I receive this question frequently via e-mail so I thought I’d post my answer here. Reader submitted tips are included at the bottom.
1. Hold the misplaced snap carefully on its side on the bottom die, lower the top die until it’s on top of the snap turned on its side, remove your fingers and smash the snap to crack it. Once it is cracked, you can pick it off.
2. Use pliers to grip either side of the snap and crack it. Be careful not to pinch and damage the fabric.
3. Use some heavy duty fingernail or toenail clippers to clip away at the snap until you reach the center and can pry it loose.
4. Use a thin drill bit, carefully drill through the center of the snap until it cracks and you can remove it.
In all cases, there will be a hole in the fabric where the snap was applied. Use your sewing machine to zig zag tightly across the hole to secure, or use a needle and thread to slip stitch the hole closed. If you got a snap on backwards, and want to reapply the snap in the same area, you can simply place some extra squares of fabric (that will be hidden beneath the snap cap) and reapply through that without necessarily repairing the hole, though it’s always wise to do so.
More ways to remove snaps from our readers:
kimmypie says ~ I tried the fingernail clipper way a few times and that was such a pain for me!
I found another way on accident; I was putting a snap on and I pushed too hard and cracked the socket (or stud, whichever it was) and it came apart really easily. I put some snaps in the wrong place last week and again had to remove them so I put them back in the press and pushed as hard as I could. It didn’t snap this time but it did push the point of the cap down enough that the pieces came apart with just a little pull.
Susan of Monkey Toe Diapers & Sugar Plum Baby says ~ I have used a small drill bit and drilled in the center and it falls appart. My hubby’s Dreml works really well.
bleufrogs says ~ Just to share, you could also position the sharp end of a screwdriver (the cross type, not the flat Philips screwdriver) on the stub, gently hammer till the snap cracks, and pick up the pieces. It works like the drill, but just more arm work.
jenR says ~ The way I always do it is to take a hot soldering iron and push in on the stud/socket side melting the cap part that pokes through. Push straight in and you will feel it fall apart, then pull back the iron quickly, the stud or socket will be stuck to it and the cap will fall on the ground. Takes maybe 5 seconds.
