Diy Garter Belt For Your Wedding Day

Making your own garter belt for your wedding is a fun and easy DIY project. You can make your own garter belt with some basic sewing skills and supplies such as lace, elastic, measuring tape, and sewing materials. First, measure your thigh with a tape measure, then cut your elastic strip to size. Prepare your lace by cutting it according to the size of your elastic strip, and sew the ends together to close the garter belt. Pin and stretch out the elastic strip, sewing the lace onto it and cutting away any excess material. You can then add decorations like ribbons, crystals, or pearls. Finally, test your belt to ensure it is sewn securely.

Choosing the right fabric and lace

When choosing the fabric and lace for your garter belt, it's important to consider the occasion and your personal style. Garter belts can be made from various materials, including lace, leather, vinyl, silk, satin, cotton, faux fur, and nylon. If you plan to wear your garter belt as a fashion accessory or under your everyday clothing, opt for breathable and comfortable fabrics like cotton, satin, or powernet. These fabrics will ensure that the area of your body where the garter belt sits can breathe, which is essential for your comfort and health, especially if you plan to wear it for extended periods. Additionally, avoid embellishments like lace, ruffles, and bows for daily wear, as they may show through your clothes and cause snagging.

On the other hand, if you're making a garter belt for the bedroom, you have more flexibility in your fabric choice. You can opt for luxurious and sensual fabrics like leather, satin, lace, or faux fur. If you're feeling bold, you can even choose a garter belt with rhinestone detailing. The key is to select a fabric that looks and feels good to you.

When it comes to lace, you can find garter belts with delicate lace patterns that add a romantic and feminine touch to your lingerie. Lace garters can be paired with matching lingerie sets or mixed and matched with different pieces to create a unique and flirty look. Remember, the garter belt should complement your personal style and make you feel confident and empowered.

In terms of colour, garter belts come in a variety of shades, from classic black to bolder options like pink or blue. If you're creating a wedding garter belt, you might want to consider an ivory or white colour to match the traditional bridal theme. You can also opt for a bright shade to add a pop of colour to your lingerie ensemble.

Taking measurements

To make your own garter belt for your wedding, you will need to take several measurements to ensure a good fit.

First, measure your waist where you want the top of the garter belt to rest. Next, measure your hips where you want the bottom of the garter belt to reach. Then, measure the distance between those two points. Alternatively, you can measure these points on a pair of underwear that fits you well.

If you want to create a pattern for your garter belt, as in the example provided, you will need to do some simple calculations. Draw a line that is a quarter of your waist circumference minus 0.5 cm, then leave a 2 cm space, and draw another line that is a quarter of your waist circumference minus 0.5 cm. This will give you a pattern waist circumference slightly smaller than your actual waist. You will add a fastening to make up the difference.

Next, draw a centre front line of 10 cm with a 5 cm auxiliary line, and a centre back line of 5 cm with a 10 cm auxiliary line. These auxiliary lines will help you draw your pattern straight, so you may want to define the main lines with a marker and use a pencil for the auxiliary lines. Draw horizontal lines at 10 cm and the very bottom, and vertical lines starting at the edges of the waist lines. Another vertical line will set the centre of the 2 cm space.

If you want to add garters, you will need to determine their positions. The distances between the attachment points should be fairly equal. In the example provided, the distance between the front garters is 6.5 cm, between the front and side is 6 cm, another 6 cm between the side and back, and 6.5 cm between the back garters. Draw auxiliary lines in the centre of each distance to make the next step easier.

Now, you will need to draw arcs to give the garter belt a nice shape that will suit your curves. The illustration provided in the example can guide you on how to draw these arcs.

Before you start sewing, try your pattern out on a scrap of fabric to ensure that it fits and make any necessary adjustments.

Cutting the fabric

Firstly, take the measurements of your waist and hips, as well as the distance between these two points. These measurements will guide the cutting process. If you don't want to measure your body directly, you can use a pair of underwear that fits you well as a reference.

Next, draw an isosceles triangle on a piece of paper, with the base equal to half your waist measurement and the height equal to the distance between your waist and hip measurements. Cut out this triangle along the lines. This will serve as your pattern.

Now, take your chosen stretchy fabric and fold it in half. Lay it flat on a table and place the paper pattern on top. Pin the pattern to the fabric at each of the three points: the two corners of the base and the apex. Trace the pattern onto the fabric using chalk or a fabric pen. Keep the two layers of fabric pinned together and carefully cut along the triangle lines, ensuring you cut through both layers. You should now have two identical fabric triangles.

Unpin the triangles and lay them side by side, with the triangle bases on top. Sew the top right corner of one triangle to the top left corner of the other. As a result, your two triangle bases will form one long, continuous line, which will be the base of your garter belt.

Cut a piece of elastic lace to match the length of the sewn-together triangle bases (your original waist measurement). Place this lace strip above the triangle bases and sew them together using a basic up-and-down stitch. This forms the waistband of your garter belt.

At this point, you can add decorations and embellishments as desired. Test the garter belt on your thigh to determine the correct placement of any decorations, such as ribbons, crystals, or pearls.

Your fabric cutting is now complete, and you can move on to the next steps of constructing your wedding garter belt!

Sewing the fabric

Now that you have your fabric cut out and ready, it's time to start sewing!

Firstly, sew the two fabric triangles together. Place the two triangles side by side so that the bases are aligned, and sew the top right tip of one triangle to the top left tip of the other. The two bases should now form one long line.

Next, cut a piece of elastic lace to match the length of the sewn-together triangle bases (your original waist measurement). Place the lace strip above the triangle bases and sew them together using a basic up-and-down stitch. This will form the waistband.

Wrap the ends of the waistband around to meet each other and sew them together with a tight blanket stitch. When you hold up your project by the waistband, there should be two triangle points hanging down, which will sit around your hips.

Now, cut two 4-inch strips of elastic lace. Sew one strip to the hanging point of each triangle. Attach two garter snaps to the ends of each piece of lace, following the directions on the garter snap package.

If you are using a sewing machine, wind the elastic thread onto the bobbin by hand before you start. You may also want to read up on shirring if you haven't done it before. Thread your needle with regular thread and install the bobbin with the elastic thread.

To attach the ribbon to the lace, sew two rows of stitches, one on either side of the ribbon. This will make the lace appear more solid and rigid.

Now, sew a straight stitch with your elastic thread along the lace. Make sure the fabric is stitched evenly and that the runners pull it along. It should automatically gather due to the elastic thread. After the first line, pull on the fabric to make it straight as you sew the next three rows. Don't forget to reverse/lock stitch over every row at the start and end to lock the elastic in place.

Go over the lace and cut off any loose threads. Decide whether you want to use a silicone band. If you are making an actual garter, a silicone band is recommended, especially if you have larger thighs. Measure the exact width of your thigh and add a 1/4 inch. Rule and mark out this length on your lace. If you are using a silicone band, do not pull on the lace as you measure. If not, pull the lace taught as you measure so that the elastic's strength can "grip" your thigh.

Finally, form a loop with the lace. Pin the ends of the lace together and sew over them multiple times with normal thread to lock all your thread. Cut off any remaining loose threads and excess lace.

Your garter belt is now complete!

Adding decorations

Now for the fun part: adding decorations to your garter belt! The decorations you choose are entirely up to you and your personal taste. You can add ribbons, crystals, pearls, or anything else that strikes your fancy.

To ensure that your decorations are positioned correctly, test the garter on your thigh to see where the decorations will fall. This will help you determine the best placement for your chosen decorations.

If you want to add a silicone band to your garter belt, you can follow these steps:

• Put both the lace and the silicone band under the footer of your sewing machine.
• Pull the band taut on the side that is being fed into the machine.
• Sew the band to the lace using a zig-zag stitch. Be sure to stretch the silicone as you sew so that it is the same length as the lace.

Your garter belt is now complete! You can add as many decorations as you like to make it unique and special for your wedding day.

Frequently asked questions