DIY ATS Tribal Belt – inspired by kuchi belts for American Tribal Style belly dance

ATS weeks here at Sparkly Belly! 😀

Last week I shared with you how to make 4-yard pantaloons for ATS and tribal fusion belly dance, and I was so happy to see many of you got so excited as soon as I shared the tutorial! 🙂

This week, continuing the ATS theme, I’ve created this ATS tribal belt inspired by kuchi belts!

It’s simple to make but there’s lots of room for creative decoration ideas, and I can’t wait to share it with you. Let’s get started!

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To make this DIY ATS tribal belt, you need:

Non-stretch fabric – Heavy-weight non-stretch fabric with a nice body and weight would work really well for making this belt. I’m using cotton canvas here, and you’ll need about 15cm (6in) of 100cm (40in) wide fabric. 

Medium to heavy-weight interfacing – if you can get a fusible one, that’s easier. I only had sew-on interfacing, so I’m using that here. You’ll need about 30cm (12in) of this.

Fabric for lining – You can use pretty much any fabric for this. You’ll need about 30cm (12in).

Your favorite decorative bits – medallions, shells, coins, tassels, mirrors you name it! I’ll give you some ideas later in this tutorial 🙂

How to Make DIY ATS Tribal Belt

First, measure your belt line. It’s where you want to wear the belt, and not your waist. It’s usually between your natural waist and hips.

On your interfacing, draw a long rectangle that is your belt line measurement minus 12cm (4 3/4in) with your preferred width for the belt. Mine is 6.5cm (2 ½ in) wide. I sewed 2 pieces of interfacing together by overlapping them about 1cm to make the length needed.

From the middle point of one of the shorter ends, measure 4cm (1 1/2in), and connect to the corners so you have a pointy end. Repeat this for the other end.

Cut along the outline.

Use that as a pattern, and on your non-stretch fabric, trace the interfacing while adding a 1.5 cm (5/8in) seam allowance all around. Cut along the outline.

And use that as a pattern and trace it on the lining fabric. Cut along the outline.

From the non-stretch fabric, cut 2 strips that are 40cm (16in) long and 4cm (1 1/2in) wide.

Take one of the strips, and fold it in half lengthwise right sides together. Do a straight stitch along the raw edge with a 5mm (1/4in) seam allowance. 

Turn it inside out (I like to use a safety pin for this), and fold one end about 5mm (1/4in) towards the wrong side, flatten it so that the seam is in the middle, and do a straight stitch with a 2mm (1/8in) seam allowance. 

Repeat this with the other strip. These will be the ties for the belt.

Take everything to your ironing board now. First give the ties a good press so the seam lays nicely in the middle and the ties are flat. 

Then for the non-stretch fabric, fold in 1.5cm (5/8in) from all edges towards the wrong side, and give it a good press.

Repeat for the lining.

If your interfacing is fusible, place it on the wrong side of the non-stretch fabric, and give it a press so these 2 layers are together.

If, like me, you’re using sew-on interfacing, place the interfacing on the wrong side of the non-stretch fabric the same way, fold over the 1.5cm (5/8in) seam allowance, take it to the sewing machine, and do a straight stitch with a 5mm (1/4in) seam allowance.

Then at one of the pointy end, place the unfinished end of a tie by overlapping the ends about 1.5cm (5/8in).  Wrong sides up for both of them. And do a straight stitch a couple of times and secure the tie to the belt. 

Repeat for the other end. 

Now you have a perfect, sturdy base for your belt! From here, decorate it as you like!

You can make medallion appliques like these, add embroidered ribbon, layer lace, add coins, tassels  etc etc

I think lots of items can go into decorating this belt, but attention-grabbing pieces like medallion appliques really help balance the overall look of the ATS belt. If you want to make medallion appliques like these, these are all from my DIY Applique Kit shop.

This cowrie shell design was just added to the shop, and I’m in love with it! The kit comes with all materials, so it makes your project super easy! Check it out in the shop here!

Grab your favorite kits at SparklyBelly.com/shop, and make beautiful medallions, and add them onto your ATS tribal style belts!

*TIP* Holiday sale is on now at the shop! These kits will make perfect gifts for your dancer friends! Use the coupon code HOLIDAY2019 and buy 2 get 1 FREE! (Coupon code expires on Nov 10, so check it out now!)

After playing around with all these bits, I decided to use my favorite embroidered ribbon I picked up in New York City and kept my ATS belt rather simple so the medallions pop. I added the coins so there are movement pieces 😉 But for yours, do what makes you the happiest, be creative and add colors and fun items as you like! 

Once you decide on your decoration, sew on items that are going to be at the bottom of the layers first, then layer more on top. So I stitched the ribbon with a sewing machine first, stitched the coin chain on the back by hand, and sewed on medallions on top.

Once you’re finished decorating, on the backside, place the lining piece, and do a whip stitch all around to secure the lining to the back. This way all your stitches and hard work is protected, and the belt looks nice and professional from the inside too.

And your DIY ATS tribal belt is complete! The base is really nice and sturdy, and the size is adjustable with the front ties. It doesn’t take a lot of fabric, so you might be able to make with scrap fabric, and I had SO MUCH fun decorating it!

Again, be creative, and if you make your own inspired by this tutorial, make sure to share your creation in Sparkly Belly’s Facebook group! We’d love to see what you create!

And if you liked this DIY ATS belt, share love and share this tutorial with your dance sisters! They’ll appreciate it!

And if you’re curious about making more ATS or tribal costuming bits, sign up for my newsletter below and I’ll send you more ideas your way! 

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Next week I’ll share with you how to make this sparkly swirly armband inspired by ballroom jewelry.

If you’re curious about the armband, here’s another reason why you should sign up for my newsletter , so you won’t miss it! 😉

Thanks for reading, and keep sparkling!

P.S. Pin this image on your next project board!

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