• 0 items$0.00
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Hands Occupied

Contemporary yarn crafts by Heidi Gustad. Knitting, crochet, latch hook and macrame.

  • BLOG
    • Knitting
    • Crochet
    • Latch Hook
    • Macramé
  • ABOUT
  • Shop
  • Studio
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

How-to: DIY a Wide Belt

November 25, 2013 7 Comments

How-to: DIY a Wide Belt at Hands Occupied

I’m a lady with an hourglass figure. I like my figure, but a lot of modern clothes aren’t necessarily designed to flatter my silhouette. Belts, dresses and higher-waisted pieces are staples in my wardrobe. Sometimes I find a cute dress that doesn’t have a tailored waist, or a top that hangs straight down, masking my waist entirely. That’s when a wide elastic belt comes in particularly handy. Wide belts elongate your waist, are super cute, and they’re incredibly easy to make.

Supplies

a piece of wide elastic long enough to fit around your waist plus 4 inches
belt buckle, same height as your elastic
scissors
straight pins
measuring tape
needle
thread

How-to: DIY a Wide Belt at Hands Occupied

Directions

Measure your natural waist with a measuring tape. Cut your elastic to the size of your natural waist plus 1.5 to 2 inches, depending on how wide your belt buckle is. Your belt should fit quite snugly, with just a little stretch to the elastic when you’re wearing the finished belt. I recommend pinning your cut elastic to your belt buckle as shown below and trying it on, pin side out, for size before sewing it together. If it’s too loose, you can increase the seam allowance or trim excess elastic before sewing. Easy!

How-to: DIY a Wide Belt at Hands Occupied

When you’re satisfied with the fit, fold the raw end of the elastic under twice and pin in place.

How-to: DIY a Wide Belt at Hands Occupied

Finally, you can either hand or machine sew the elastic parallel to the belt buckle, removing straight pins as you go.

How-to: DIY a Wide Belt at Hands Occupied

That’s it! A crazy simple DIY belt that’s super slimming for people needing to accentuate an hourglass waist, or for people wanting to emphasize a subtle waist (my mom and I have very different body types – she tells me creating a waist illusion is important). :)

Filed Under: DIY Style, How-to, Sewing Tagged With: belt craft, craft, crafts, diy belt, diy style, elastic belt, flattering belt, Sewing, simple, wide belt diy

About Heidi

Heidi Gustad is an artist, author and crafts designer specializing in knitting, crochet, latch hook and macrame. In addition to running the Hands Occupied Blog and Pattern Shop, you can find her making videos & co-hosting the Very Serious Crafts podcast.

Previous Post: « Weekly Reader
Next Post: How-to: Vintage Style Santa »

Reader Interactions

DID YOU LIKE THIS POST?
Visit similar articles...

  • How-to: Back Seat Pet Protector How-to: Back Seat Pet Protector
  • How-to: Faux Bois Sweatshirt & Tree CostumeHow-to: Faux Bois Sweatshirt & Tree Costume
  • How-to: Balloon Garland | Hands OccupiedHow-to: Balloon Garland
  • How-to: Duck Tape Tablet Case & Foldover ClutchHow-to: Duck Tape Tablet Case & Foldover Clutch

DON’T MISS ANOTHER UPDATE

Comments

  1. marissa | Rae Gun Ramblings

    November 25, 2013 at 11:11 pm

    ok I so need to keep my eyes open for some belt hardware

    Reply
  2. margaret

    December 8, 2013 at 7:29 pm

    These belts are great to wear with low cut jeans also! Keeps them from puckering in the back….and they are comfy. Never thought to fold under the elastic at buckle. That makes them look better. Thanks!

    Reply
  3. Maya

    October 9, 2014 at 9:01 am

    Would you be able to tell me the brand of the belt buckle you used? I can’t seem to find one like it!

    Reply
    • Heidi

      October 9, 2014 at 1:07 pm

      Sure! I got the buckle pictured at my local JoAnn, and the brand was Dritz. :)

      Reply
  4. september heart

    October 5, 2015 at 2:36 pm

    Where can I buy 5″ black elastic, preferably cotton gabardine to make cinch belts.

    Reply
  5. Alicia Bouck

    August 24, 2020 at 5:04 pm

    Awesome! I would love to make my own belt. Were do you find your belt hardware?

    Reply
    • Heidi

      September 8, 2020 at 7:07 pm

      Big box stores like JoAnn, but my favorite is local shops and indie online retailers. They usually have interesting finds! :)

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Heidi Gustad from Hands Occupied / Craft Book Author and Knitting, Crochet, Latch Hook and Macrame Designer

Hi! I’m Heidi, an author, yarn craft designer and content creator specializing in knitting, crochet, latch hook & macrame. My work unapologetically features primary colors and vintage-meets-modern style. My first book, Latch Hook: 12 Projects for the Modern Maker, is now available!

work with heidi

UPDATES BY EMAIL

Get a free pattern + biweekly updates sent to your inbox.

Let’s be friends!

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
Latch Hook by Heidi Gustad

Footer

INSTAGRAM

handsoccupied

Craft book author & content creator in love with primary colors & vintage vibes. / #latchhookbook out now!
.
knitting, crochet, latch hook & macramé

Heidi Gustad 🧶✂️
There’s an update on the blog today, & it’s ab There’s an update on the blog today, & it’s about how I’m going to take the next 2 weeks off to rest & recharge. ☺️🧶 No new content for y’all means I can also take a moment to zoom out & plan what’s next. Link is in bio. 
.
.
A note on Very Serious Crafts: In the post I discuss stepping away from the @seriouscrafts podcast to give myself more time to devote to some minor medical issues. Don’t you worry - my health will be fine, & @molliejohanson @redhandledscissors and I are still pals, and after a short break of their own, the podcast will be back! Just sans moi. 💁🏼‍♀️😆 
.
.
See you in a couple weeks! ✌🏻#handsoccupied #knitdesign #craftdesign #sofadedsweater
Been a little quiet this holiday week, as it shoul Been a little quiet this holiday week, as it should be. ☺️🎄The past few days have been filled with a lot of catching up on festive zoom calls & raising toasts to the camera. 🥂 Connecting with people has been a welcome change of pace! Now I’m feeling ready to meet my inevitable end-of-year deadlines. 😆
.
.
Warmest wishes for the season, my friends! ❤️💛💙
Hi, I’m Heidi, the craft book author & maker beh Hi, I’m Heidi, the craft book author & maker behind Hands Occupied! 👋🏻 I’ve been enjoying making Reels a lot lately, but I wanted to bop in to share a regular photo & say hello. 🤓 
.
.
rather than giving you my bio right now, I have a question. I just got this new sweater & I can’t stop imaging how funny it would be to wear this to a knitting class ... is that bad? 🤣🤣🤣
.
.
Pictured: a blond woman with glasses wearing a sweater that reads “all your sweaters are ugly” standing in front of a Christmas tree.
Wet blocking, also called immersive blocking, is o Wet blocking, also called immersive blocking, is one of the most common methods for finishing a knitting project and helping ensure its final size and shape. Learn basic blocking for absolute beginners in an easy-to-follow (non-Reel!) video tutorial! Catch the tutorial on YouTube or the Hands Occupied Blog, link is in bio. 🧶 #handsoccupied #stopswatchandblockit #KPAmbassadorsDec20 #sponsored
Had to share this perfect capture of one of my fav Had to share this perfect capture of one of my favorite weird homemade Christmas ornaments: a simple macramé Santa face with beads for the eyes and nose! My Great-Grandma made it too. 🎄
.
Might have to try making a quickie Reel tutorial for this guy - I think it’s the perfect project for it, don’t you? 🎅🏼 #handsoccupied #macrame
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Copyright © 2021 / Foodie Pro Theme On Genesis Framework / Branding by Ink + Mortar
All Site & Shop Policies / Privacy Policy / Cookie Policy