How to Make a Waist Belt
Belts, which are normally used to hold up overlarge trousers, have recently become popular as purely decorative fashion pieces. In women's fashion, dramatically thin mini-belts and thick waist-cinching belts are worn over dresses and shirts to accentuate the natural waist and give shape to loose-fitting garments. Often, decorative belt buckles are worn with these waist belts to draw the eye to the narrowest part of the body. You can create your own simple, fashionable belt using any style of fabric you like.
Things You'll Need
- Tape measure
- Sewing machine
- Thread
- Belt fabric
- Fusible interfacing
- Awl
- Grommets
- Grommet punch
- Mallet
- Fabric pencil
- Belt buckle
Instructions
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1
Take your waist measurement and add 7 inches to it. On a double layer of your fabric, draw out a rectangle that is as long as this measurement and as wide as you would like your belt to be. plus 1 inch. Cut the two rectangles from the fabric, then taper one of the short ends into a point. Cut an identical rectangle from the fusible interfacing and iron it to the wrong side of a fabric rectangle.
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2
Lay the two rectangles together, right sides touching. Pin the rectangles together around both long edges and the flat short edge. Stitch all the way around the rectangles, a half-inch from the edges, leaving the pointed edge open. Trim the seam allowances to a quarter-inch, then turn the rectangle right side out through that open edge and press it flat.
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3
Turn the edges of the pointed end under, so the raw edges are hidden, and pin them down. Topstitch a quarter-inch from the folded edges, then continue topstitching all the way around the rectangle.
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4
Take the flat, short end of the rectangle and fold it around the back of the belt buckle, creating a loop that holds the buckle onto the belt. Topstitch this piece down just along the edge, making a loop that is about 1 inch long. You can also instead add snaps, if you would like to be able to easily remove the belt buckle later.
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5
Mark out hole placement on the back side of the belt, starting at the pointed end. Make hole markings with the fabric pencil about a half-inch apart, all the way to the point where the belt fits you. Use an awl to create holes at these markings.
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6
Place your grommet die on top of a block of wood, and push the protruding piece of the grommet through the back side of one of your belt holes. Lay the grommet on the die, protruding side up, and place a washer piece on top of it. Put the grommet punch through the grommet and hit it firmly with the mallet several times, until the grommet folds up and adheres to the fabric. Repeat this step on all holes.
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Tips & Warnings
If the pointed belt edge hangs too much when you are wearing the belt, you can attach snaps to the back side of the pointed edge and the front side of the belt body so it stays in place.
