How to Weave a Belt

You’re a child of the ‘60s and ‘70s and you want to recapture the vision and fashion of your youth or maybe you just want a crafty woven belt without paying the huge price tag that frequently goes along with a hand-crafted accessory. With some inexpensive supplies, you can make your own loom and weave a belt for yourself that is a perfect fit and perfect look.

Things You'll Need

• A dowel or smooth branch
• Fiber strands (yarn, jute) - several yards

Instructions

Get Your Supplies

1. Visit your local hardware store to purchase a dowel rod, one inch in diameter, or find a suitable tree branch (you’ll need to work off any rough pieces). You will use this as a simple loom to hold your strands of fiber.

2. Cut several strands of the same length using the following formula: Inches around your waist x 2 + inches of fringe x 2 + knot x 2. Cut an even number of strands. You might find it easier to work with a heavier fiber for your first project. Jute is good, worsted weight yarn is good (and colorful). Decide how wide you want your belt to be, and cut enough strands to make a belt of that width.

3. Tie each strand to your dowel or branch with a half hitch knot. The exact distance of the knot from the end of the strand will depend on the length of your fringe. Loop the half hitch around the dowel or branch with the short end coming off the top and the long end hanging down. When you get all your strands on the dowel, push them together; you want them to be flat but snug against each other. You long strands are your "warp" strands.

4. Hold the short ends together and tie them in a knot; hang it over a chair or post. This will let you create tension on the piece to keep it even as you work. Just below the dowel, weave one short end over and under the long ends forward and backward to hold your work together.

5. Create a simple belt, weaving the strand on the right side over and under each of the other pieces all the way to the left side. When you come to the end, let that strand hang, pick up the next strand on the right side of the piece and weave it over and under. You can make it more interesting by stringing beads on the strands as you work. Or you can cut strands of a different fiber to weave over and under your longer strands. Or use several different colors. It's your project, you decide what you want to create. The strands you weave over and under are your "weft" strands.

6. Weave a piece back and forth as you did at the beginning to hold the work in place when your piece is the length you want. Gently remove the dowel. Tie the ends or braid them for fringe.

Tips & Warnings

• Be creative, have fun!