How to Make a Fabric Belt

I love to wear belts with dresses as they are a great way to define one’s waist.

My collection of belts are all from thrift and charity stores. Unfortunately sometimes the pleather cracks or breaks after a lot of wear but I am happy to know that I was able to give them a second life.

Some of these belts have great buckles and I can further extend their lives by using them to make new belts!

Below is a tutorial to make your own fabric belt. You can usually purchase belt buckles from the haberdashery section of your local fabric store. However, you may find a unique (and possibly cheap) buckle attached to an old belt in a thrift store.

This is an old belt that I used for the buckle

What will be needed:

Sewing machine (B735)
Light to Midweight Fabric like Cotton, Poplin, Linen or lawn
Quantity dependent on your Buckle width
Fusible Interfacing
Quantity dependent on your Buckle width
Thread to match fabric
Belt Buckle
Buttonhole Foot #3 or #3A
Hand sewing needle

Pattern

Measure where you would like to wear the belt.
I measured my Natural Waist as I would wear the belt with dresses.

If you’d like to wear the belt with pants, place the measuring tape through the belt loops of your pants to get an accurate measurement.

You’ll need these measurements:

Waist Circumference and how long you would like the tail of the Belt to extend.
Add 2cm to this measurement
Eg. Waist 60cm + Extension 15cm + 2cm = 77cm
Inside width of the Belt Buckle
Multiply this measurement by 4
Eg. 2cm x 4 = 8cm

On your fabric, draw a rectangle using the above measurements and add 1cm seam allowance to the short ends.

Draw 1 or 2 smaller rectangles where the length is 3 x the Inside width of the Belt Buckle + 2cm (seam allowance) and the width is 4cm
Eg. Length is 3 x 2cm + 2cm= 8cm and Width is 4cm.
These will be the Belt Loops.

Interface

Cut Interfacing the same size as the Big Rectangle.

Iron the Interfacing to the wrong side of the fabric.

Sew

Belt

Fold the Big Rectangle in half lengthwise so that the wrong-sides are touching and press.

Fold the raw edges to the fold line and press.

Fold along the original fold line (in the opposite direction. and match up the new fold lines and press.

Stitch the layers together at one of the short ends using 1cm seam allowance.
If you would like the tail end of the belt to be square, secure the other short end the same way.

Alternatively, sew the other end at an angle or like a triangle.
Trim down the seam allowance.

Turn the belt right side out, carefully pushing out the corners and press.

Topstitch around the belt. Stitch just in from the edge.

Buckle & Buttonholes

On the squared end, measure 2cm in and mark a dot in the middle of the width.

Stitch a Buttonhole on the mark.
Buttonhole Stitch #64 with a Buttonhole Foot.
Shorten the Buttonhole to the smallest size.
You can adjust the width of the Buttonhole opening if necessary, using the other dial.
I recommend making a sample on some scrap fabric first to check that the Buckle pin fits.
Stitch the Buttonhole.

Open the Buttonhole.

Push the Pin of the Buckle through the Buttonhole and feed the short end of the Belt through the Buckle.

Fold the Belt over the Buckle Bar and secure the short end of the Belt.
Depending on your Buckle, you made need to secure with hand stitching instead of the machine.

Stand in front of a mirror and wrap the belt around your waist.
Make a mark where the belt overlaps with the top of the Buckle Pin.

Stitch a Buttonhole on the mark, remember to keep it in the middle of the width.

As the Belt is custom made to your figure and preferences, you can decide if you want multiple Buttonholes and how far apart to space them.
Multiple Buttonholes are helpful to accommodate fluctuating figures and clothing of varying thicknesses.
You can refer to other Belts for help with spacing or gauge a measurement.
I made the spacing of mine 1.5cm apart.

Loops

Fold the Small Rectangles in half lengthwise so that the right-sides are touching and press.

Fold the raw edges to the fold line and press.

Fold along the original fold line, sandwiching the raw edges and press.

Topstitch along the sides.

Buckle the Belt and wrap the Belt Loop around to determine how tight to make them with a pin.
Make them a bit looser than you think to accommodate the seam allowance when turned right-side out
Slide the Belt Loop off and stitch where the pin is. Trim the seam allowance and repeat for the other Belt Loop.

Turn the Belt Loops so that the seam allowance is on the inside.
Slide the Belt Loops on to the Belt and put the Belt on.
Determine the best placement of the Belt Loops and pin them in place.
Place the seam of the Belt Loops at the back of the Belt and hand stitch the around the seam, securing the Belt Loop to the Belt.