DIY Faux Leather & Ribbon Belt-Part 3

Alright, this is the third and final chapter of the DIY Faux Leather Belts, I promise.  I am not going to go through and do a thorough tutorial, because frankly, I think that most of it is pretty self explanatory.  If you have any questions just let me know.

As I was working with this material I remembered that I had a leather hold punch set.  I had purchased it for book binding, and had stashed it away.  I pulled it out and started imagining what I could do with it.  Initially I was thinking that it would be rather handy to add belt holes (which it is), but then I came up with a couple of additional uses. 

Notice the cutting mat, it is a must.

 Now there are a number of different types of leather punches.  Mine happens to be a more basic model.  It has interchangeable heads for punches of different sizes.  You simply select the size you'd like, place it on top of your material, and use a hammer to cut through the material.  Disclaimer: when using my leather punch I always have to have it on a hard surface (like the kitchen floor), and I have to have a protective layer (such as a cutting mat or cutting board).  I usually have to give it about 7 or 8 good whacks with the hammer and a couple of twists and the punch is made. 

One idea was to make a thin "leather" belt with ribbon laced through out it.  I cut out a piece from my red material. I cut it so that the ends almost met around my waist, rounded the ends of the material, and began punching holes.  I punched one hole on either end of the belt about 1/2" in.  I then made a series of punches along the belt. I left 2" between each set of holes that were 1/2" apart.  The sets of holes were where the ribbon was exposed on the outside of the belt.  I added a bit of fray check to the end of my ribbons so that they wouldn't fray, and I was done.  I left about 10" of ribbon on either end of the belt for tying. If you like the look of this belt, but don't have a leather punch available, you could always use an x-acto knife or pair of sharp scissors to cut slits in your material.  

The other belt that I made with the punch set is a wider and slightly more decorative belt.  This belt I intended to have some overlap (unlike the red belt).  I cut it about 4" wide and long enough to wrap around my waist with about 5" of overlap.  I wanted to make a decorative pattern at the end of the belt similar to what you might find on a pair of wingtip shoes.

Placement marks

 I marked my pattern onto the end of the belt, and using a variety of different sized punches made the holes.

 I also added a simple punched pattern on the loop of the belt and around the edges of the belt itself.

Punches along edges of belt

  I love how you can catch a peek-a-boo of color when the belt is layered over a top.  I made belt holes on both the top and bottom overlapped material.  That way I could lace ribbon through the holes and tie it in a bow or a knot.  I positioned the holes close enough together that I could also use a standard sized pin or brooch to fasten the belt. 

I'm still working on my bow tying skills, but I am sure it will come with time.  These are quick and easy belts to make, and they don't require any sewing.  I used satin ribbon for the ties, but you could use anything that you have on hand. 

Okay, I promise that I won't pop in with anymore belt posts for awhile, but you might see a bit more faux leather in the future-I have to use up the scraps.

Looking for a leather punch?  Here are a number of available leather punches.

Check out where I'm partying today-I love a good link party.