten out prongs making them as tight as possible. (ALWAYS put something underneath so you don’t scratch your metal hardware.  HINT: Because the flip lock sticks out, try putting it on the edge of a table and letting the ring hang off of the edge.)

Click to Enlarge

And that is it, in a nut shell! You can find both of these locks on my website HERE. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask. If you found this tutorial useful or interesting, please comment and follow my blog on bloglovin or GFC.  These are found in the  top right side bar.

Thanks for reading, and happy sewing!!