Since I'm planning to move far away, I made it my task to use only supplies I already had at hand. It took me some brain power to figure out the construction, but I'm so pleased at how this turned out.
- Rope
- Double-sided tape
- Paper clamp
- Leather
- Coin
- Scissors
- Belt buckle
- Metal hand-attachable stud
- (embroidery) thread and needle
- Hole puncher
- Sewing machine
- Optional: permanent marker for coloring leather (or leather paint)
The amount of rope you need depends on the thickness of the rope and your waist measurement, but for me, 4m of rope was enough for a 70cm long braid. You need 2 long strands, so I cut mine into two 2m long ropes.
Step 1
Once you have your rope cut and ready, start braiding it. The process is really hard to explain verbally, so I hope the above photo tutorial will help you. Trust me, once you get to the 6th photo, you've already got this braiding thing down. And, if you mess it up, don't worry. Just un-braid and start over. Braiding is so relaxing, so screwing up is actually a bonus. But, it's really not as hard as it looks.
After about 10cm of braid I found it easier to tuck it between a cupboard door so it would hold the start of the braid in place for me. When I was done braiding, I used a paper clamp to temporarily seal the ends.
Step 2
Now, on to the buckle strap portion. For that I cut two 10cm long strips of leather. The width has to be about 0.5cm wider than your belt. I only had white leather scraps at hand, so I painted my strips golden with some golden permanent marker I also already had.
Once you've cut the leather strips, round the ends using a coin as your guide. I used a 1€ coin. It was exactly the same width as my strips.
Step 3
Take your rope braid, remove the clamp and wrap double-sided tape around the ends of the ropes. Then place the rope-braid end between the two leather strips as shown in the above photo.
Sew the belt strap together with a sewing machine, leaving an opening for the buckle (see photo below).
Step 4
Time to insert the buckle. My buckle was supposed to be attached with a stud, so I used one that can be attached by hand. I had them left-over from this bag makeover. So, I placed the tail of the buckle between the leather strips and marked the place of the hole. Then, removed the buckle and used a hole puncher to punch a hole (obviously) where I marked. Then, I inserted the buckle again and put the stud through the hole.
Alternative for a traditional buckle
Now, you might have a simple traditional buckle without the metal tail and hole. To attach that one, you should cut one of the leather straps about 15cm long. After sewing the strips together measure the place for the hole where to insert the buckle needle, then place the needle through the hole, fold the leather to the wrong side of the belt and sew in place. (I've done a similar process here).
Step 5
The last step is to make a belt loop. For that, cut a 1cm-wide strip of leather (I painted mine again), fold it around both the leather strap and the rope portion of the belt and measure the length of the loop strip.
Cut your strip and sew it together using a heavy thread or embroidery thread (like I did) in the backside of the belt.
And, done!
I must say, I think this is one of the most professional-looking accessories I've made to date, even if I do say so myself. Can't wait to answer all the questions of where I got this awesome belt of mine.
I'm already dreaming up my next belt creations. Maybe using a white rope and some brown leather...
Happy making!
xo. Hanna
Psst! There's still 24h left to enter the awesome halloween giveaway!
Lovely!
ReplyDeleteGreat idea! Looks store-bought ;)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Ola! Sometimes, that's the best compliment ever :)
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