DIY Belt Made From Jeans

A denim belt is a chic but casual accessory, perfect for a backyard barbecue or an evening stroll on the beach. Add one to a pair of white jeans for a punch of color or cinch in a loose dress to accent your waist. You can turn an old pair of jeans into a belt without a lot of expense or time, and you get the added benefit of knowing you’ve recycled a worn out garment into something new and cute.

Things You'll Need

• Measuring tape
• Paper and pencil
• Scissors
• Medium-weight fusible interfacing
• Iron
• Sewing machine equipped with a denim (size 16) needle
• Thread in blue or contrasting color
• 2 D-rings
• Small piece of ribbon, 1½ inches by ¾ inch (optional)

Instructions

1. Measure your waist or hips. This depends on where you want the belt to sit when you wear it. Write down the measurement.

2. Cut across the top of one leg of the jeans. Cut right next to one seam along its length to open the fabric up into a flat piece. Trim off the bottom hem.

3. Place the end of the tape measure at one end of the fabric and mark where your waist measurement plus 8 inches is on the fabric. Move the tape measure to the side 5 inches and mark the belt measurement again. If one leg is not long enough for your belt, split the length between the two legs of the jeans by marking half the length on each leg. The extra length can be adjusted to suit your taste, but you will need at least 3 inches to hold the D-rings and provide a hem at the other end, plus a few inches to fold back through the rings. If you sew two strips together, use a ½-inch seam.

4. Cut the interfacing into a strip that measures 1¼-inches wide by the belt’s planned length minus 3 inches. You can use multiple shorter strips if you lay them end to end on the jeans fabric. Leave 1½ inches of denim at each end of the strip of interfacing.

5. Fold the jeans fabric in half lengthwise, wrong sides together, and press along the fold to make a crease. Open the strip and place the interfacing fusible-side down with one edge right along the crease. Iron the interfacing to the denim according to the manufacturer’s directions.

6. Make two lengthwise folds in the jeans fabric so that the edges meet in the center of the strip. Press in place. Fold the strip in half again so that the edges are tucked inside the belt. Topstitch 1/8-inch away from the edge along both long sides of the belt. Use thread that matches the jeans if you want it to blend in or try a different color for contrasting stitching that stands out.

7. Slide the D-rings over one end of the belt. Fold that end over about ½ inch. Make a second fold of ¾ inch over the straight side of the D-rings. Stitch crosswise across the belt at the fold. Make a second line of stitching about ¼ inch towards the D-rings from the fold.

8. Fold the other end of the belt over ½ inch, and then fold again another ½ inch. Stitch across the belt at the fold. Make a second line of stitching as close to the end of the belt as you can.

Tips & Warnings

• If the folded denim at the ends is too bulky to sew through, you can leave the ends flat on the underside of the belt. Cut a small piece of ribbon to cover them and stitch in place around all four sides.

• Decorate your belt by adding embroidered stars or flowers or even a strip of ribbon along its length.

• Denim is thick and bulky. Use caution when sewing through multiple layers to prevent injury caused by a broken needle or damage to your machine.

References

• The Crafty Cupboard: Child's D-Ring Belt Tutorial
• Singer: Machine Needles