Creating A Handcrafted Leather Belt: Easy Tutorial For Beginners Using Horween Leather. This tutorial shows the start to finish process for making your very own belt by hand. Belt making is a relatively easy beginner project and you have to utilize your new found leather crafting skills to complete the project. Making a belt by hand can be a very satisfying build as it should last a lifetime, if constructed well, as most leather craft projects can. For this projects I used a Horween Natural Chromexcel for a wonderful belt. The leather belts trap itself measured at 1 1/4 of an inch wide with 1 1/4 inch brass, matte finish buckle. These supplies were purchased from Buckleguy.com and are utilized very often in my Etsy shop ( ReedyRiverGoods).
Purchased for this project
1 1/4 inch, Horween Natural Chromexcel belt Blank- 8-9 ounces, 55-60 inches. 5.5 ounce Horween Natural 4-5 inches (not necessary but can be helpful so you dont have to skive down the 8-9 ounce piece of remaining belt for fixed loop)
Matte finish solid brass buckle @ 1 1/4inches.
Navy blue .8mm hand stitching flat waxed nylon thread. ( 1mm, 1.2mm could also be used)
Tokonole (or your edge finishing substance of choice)
Random measurements I mentioned
Buckle side flip measurement of 2 3/4 inches
1/2 inch oblong punch
3cm oblong hole for buckle insertion
5.5cm from tip of leather to where oblong hole starts
8mm from Tip of leather to stitch line
loop width 16mm
7 inches from center hole to finished tip of belt as excess
1 inch between sizes
13mm from loop to bottom stitch line
Belt making can be great as a gift giving opportunity or can have a create selling potential, if you are willing to carry lots of widths, lengths and styles. I love making leather belts but dont carry too many in my Etsy shop (ReedyRiverGoods) due to the high cost of belt straps and buckles. Learn from my belt making/sizing blunders with customers to save yourself some effort and money.
00:00 Introduction
01:28 leather belt supplies explained
02:20 tools to create handcrafted belt
04:16 starting buckle side of belt
10:04 how to cut hole to attach belt buckle
14:24 creating stitch line on buckle side of belt
15:34 hand stitching
18:33 measuring the fixed loop
22:04 how to measure belt lengths for sizing
23:29 see the finished belt!