Flower Belt

This belt is a really cute addition to any shirt or dress, and it takes very little fabric. I’d get ¼ of a yard to be safe, but you really only need a little over 1/8 of a yard. In this tutorial, the belt is about an inch wide and there are 7 flowers (also called yoyos), but you can vary this however you like. Sorry, I didn’t do a very good job of taking pictures as I went on this one!

Things you need:
- 1/8 – 1/4 yard of fabric (at least 44” will work best)
- 7 buttons (or one for every flower you want to make).
- Needle and thread, sewing machine.

Directions:
Step 1: Cut out the main belt piece, but cutting a strip two inches wide all the way down the length of the fabric, so you have a piece about 2 inches by 44. Fold over, right side in, and sew. Turn right side out, and iron. Turn edges in and press, then sew to finish them.

Step 2: Make the flowers. I made two sizes. For the smaller size, cut a 1.5 by 6 inch strip of fabric. For the larger size, cut a 3 by 9 inch strip. Fold it over right side in and sew, then turn right side out and finish the edges off like the belt.

Step 3: By hand, stitch a line down the seam, through only one piece of fabric (so, not through both of the pieces. It will gather better this way). Then, pull to gather the fabric into a flower and stitch the edges together. Here’s picture of the belt, with some finished flowers and some in progress flowers.

Step 4: Sew the flowers on the belt. I staggered them up and down on the belt, but you can place them however you want. Then, sew the buttons on in the center of each of the flowers. I made a mistake and only bought 6 buttons, so I’m missing one. Enjoy your new belt!

I made this belt to go with the shirt, which I also made. It has really neat straps in the back, and pleats where the shirt and the straps meet. I'm thinking about drafting a pattern for it; would anyone be interested in one?