How to Make an Easy Stretch Belt (in 5 minutes!)
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How to make a belt: Learn how to make a stretch belt in just a few minutes. All you need is a bit of soft, 1- inch woven elastic and a center release buckle and basic sewing supplies.
How to an Easy Stretch Belt (in 5 minutes!)
I’ll admit, other than my hubby, neither the kids nor I hardly ever wear belts. But boy, when you need a belt, you probably need that belt ASAP and a plain black belt in child sizes can be hard to find!
Just last week, my daughter had her 6th grade band field trip which involved a quick concert at a local festival and then heading over to a Pizza/Play Park for the rest of the day.
The required uniform for the field trip was nice blue jeans, (with no rips or tears) the school issued band t-shirt and a black belt.
My missy actually didn’t even have any jeans that weren’t skinny jean-type-leggings, but I was smart enough to hold onto a few pairs of jeans from my thinner days (like I am ever going to wear those again, lol.) and with just a couple of quick stitches into the waistband, my old jeans worked great. (I can’t believe I was ever that tiny, but I will say, those jeans probably were skinny fit on me, lol.)
After addressing the jean situation, I realized we did not have a black belt that would work. I looked online and didn’t see anything that I could get delivered fast enough.
Luckily, I knew that this was a project that I could whip out in 5 minutes flat with the right supplies. I originally thought I would make a fabric belt, but after browsing the supplies at the local Hobby Lobby I ended up deciding on a stretch belt. I grabbed some stretchy black elastic and belt buckle and got to sewing on a DIY Stretch Belt.
Five minutes later, check out our awesome stretch belt!
I chose this particular elastic because it was soft, stretchy, well made and… reversible! I thought about getting the buckle that included an adjustable loop, but for the price of this elastic and buckle I opted not to.
This type of belt is just so easy to make, I can always make a larger size down the road if needed. I do plan to make her a second version of this one with the metallic facing out – so cute!
One thing to note, when choosing your elastic and buckle, make sure the elastic fit through the loop. There were several to choose from and I almost bought the wrong size buckle.
Ready, set, LET’S SEW A BELT!
Sewing instructions for a stretch belt:
Materials needed
- Nice quality, soft stretchy woven elastic
- Center release buckle that will fit the width of the elastic
- Ball point needle
- basic sewing supplies
Instructions:
Step 1: Get measurements.
If making a belt for a particular pair of pants, I recommend having your child slip on the pants and measure at the point where the belt will sit. There can be a big difference between hip and waist measurements. (Although, if your elastic super stretchy, you might not need to worry too much.)
Measure the width of your buckle
Step 2: Cut elastic.
Subtract the width of the buckle from the waist/belt-location measurement. Subtract 1 more inch and cut your elastic to that final measurement.
Step 3: Sew on the buckle.
Slip the elastic through the belt buckle loop.
For best results, flip the belt elastic so you are sewing through the front of the belt.
Set your machine for a wide narrow zig zag stitch. Zig zag over the edge of the elastic, taking care to keep the edge lined up with the center of your presser foot.
Trim your strings and secure with a bit of fray check.
(Front)
(back)
Step 4. Repeat step 3 for the other side of the buckle.
You are done- A nice, neat black stretch belt in less than 5 minutes!
Let me know if you make one of these, I alway love to hear about what you’ve been sewing. You can tag me on Instagram using #scatteredmompatterns or share a photo over in my Facebook group.
