How to Make a Dance Skirt or Belt

Full skirts and belts that accentuate a dancer's hips are important elements of belly dance fashion.

Belly dance is a beautiful and sensual art with a rich culture and history. Originating from the Middle East, belly dancing has become popular around the globe as a way to exercise and celebrate the beauty of the female form. While belly dancing involves isolated, undulating movements of all parts of the body, the twists and turns of the hips are often the most recognizable feature of the dance. Full skirts and belts decorated with beading and coins showcase this movement. You can make your own full circle skirt and dance belt.

Things You'll Need

• Large pattern paper or newspaper
• Soft fabric (for skirt)
• Stiff fabric (for belt)
• Measuring tape
• Scissors
• Masking tape
• String
• Leather drawstring
• Soft pencil or seamstress chalk
• Straight pins
• Large safety pin
• Sewing machine
• Hanger

Instructions

Circle Skirt

1. Buy 12 to 14 yards of soft, pliable fabric without stretch. You may buy sheer or opaque fabric, depending on whether you'll want to wear pantaloons underneath your skirt. If you want your skirt to be more than one color, either four or eight panels will be easiest to measure and cut. If you want your skirt to be one color, you will cut two panels of the same fabric.

2. 

   Measure your hips.

   Measure your hips with a tape measure. Add 3 inches to your hip measurement, divide by 3.14, and then divide that number by 2. This number will be the radius of your "hip circle" and will let you draw a circle on your pattern paper that will fit your hips. Save this number.

3. Measure the length of your skirt. Most dancers want their skirts to hit just above their feet; otherwise, they may trip on the hem. Add 5 inches. This will be your skirt length. Save that number.

4. Create a square paper pattern with dimensions that equal your skirt length plus your hip radius, multiplied by 2. Add 5 inches to this number. Use the masking tape to fit the pattern paper or newspaper together if your pattern is too large. Fold your paper into quarters to find the exact center and mark it with your pencil or chalk.

5. Spread your pattern out on the floor. You should have a large square with a mark in the exact center. Cut and tie a piece of string around your pencil or chalk to make a compass the length of your hip radius. Anchoring the string in your center mark on the pattern, draw a circle with the pencil. This will be your "hip circle."

6. Cut and tie another piece of string to your pencil or chalk that equals the length of your hip radius plus your skirt length. Anchor the string in your center mark and draw a large circle with the pencil on your paper. You may need a friend to help you anchor the string while you draw the circle. You should now have a large pattern with a small circle within a large circle. The large circle should be near the edge of your pattern paper.

7. Divide your pattern into halves, quarters or eighths, depending on your colors. You will have drawn pie-shaped panels in your circle.

8. Cut your fabric according to your pattern. Remember, the center circle in your pattern is your "hip circle." Therefore, you need to cut your fabric so that there is no fabric in that center circle.

9. Sew the panels of your fabric together on your sewing machine. Do not hem the bottom of your skirt.

10. Create a drawstring waistband by rolling 1.5 inches of fabric over around the hip circle. Cut two slits in the waistband about 2 inches apart -- this will be where your drawstring ties. Cut a leftover piece of fabric that is 1 inch wide and the length of your hip circle plus 10 inches. Using your large safety pin, feed the drawstring through the waistband.

11. Hang your new skirt on a hanger for one to two weeks. The fabric will stretch and the skirt will become uneven, as some of the fabric will be hanging straight and other pieces will be hanging diagonally, or "on the bias." After one to two weeks, try the skirt on again and remove the excess fabric. You may now hem if necessary.

12. Decorate your skirt by sewing on tassels, coins or beads, if your skirt feels too plain.

Dance Belt

1. Measure the widest part of your hips with your measuring tape. Add 3 inches. This is your hip measurement.

2. Cut a strip of pattern paper or newspaper 8 inches wide and the length of your hip measurement. Fasten the ends with your straight pins so that the paper fits snugly around the widest part of your hips,and at the height you want your dance belt to sit. The top of the paper should be sitting stiffly around your midsection, like a cylinder.

3. Make small folds symmetrically around the pattern belt ("darts") and pin them until the pattern lies smoothly against your hips. When you remove the belt by unpinning the ends, you should have a curved strip of pattern paper. This curve ensures that your belt will lay smoothly against the curve of your hips.

4. Trace your darted pattern on a fresh sheet of pattern paper. You will now have a two-dimensional curved pattern. If you like, you may now cut the edges of this curved pattern if you want the belt to be narrower or have a special shape. Just be sure not to cut any length from the pattern -- if you do, the belt won't fit on your hips.

5. Cut your thick fabric according to the pattern. If the material needs to be hemmed, leave room when you cut and hem it at this step.

6. Cut or punch 3 vertical holes along the end of the dance belt. Cut 12 to 18 inches of drawstring and feed it through the holes like a shoelace. This is how you tie and untie the belt.

7. Decorate by sewing tassels, coins or beads to your belt.

Tips & Warnings

• Always err on the side of more inches for your skirt length and hip circle. You can always hem the skirt from the bottom and the drawstring waist will allow you to cinch the skirt if it is a little too wide.

• If the fabric on your dance belt frays easily, you may want to attach grommets to the holes where you fed your drawstring.

References

• Circle Skirt
• Belt Pattern
• Fitting the belt

Resources

• More tips for belly dance costumes