I love matching accessories. Today I’m going to show you how to make a double-tier ruffle armband I made to go with my brand new costume!
It’s quite unique and pretty, gives nice coverage if you’re a bit conscious about your arms 🙂
Also, I’ll show you a little trick to prevent the armband from slipping off your arm. Let’s get started!
To make this ruffle armband, you need:
Stretch fabric – You need a minimum 15cm x 30cm (6in x 12in) of stretch fabric per armband. So if you want to make a pair, you’ll need double the amount.
Lightweight fabric – About 1m (1yd) per armband. You can use chiffon or lightweight satin or any other lightweight fabric that drapes nicely.
Elastic – You need about 30cm (12in) of 1-2.5cm (3/8-1in) wide elastic per armband.
Matching color thread
How to make DIY Ruffle Armbands for belly dancers
Take measurements
First, let’s measure these 2 things:
- The circumference of your upper arm – this is where you want to wear the armband.
- The distance from your upper arm to your wrist.
Cut fabric
Take your stretch fabric and check the direction of the stretch. And cut out a rectangle that is parallel to the direction of stretch.
The rectangle is 12cm (4 3/4in) wide and the length is your upper arm measurement minus 4cm (1 1/2in).
Next, take your lightweight fabric, and fold it in half right sides together. And along the fold, draw a half-circle like this. The radius is your upper arm measurement divided by 6.28.
Then from the half-circle, measure 15cm (6in) and draw a larger half circle.
Cut along the half circles, and you have 1 whole circle like this.
Next, similarly, fold your fabric again and draw the same small half-circle according to the radius you calculated.
Then, from the half-circle, measure the distance between your upper arm and wrist. Draw this half-circle.
Cut along the half circles. If you’re making a pair of armbands, simply make 2 of everything.
Alright, let’s assemble everything!
Sew ruffle armbands
Take your circle pieces, and finish the raw inner and outer edges using your preferred method. You can use a simple zigzag stitch or a serger if you have.
Then open up the circle panels, place the small circle on top of the large circle. They are both facing right sides up.
Pin or clip the layers together along the inner circle. And do a basting stitch using a 5mm (1/4in) seam allowance. A basting stitch is a simple straight stitch with the longest stitch length setting on your sewing machine. But don’t backstitch here at the beginning and end. Instead, leave long tails of threads.
Now take the rectangle panel, and fold it right sides together and match up the short ends. Do a zigzag stitch with a 1cm (3/8in) seam allowance along the short ends.
Press open the seam. Also, fold 1cm (3/8in) from the top and bottom edges and press. And fold in half and press. You can see how this is going to the armband.
Take the armband and the ruffle set, then pull one of the long threads on the ruffles gently, and guide the fabric along the thread. This gathers the top edge of the ruffles. Pull from both ends until it’s about the same width as the armband.
Make sure the ruffles are right side out with the opening at the top. And open up the armband and place it wrong side out above the ruffles.
Then guide the ruffles inside the armband, so the right sides are facing each other.
Match up the edges of the armband and the opening of the ruffles. Place pins or clips.
Take it to your sewing machine, and do a zigzag stitch with a 1cm (3/8in) seam allowance.
Then turn it wrong side out, and remove the basing threads. These threads stop the armband from stretching, so it’s important that we remove them here.
Flip the armband up, and fold 1cm (3/8in) from the edge of the armband, and fold again at the crease towards the wrong side. Place the first fold right over the stitches from earlier so the ruffle edges are encased. Do this all the way around and place pins.
Then do a zigzag stitch right next to the fold.
And the armband is complete! Try it on and if it feels pretty snug, you can wear it as it is. But if it feels a little loose, let me show you a little trick that will prevent the armband from falling off your arm.
Take your elastic, and cut it about 1cm (3/8in) smaller than the armband.
Overlap the ends by 1cm (3/8in), and stitch the ends together.
Then mark 4 equally distributed points on the elastic. And do the same for the armband.
Place the elastic on the inside of the armband in the center, and match up the quarter marks. Make sure the elastic doesn’t show from the outside.
And sew each point by hand. This elastic is smaller than the armband, so it’ll hug your arm more tightly. But the bumps on your arm won’t show because they will be hidden inside the armband.
And your double ruffle armband is complete! It’s very nice and flowy, kind of like a long sleeve, giving you extra coverage. Make a pair and decorate them if you like. It’s also a great idea to make one to match and upgrade a costume you already have!
Speaking of upgrading a costume, in my next video, I’m excited to show you 3 easy steps to turning an incomplete belly dance outfit into a professional-looking costume. If you struggle to make your costume look complete, sign up for my newsletter below so you won’t miss it!
Click here to sign up for my newsletter & get my FREE course, Belly Dance Costume Making 101!
And if you’re wondering how to make the romantic purple mermaid skirt I was wearing in this tutorial, I have good news! I’ll be showing how to make this style of mermaid skirt and another one featuring double tiers in my upcoming course, Daria Mermaid Skirts premium course.
In this course, you can learn not only to make these 2 beautiful styles of mermaid skirts but to make them to fit your unique measurements and finish them professionally!
If you want to make your own Daria Mermaid Skirts, learn more here!
Hope you liked this DIY Ruffle Armband tutorial, and if you did, please share this tutorial with your dancer friends!
And if you want to make more belly dance accessories and costumes, check out my free email course, Belly Dance Costume Making 101. You’ll get lots of beginner-friendly projects to try!
Click here to join my FREE course, Belly Dance Costume Making 101!
Thanks for reading, and keep sparkling!
P.S. Pin this image on your belly dance accessory board!
Like what you read? Want to make more costuming bits yourself?
Learn more and sign up for my free email course, Belly Dance Costume Making 101 here!
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