Over the last couple of posts, we’ve been discussing what it takes to create a beautiful, perfectly-fitting belly dance costume to wear at the next show.
We saw that how a well-fitting, beautiful costume can turn a dancer into a more confident and professional one… even if she is a hobby dancer!
And I shared with you my very own 7 biggest mistakes that made my belt turn around my hips while I danced on stage.
It was only later that I realized all I was doing was making a costume by guessing and hoping it’ll fit. I wasn’t taking the steps to make sure it WILL fit me.
Once I realized that, my costume making became more fun and satisfying!
In fact, there are only a few things that are crucial to making a costume that really fits. And the very first one is this:
You need to make a custom template for your costumes based on your unique curves.
And once you make a custom template, you can simply use it over and over again to make a costume to fit you EVERY SINGLE TIME.
It’s one of those one-time tasks that will make your life so much easier 🙂
The Most Important Technique for Making a Perfectly-Fitting Belt
Although I realized those rectanglular belts weren’t working for me, and I needed a more customized fit, I still had to figure out how to make a belly dance belt that fits me.
I tried making paper patterns, I experimented with different shapes, I looked through tons of pictures of belts that other dancers created…
But over and over, no general “how to make a belly dance belt” instructions worked for me.
So instead, I incorporated all the tips and tricks I learned and made a technique to create a really customized belt pattern. And after a few years I developed this technique, this is the single most effective approach to making a well-fitting belt.
This technique is like, cloning the shape of your hips and turning it into a belt… Okay, let’s call it the Hip Cloning Technique. 🙂
Thanks to this technique, I know my belt will fit me before I even start cutting materials. And this technique has worked for people of all different sizes.
Here’s Royah’s example:
“I followed Mao’s instructions and look! No muffin top and no gap at the back on the belt. Everything fits smooth and perfect.”
– Royah, Belly Dance Costume Workshop participant
The best part – once you make one pattern, you can use it over and over again to make as many belts to fit you as you like! If you gain/lose weight, you’ll know how to make a new pattern. It works for any size.
That’s the power of custom patterns!
How to Make a Belly Dance Belt Pattern that FITS!
Okay, so here are all the steps involved in how to make a belly dance belt:
- Make a pattern
- Make minor adjustments to the pattern to make it really fit
- Use right materials to make the belt base
- Cut out the base materials based on the pattern
- Assemble the base pieces
- Cover them with fabric
- Decorate, and add lining and closures
As you can see, the pattern you make at the very beginning affects everything else you do. In other words, if the pattern is off, all the work you put into it will go to waste.
You might be thinking, “But pattern making is difficult, right?”
Well, pattern making IS a complex subject.
But my Hip Cloning Technique is actually very easy. It can be done in less than 1 hour.
But not to be taken lightly.
Below I’ll show you the Hip Cloning Technique step by step, and help you make a perfectly-fitting belt pattern as well as perfectly-fitting belts 🙂
The Hip Cloning Technique
For the Hip Cloning technique, you need:
¼ yd (¼ m) non-stretch fabric – any scrap fabric would do, but make sure it does not stretch.
Pins
Marker
Scissors
Measuring tape
Step 1: Put on yoga pants or leggings that show your curves clearly.
It’s important that you can see and feel your curves well. So put on fitted yoga pants or leggings, and fold the waistband down to where you’d like your belt to sit.
Step 2: Measure the largest part of your hips.
Step 3: Cut the non-stretch fabric into 2 pieces of 8in (20cm) x (½ hip measurement + 4in (10cm)).
One is going to be your front panel, and the other one is going to be your back panel.
Step 4: Stand in front of a mirror, and pin these panels to your pants around where you want them to be.
Place one around your back and place pins at sides…
Then place the other one around your front and place pins at sides.
These panels should be overlapping at sides.
Step 5: *IMPORTANT* Make the panels fit well by creating darts.
So at this point you’ll notice that there are gaps at the top and bottom of the panels. Here, it is very important to take your time and close these gaps by creating darts.
A dart is simply a small fold you make to turn a flat piece of fabric into a 3D shape. It’s a super easy, but powerful technique.
So where you find a gap, take about ½-1in (1-2.5cm) of fabric and make a fold on the inside of the panel. Place a pin to keep the fold in place. (Don’t pin it to your pants, just pin the panel fabric.)
Make as many darts as you need to make the panel fit well, and try to keep the placement of darts symmetrical, but it doesn’t have to be perfect. Aim for a good fit, not perfect symmetry.
Here’s what the front part looks like for me.
You may not need many darts in the front, but you’ll likely need 5+ darts to make it perfectly fitting. If you can’t reach the back part, get a friend to help you 🙂
This is what the back side looks like.
With every dart, you’ll feel that those flat panels start to take YOUR unique shape. You see how you’re cloning your curves here? Take your time here, because this step is key to creating a perfectly-fitting belt pattern!
Step 6: Draw the belt shape directly onto the panels!
Once you got the last step done and you’re happy with the fit, the rest is easy!
Simply take a marker, and draw the belt shape you like directly onto the fabric 😀
It’s really up to your taste, but it’s easy if you just focus on a half of the panel. If you’re right handed, work on the right half, and if you’re left handed, work on the left half.
First trace the top of the waistband of your pants.
Decide how thick you want the belt to be, then draw the shape of the belt you like. Draw on the panels while looking at the mirror until you are happy.
And that’s it for the front panel.
The back panel is tricky, so we just mark a few points. First, decide how thick you want the back panel to be at the centre.
Then at the side, mark the same width of the end of the front panel onto the back panel.
Now take off the panels by removing pins (only ones that are holding the panels to your pants, NOT the darts).
Adjust and move darts so they are positioned symmetrically. And be sure to move the pins holding those darts to inside the outline, so that you won’t lose the darts. Then cut along the line you drew, fold at centre and trace it onto the other side.
And now you have a front panel like this!
For the back panel, connect the centre back marks and side marks and draw the shape you like for your back panel.
Then cut along the outline. Again, be sure to move the pins holding darts to inside the outline, so that you won’t lose the darts 🙂
This part may take a little trial and error to get the shape right. I’ll show you where you can learn to get the shape right more quickly in a minute. But for now, If you’re unsure, keep it a little bigger, so you can make small adjustments until you’re happy.
Once you’re satisfied with the shape, hold the panel in half and trace it onto the other side. Cut along the outline, and you have a back panel like this!
Now try on the panels, and see the fit. 😀
Do you need any more darts? Do you need to remove any darts? Are the side seams still aligning?
Make adjustments until they fit you perfectly.
And you’ve got a perfectly-fitting belt pattern! 😀
Like I said earlier, this Hip Cloning Technique is really not difficult or complicated. It doesn’t require any advanced seamstress skills. It’s just folding, pinning and drawing 🙂
But unlike general “how to make a belly dance belt” instructions, this Hip Cloning Technique is super customized. You can make sure you make a belt pattern that fits you perfectly. And with this pattern, you can go ahead and create a belt with confidence, because you KNOW this fits you perfectly.
So go ahead and give it a try! 😀
Of course, there are more steps to creating a belly dance belt that fits well. In fact, you may have other questions like,
- What’s the ideal shape of a belly dance belt? What belt shapes to avoid?
- What materials are best for creating a sturdy belt?
- How do I make the rest properly!?
If you’re interested in finding out step-by-step instructions to these questions, I have good news!
I’ve put together my step-by-step belly dance belt making method into 1 single program. It’s called, Belly Dance Costume Workshop (BDCW)!
The Hip Cloning Technique is only one small part of the belly dance belt making method in the BDCW that helps you create a perfectly-fitting belt that stays around your hips.
In the workshop, you’ll see exactly HOW TO SHAPE your belt pattern and the recommended belt width so your belt won’t be turning around your hips as you dance.
And I also cover how to make a sturdy base, and how to sew it together so all the darts will stay nice and flat, and how to cover it with fabric beautifully for a professional look.
Plus I have methods and techniques like this for making perfectly-fitting belly dance bra and mermaid skirt… And I’m so excited to share them all in detail in this program!
The workshop is only open a few times a year for enrolment, so I can give a lot of attention to my students. And right now, it’s open for a very limited time!
It’s perfect if you’ve always wanted to create a beautiful, professional quality costume to fit your unique curves with confidence.
Since you’ve come along with me this long, I’d love to invite you to check out the workshop while it’s open!
Click here to learn more about the Belly Dance Costume Workshop!
Be sure to check out the limited time special bundle as well! 😀
Thanks for reading, and keep sparkling!
