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DIY Denim Belt

by Danielfish on October 26, 2007 Table of Contents DIY Denim Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Intro: DIY Denim Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Step 1: What you will need . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Step 2: Measure and cut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Step 3: Start sewing! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Step 4: Remove and attach belt buckle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Step 5: Finished! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Related Instructables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 2 3 4 5 5 6 6

http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-Denim-Belt/

Intro: DIY Denim Belt

How to make a relatively decent belt out of an old pair of jeans and another belt. This is SERIOUSLY cool.

Step 1: What you will need

Tools: Scissors/Stanley Knife (or Xacto knife, I think, in the US). Needle and thread (preferable similar colour to the stitching of your jeans, but it doesn't matter. White, yellow or blue look the best). Or a sewing machine, if you know how to use one. Something to mark your jeans with (optional). Pliers (optional). Materials: An old pair of jeans that you no longer want to wear (or that you don't mind looking like a prat in afterwards). A belt that you don't wear.

Image Notes 1. Scissors 2. Thread 3. Needle 4. Old, ruined jeans 5. Muse belt 6. Buckle, which can be easily removed.

http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-Denim-Belt/

Step 2: Measure and cut

Lay the belt over the jeans, to see how long your belt will be. Don't worry if you're legs aren't excessively massive, mine aren't, and it's really easy to fix. You will need to cut twice the width of your belt, and once the length. Although this is really up to you, if you want a supermassive belt you can make it longer, or if your normal belt is too big, you can make it shorter, it's really up to you. It's better to make it longer than too short, as it can easily be fixed, but if you do make it too short, don't worry, that's also easily fixed. Just not as easily. It's better to cut from the leg of your jeans, as it is the longest part. And extra denim you need you can just cut from the other leg, as the seam and style will be the same. Once you've seen how much of your jeans you are going to need to cut it out. To give the belt a little bit of strength and a little bit more to look at, I cut a belt's width either side of the seam, but this shouldn't be necessary. After cutting out as much as possible from one leg, I had to steal six or seven inches from the other leg. The cutting doesn't have to be too neat, as it can be straightened out when sewing. If you do want it to be neat, mark the jeans with chalk or similar. You can use a pencil to create a crease and an easily washable line (if you use a very soft pencil).

Image Notes 1. The first incision

Image Notes 1. If jeans could bleed, what colour would it be?

Image Notes 1. One belt width 2. Two belts width - this will replace the current, outdated measurements, I tell ye.

http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-Denim-Belt/

Image Notes 1. Plus a little more from the other leg

Step 3: Start sewing!

As is shown in the pictures, I have no knowledge of sewing whatsoever. But don't let that stop you, as my belt work fine even with the terrible stitching. So after spending thirty years threading the needle, I began. Then I got bored and started going as quickly as I could because it was taking forever. This is why a sewing machine would be useful. You'd have to pin it all up first though, as it can get tricky if not neat (_). Basically, find the side you'd like to be the front, ie the one with the seam, then fold it so that the seam is on the edge (or middle or wherever, mine sort of dips up and down a bit ). On the back, you just have to fold one edge towards the other but not all the way, then fold the remaining bit over and sew, making sure you're catching all three layers. Sorry for the lack of a picture for this step, I didn't want to jeopardise my progress. If you want to make the stitching as regular as the one already there, go for it. Just make sure you take breaks for food, I don't want to be responsible for your death. The second picture is where I have joined the two different parts of denim, before i tidied it up. It's simple, all you need to do is cut the second one slightly bigger if you can, but it doesn't matter if you can't. Then simply fold it over and continue stitching. You can revisit this join when you've stitched the whole length, as it might need a little bit of added strength. Try to make it as smooth as possible, or you'll have trouble getting it through the belt loops in your trousers/jeans(/pants) and also back through the belt buckle.

Image Notes 1. The amazingly crafted join

http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-Denim-Belt/

Step 4: Remove and attach belt buckle

Just take off the belt buckle from the belt, and get it onto your belt length of sewn denim. Simple. Make sure that you put it on the right way round, otherwise the messy side of your belt will be showing, or the back of your buckle will be. It may seem like a good statement, but it isn't. Let the belt do the talking. If you don't want to dismantle your belt or don't have a belt buckle, you can use two metal rings instead and sew a loop of denim (you could use a couple of belt loops to make this extra cool!) through those on the end, or alternatively you can buy a new buckle. There are most likely other ways to do this, so take your pick. Cheap belts are usually easier to take apart, btw! Also if your belt has a little metal clip on the end, take it off using your extraordinarily strong fingers/a set of pliers and reapply to the other end of your new belt. This will make it look better and also make it easier to use. You can see this on the finished product.

Image Notes 1. May look messy but this is hidden.

Step 5: Finished!
Ah lookit, a beautiful, wonderful, extravagant, delicious, personal, excessively amazing, head-turning, car-stopping, war-ending denim belt! It may seem a little pointless when wearing on other jeans, but it's very cool nonetheless. It will make your smart-casual suit trousers all the more arousing. Thanks for reading my first and best Instructable! ;) Dan Additional notes: If you want a little more strength from your belt, you can place a strip of cardboard or similar before sewing up. You could even do more denim for a more authentic denim belt. You can use a button system to close up your belt, but this doesn't look so good and can be quite impractical. After a little use, frayed threads may appear. Just cut these off as close to the 'root' as possible and you should be fine. I'm not quite sure how to combat this, but if need be you can always create a new one! When using pliers to close the metal clip or for any other thing you don't want to scratch, use a cloth or paper (or denim) around the clip so that the pliers don't mark it.

Image Notes 1. Don't let the fact that you can't really see it and it'll be covered up anyway stop

http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-Denim-Belt/

you, it's a great talking point. It's a lot more visible in better lighting/on other types of trousers/pants anyway.

Related Instructables

Recycle Denim/Jeans into Reusable parts with no waste. by passionfly

Mending Jeans Belt Loop (video) by MargueritaM

Super Easy Recycled Denim How to make a Tool Belt for Jean Skirt by Boys & Girls by mariaclemente2000 aplwh

Denim Frayed Lap Quilt by amnartist

How to make a jean skirt out of jeans. by threadbanger

Comments
12 comments Add Comment

pie popper says:

i think I'm gonna try it, but I'll use 2 D-rings instead of the buckle. (more feminine:)

Feb 11, 2010. 1:06 PM REPLY

platinum15 says:
heh heh...... we think alike(:

Mar 7, 2010. 4:18 PM REPLY

jongscx says:

Apr 6, 2010. 11:03 PM REPLY I used 2 D-rings for utility reasons. They let you hang the belt from hooks as well as letting it be cinched along the entire length of the belt...

nikolardo says:
Agreed. That's what I'm going to do.

Aug 16, 2010. 12:14 PM REPLY

starfox384 says:
why would you take the buckle off a MUSE belt?!?!?!

Feb 5, 2010. 1:31 PM REPLY

jongscx says:
to improve it... kidding.

Apr 6, 2010. 11:04 PM REPLY

bassclarinet23 says:
Coolio

Aug 31, 2008. 8:12 PM REPLY

rpgdude789 says:
you should have said to use a web belt but anyway great instructable!

Dec 15, 2007. 4:44 AM REPLY

dansheadel says:

Oct 28, 2007. 12:21 PM REPLY If you want to avoid a seam along the length, you could stitch the edge while the belt is folded inside out, and then reverse it. For long skinny things like this, it'd be easiest to stitch a rope/string on one end and lay it out across the length. Then, fold it over, so that it's inside out, enclosing the rope. Then sew it all together, and trip all the excess next to your stitching. Then, you can fold the end with he attached rope inside, and pull it through. Remove the rope and you have the seam neatly hidden inside the belt. This method may involve trimming off a bit of length though, so make sure you accommodate it.

Williz says:
You murdered, a Muse belt I will have to kill you!

Oct 26, 2007. 3:11 PM REPLY

http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-Denim-Belt/

Danielfish says:

Oct 26, 2007. 11:45 PM REPLY Don't worry! The spirit is still here, and I can easily swap back. It just means i now have a strip of black fabric which is the perfect length of my jeans, which says BLACKHOLESANDREVELATIONS down it. I'm gonna try that mod when I get home!

tiuk says:
Neat idea, I like it.

Oct 26, 2007. 2:43 PM REPLY

http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-Denim-Belt/