What better way to welcome in the holiday season with some do-it-yourself goodies! I was really inspired by (and wanted!) {this red bow belt} and knew it could make a great simple project. A skinny belt is a flattering way to add a little sumpthin' sumpthin' to a basic sweater or plain dress. You could also wrap it around your wrist a bunch of times to make a festive cuff, wear it as a headband, or use the technique for unique, personalized gift wrappers!
Prep:
The amount of ribbon depends mostly on your waistline and desired bow size. I used 1 1/4 yards of red velvet ribbon, but there are other types and other materials to consider. You really just need enough flat material; heavy lace trim or thin leather could work, too. Let's get creative! I want to make a studded black leather one next, and a lace pink one with a rosette. Glue can make putting the bow together much quicker, but it can also be sewn with a few stitches. The needle and thread are necessary to securely attach the snap closure (glue won't grip the metal and ribbon well enough). If you can't find a snap, consider using a pretty little brooch, button or safety pin to secure the ends of the belt around your waist.
Cut a length of ribbon that will fit comfortably around where you want to wear your belt; lay that piece aside until step 2. We're gonna make the bow first, with the leftover ribbon. My belt bow is made up of two flattened loops of different length, stacked atop each other and cinched in the center by a third small piece. Velvet ribbon is pretty thick, but if you used flatter satin or grosgrain ribbon you could easily make three or more loops and a more elaborate bow. My pieces were about 9" and 6" long. If you're in planning mode, each piece will need to be twice as long as your desired loop. You'll also need one small piece that will form the center of the bow, about 2" long. I put a gold stud on the center of mine before incorporating it, and a button would be really cute too!
{Step 1} Fold each piece in half and mark the center point with a pin or a chalk mark on the back side. Fold the edges inward to meet at the middle point (that black dotted line in the photo) and glue or sew down, forming a sort of loop that's flat in the center. Squeeze the fabric for several seconds, then place under something weighty, like a book, and leave them to dry for about fifteen minutes (depending on the glue you're using).
{Step 2} If you're going to attach a snap or other fancy closure hardware, this would be a good time to do so. Remember to place each piece on the correct side! I messed this up the first time and had to redo one side so the ends matched up. I'll probably just use one of those tiny gold safety pins on the next ones though (me=lazy).
{Step 3} Let's put the pieces together! Stack the flattened loops atop each other with the glued edges facing the bottom and the smaller loop on top. Glue (or sew) together in the middle. Then glue the center of the littlest piece across the opposite way. Squeeze the center stack tightly for about fifteen seconds to let the glue set a bit, then glue the edges around to the back to the bow and squeeze tightly (velvet is so fluffy I didn't want the bow to stick out too much!) I stuck the bow under my laptop and let it dry fully overnight; if you sewed it, well you are just about done!
Glue or sew the bow to the belt, snap or tie it on and...
P.S. If you make one and post about it somewhere, I'd love it if you left a link! ♥
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