Make a Bellydance Belt

This is one method for making a belly dance belt. This method uses an old t-shirt as the base.

Steps

  1. Cut the top part of the t-shirt off under the arm holes until you are left with a "tube" of fabric
  2. Put the fabric tube on a mini-skirt, this will serve as the mold of the belt, and wear it in as you would the finished product.
  3. Get a friend to wrap the fabric tube (while on you) in duct tape. The purpose of this is to make a "pattern" of your exact body so that your belt will fit perfectly. The fabric is used so that the duct tape will not stick to you or your regular clothes.
  4. After you are wrapped (the tape needs to cover the entire t-shirt), get your friend to draw an outline of points on the duct tape of where you want the top, bottom, sides, etc. of the belt to be.
  5. Get your friend to slide a pair of scissors under the duct tape/fabric and make one cut up each side (at the hip) to remove your "pattern" from your body. Do this carefully.
  6. You now have a perfect pattern of the front and back of the belt that should match your shape exactly.
  7. Trim off the excess fabric by following the markings that your friend had drawn on the duct tape.
  8. Now, get your interfacing, base fabric, and decorative fabric and felt and cut out front and back from each, using your duct tape "pattern".
  9. Remember to add an extra inch or two on each side of the front and back pieces when you cut out your fabric so that you can close the belt and have extra to overlap for weight gain or loss.
  10. With a sewing machine, Sew all layers of the back pieces together to make one heavy weight belt back. Repeat with the front piece layers to make one heavy weight front.
  11. Decorate the front and back pieces and use some kind of decorative trim to cover the stitches where you sewed the layers together.
  12. Join the sides together with heavy duty hook and eyes.
  13. Place felt on the inside of your belt to absorb sweat and make it comfortable.
  14. Finished.



Tips

  • Remember to add an extra inch or two on each side of the front and back pieces when you cut out your interfacing, base, and decorative fabric so that your can close the belt and have extra to overlap for weight gain or loss.
  • Base Fabric
  • Sew together in following order:
  • Decorative Fabric
  • Felt is glued in to the side next to your skin after you have decorated the belt.
  • Interfacing
  • If your butt/front pattern is "rounded" after you cut it off, then make small slits on your duct tape pattern to "flatten" it out, then use these "slits" as indicators for darts on your finished product.

Warnings

  • Don't wrap the tape too tight; remember, you are making a belt not a girdle.
  • This is a bit tricky, so if you have questions, please feel free to email me.
  • If your butt is J-Lo round , your pattern will be round. You will need to "flatten" out your pattern by making small vertical cuts on the top and bottom. When you flatten it out these little slits become little "v" shaped cuts. These need to be marked on your interfacing, base and decorative fabrics and sewn as darts. A dart gives shape to fabric. So your dart will make your "flat" pattern become "rounded" on the finished product.

Things You'll Need

  • A tight fitting old t-shirt that you don't mind cutting up
  • Duct tape
  • A permanent marker
  • Super stiff interfacing
  • Base fabric that the same color as your decorative fabric
  • Decorative Fabric
  • Heavy Duty Skirt/Trouser Hook and Eyes
  • Lots of "stuff" to use to decorate the belt
  • Felt
  • A friend will have to help you
  • Basic sewing knowledge including making darts
  • Sewing machine

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