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
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!
When you’re satisfied with the fit, fold the raw end of the elastic under twice and pin in place.
Finally, you can either hand or machine sew the elastic parallel to the belt buckle, removing straight pins as you go.
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). :)
ok I so need to keep my eyes open for some belt hardware
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!
Would you be able to tell me the brand of the belt buckle you used? I can’t seem to find one like it!
Sure! I got the buckle pictured at my local JoAnn, and the brand was Dritz. :)
Where can I buy 5″ black elastic, preferably cotton gabardine to make cinch belts.
Awesome! I would love to make my own belt. Were do you find your belt hardware?
Big box stores like JoAnn, but my favorite is local shops and indie online retailers. They usually have interesting finds! :)