I wore my Cassidy dress the other day and I wanted to accessorize it with a belt, but I don’t have any cute belts! Can you tell that I accessorize a lot?! Ha! Then I realized, that I could make a custom, adorable fabric accessory belt! It’s super quick and easy and I really love the look of it! I think that the alternating stripes turned out really cute! It was fun to add a bright pink button, too! Plus, I’d never be able to buy a belt that matches my dress so perfectly!! This project takes only a little fabric and can be used with any outfit that you want to add a fun touch to! If you need a pattern for a great dress for this belt, I suggest the Cassidy! It’s a fantastic pattern! Do you want a fabric accessory belt? Let’s make one!
Materials
- Fabric
- Interfacing
- Button
- Basic sewing supplies
Determine the size of your fabric accessory belt
- Measure around your waist where you want to wear your belt. I measured right where the bodice meets the skirt on my Cassidy dress. The measuring tape should be snug, but not uncomfortable. Write down this measurement.
- I wanted my belt ends to overlap by about 6 inches to allow room for buttonholes.
- Then, I needed an extra 1 inch for seam allowances.
- My final fabric width is 36 inches (waist measurement + seam allowance + overlap)
- Now, determine how tall you’d like your fabric accessory belt. I wanted mine to be about 2.5 inches tall.
- You will double this measurement and add seam allowance.
- My fabric length is 6 inches.
Now, cut your fabric and interfacing
- Cut 1 rectangle of fabric (mine is 36 inches by 6 inches)
- Cut 1 rectangle of interfacing. I only used interfacing on half of my belt. I used fusible fleece and it was pretty thick so I didn’t think that it needed to be folded over like the fabric will be because I didn’t want it to be too bulky. If you have a thin interfacing, cut 1 rectangle to the dimensions of your fabric. If you only want half the amount of interfacing like I did, cut 1 rectangle to the desired final height of your belt (mine was 2.5 inches) by the entire width of fabric. It’s all personal preference, so totally up to you!
- My interfacing was 36 inches by 2.5 inches.
Apply interfacing to the fabric
- You will follow the directions of your particular interfacing to apply it to the fabric. If you cut a rectangle the same size as your fabric, apply the interfacing to the wrong side of the fabric.
- If you cut the interfacing like I did (to the desired final height of the belt), apply the interfacing on the wrong side of the fabric 1/2 inch from the edge. This just keeps it out of the seam allowance to help the belt lay flat and reduce bulk.
Time to sew your fabric accessory belt!
- Once the interfacing is applied, fold the belt in half long ways and with right sides together.
- Clip or pin the edges.
- Sew along the long edge, right alongside that interfacing.
- Trim your seam allowance close to the stitches, but be careful not to cut into the stitches!
- Turn your fabric accessory belt right side out.
- Use a tube turner or pencil to help push it through.
- Once it is right side out, press well so that the belt lays flat.
- Now, you are going to hem the short edges.
- Turn the fabric edge into the tube by about 1/2 an inch.
- Press well.
- Topstitch along the edge of the hem.
- Repeat on the other short edge.
Time for Buttonholes!
- Now, you are going to figure out where you want your buttonholes. The buttonholes will go on the overlap of fabric. Use whatever measurement you chose in the beginning. I had 6 inches of overlap. So, I put clips at 6 inches from one end so I knew where to mark my buttonholes.
- I chose to do 2 buttonholes so that I had the option to make the belt looser or tighter. You can do as many or as little buttonholes as you’d like.
- My first buttonhole is 1 inch from the edge of the belt.
- There is a 1.5 inch space between my buttonholes. That is what I did, you can space them however you’d like.
- After you mark your buttonholes, use your sewing machine and buttonhole foot to make your buttonholes.
Last step! Add your button!
- The button will go on the right side of the belt on the end opposite of the buttonholes.
- I sewed my button in the center of my belt, about 1 inch from the end of the fabric.
- Use a needle and thread, or your sewing machine if it has the capability to sew buttons, and sew the button to the belt.
You did it! You made a fabric accessory belt!
Here is my Cassidy dress without the belt And with my new belt!
Want more FUN DIY Freebies? Check out the FREEBIE TUTORIALS and the FREEBIE PATTERNS!
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