Handmade by Hilani: belt

I have so much fun giving life to items in my closet. It makes me feel like I've been shopping, without the cost hitting my wallet. Below is a picture I posted to Facebook, asking my fans for help. I needed help deciding on a complimenting fabric for this boring belt, I found in my closet. You know, I almost threw it away but right before the toss, I realized, I could give it some life.

Below is the image I posted to Facebook, asking for their help, and then the tutorial on how I made the finished product.

After seeing everyone's votes, I recruited my 7 year old to practice his Tally Mark math technique. :) We wrote out the 4 numbers and then I went down the voting list on Facebook, while he tallied for me.

So...here's the final product; ain't she Purdy hun! ;)

I gathered some scrap, which was only 14 inches in length so cutting strips was necessary to get the width.

The belt measured in at 1.5 inches tall so a 1 inch strip was the magic number for my accent. This style of strip is to leave raw edges, which will fray over time. It's kind of my style, a vintage look. If you wish to have clean edges, just cut two inches and fold the sides in giving you a 1 inch final strip.

Because of the length, of my scrap fabric, I had to attach my three strips, by putting the right sides together and giving a 1 length stitch on it, then I pressed with the iron.

Because the belt is thick to begin with, I used clothes pins to hold my now one continuous strip of fabric in place. I removed the pins as I sewed along. I used a #14 sewing needle and a 5.5 tension with a 3 length.

Here's a close up of the finished product.

Thank you so much for those that follow me, and gave me feedback. I love my new belt!

I hope this has inspired you to re purpose something in your closet or head out and purchase a cheap, boring belt to give new life too.

If you liked this tutorial, you can visit my { Tutorial } page for more projects I've shared.

Coming Soon:

If you are interested in tutorials, and want to know sewing tips and tricks, follow my blog. I'm in the process of writing up a Sewing Series with a fun Fabric Giveaway! Thanks for hanging out with me.