How to make Elastic Belts x3 - a tutorial PART 1

Belts are the perfect accessory for so many reasons. They can take an outfit and change it completely, can turn a simple dress/sweater into a special occasion outfit, they can even improve the fit of a garment. When it comes to children's belts though, the selection is lacking, and the fit can be tough to get right.

That is why elastic belts are so perfect for kids! They are super easy  and fast to make, cost very little and are the perfect fit every time! I made three different versions (in one afternoon) to get you started, but really there are a ton of different things you could do with these. Enjoy

First up....The easiest and fastest of all three

what you need:

• decorative elastic, cut elastic to exact width of your child's chest (do not add seam allowances)
• buckle that fits your elastic width

thread the elastic through the buckle and fold the raw edge under

Sew elastic down (back-tack securely at start and end) Repeat with other side of buckle and elastic edge

Done! Boom! on to the next.....

Next up: Variation 2

what you need:

• decorative elastic, 2", 2.5" or 3" width (measure your child's chest and cut elastic 6-7" shorter)
• small amount of mid to heavy weight material that does not fray (leather, vinyl, suede, heavy wool felt etc.)
• Buckle 2"
• downloaded template

cut out 2 pieces of your leather using the template provided. **I have included 3 templates for different elastic widths, all of the templates use a 2" buckle

Take 1 leather piece and slip it through one buckle

Fold it in half so all the edges match up, Use tape (I use washi tape) or clips to hold it in place (if you are using thick wool/felt or something else that handle pins, then go ahead and pin it together)

Repeat with other leather piece and other side of buckle

Take your elastic and place one side (making sure the elastic and the right side of buckle are both facing up) in between the folded leather. tape the hole thing to keep secure.

Sew all around  the edge of the leather, SLOWLY and carefully, making sure to catch the bottom. If you miss some stitches in the back, you can always hand sew the gap OR you can sew another row around the leather to make it double stitched/secure

Repeat with other side

Done!

Next - My favorite variation (and a little more labor intensive) is the Flower belt

Since there are a few more steps to this one, I will post the full tutorial tomorrow, so watch for it :)





~ Christine