Zipper Braided Fringe

To make this zipper trim I started with a zipper and two rectangles, one for each size of the zipper. I added beads that I had close at hand to finish the ends of the braids but you can use whatever or nothing more than a stitch. 

Sew the rectangles down the sides of the zippers. I chose to topstitch my rectangles. After topstitching I cut my rectangles into fringe and braided them in sets finished with a little stitch and a bead. The only tip I can think of right now is to count how many fringes you cut so that you end up with an even amount for your braids. Multiples of 3 work well. If you have already cut the fringe, you might have to slice a fringe or two in half to get the extra strands. 

Some contexts that I think this zipper can be used in are shown below. The overalls are dark and heavy and a lot of the tediousness gets disguised by that heaviness in a good way. I also thought an asymmetrical placement on a lacy or sheer garment would be interesting. You can also make a sick purse zipper with this technique by making the fringes very long and attaching the zipper to a simple purse creating a long flowing braid effect.