Try-it Tuesday: The Skirt Challenge {#2}—Leather Flower Belt

Okay, I know I’m a bit slow on the uptake with getting the installments posted for:

But today has been a bit…different.

In fact, I’m sitting here in my friend’s living room in Dallas while all three of my children hang out with their Grandma, and we’re watching footage of a tornado ripping through the area about 20 miles north of us. 

So far, no injuries/casualties, but all of those semis flying through the air are kind of cramping my shopping + movie plans.

Okay, bad joke…

But I am genuinely grateful that I spent so much time chatting with my friend that it took me way longer to get my photos than I wanted it to and delayed me from getting out the door because I would have been much, much closer to the tornado’s path if I’d left when I wanted to.

Moving on…

Let’s get to today’s $1 project, shall we?

I used the covered waistband from my “mullet skirt” (thank you for that perfect description, Bethany)…

…and added a fun leather flower for a twist.

I absolutely love the combo of prints + leather, so I thought that my gray/white Ikat pattern would work fabulously with the beautiful cognac leather from a GAP mini skirt that I scored at good ol’ GW weeks ago for $5.

Turns out, I was right.

At least, I think so.

You know what else I think?

It was a darn fine morning before all of this nasty, messy weather rolled in (holy moly, the mayor of Arlington just declared the city in a “state of disaster”).

Okay, so what do you need for a Leather Flower Belt of your own?

Oh, and although your flower-making options are practically limitless, if you make yours like I did, you’ll also need a candle (and fire…yup…that too).

Here’s what you’ll do:

1. Make a petal template for your flower. In keeping with my “using whatever’s on hand” goal, I pulled an Indian giver move and nabbed these pretty white ceramic flowers that I gave Katie (the friend I’m staying with) for Christmas and traced around them onto my scrap paper.

Apparently, I had incredible foresight in my gift-giving because I needed a large petal pattern and a smaller one, and I just so happened to have given her two different sizes of flowers.

So I traced around both the large and the medium flowers and then freehanded three circles for the center petals.

2. I pinned my templates to the leather skirt…

(yes, I know the skirt is cute and in perfect shape, but it’s not my size, and I couldn’t get this much beautiful leather for $5 anywhere).

…and started snipping.

3. Then I burned the edges of the leather petal shapes and circles until they curled upwards slightly.

(Pardon the fuzzy pic…I was focused on keeping the wind from blowing out my candle flame. If you do burn the edges, make sure to do it in a well-ventilated place because it can get quite, um, fragrant).

4. I stacked them on top of each other, and stitched them together through the center circle (stitching not pictured).

5. Next I cut the waistband away from the skirt…

…tucked the frayed edges under and stitched it in place

(I also added a line of orange stitching to the top edge so I didn’t have a random line of orange on the bottom).

6. I trimmed the length of the waistband, then cut a strip from the bottom (already hemmed) edge of the leather skirt, then wrapped around and stitched it to the “belt” ends.

7. I stitched two strips of Velcro to the end of the leather “wrapped” section (and trimmed that extra bit of waistband you see sticking out there).

I used two strips of Velcro for a stronger hold.

I may replace this with snaps eventually, but since I didn’t have any on hand, and I didn’t want to buy anything for this project, the Velcro will be just dandy for now.

8. I attached my leather fabric flower to the front of one belt tail with a glob (not a dab) of high heat hot glue and set it aside to dry.

9.  Finally, I tried it on and struck a pose for my sweet friend who was nice enough to play photographer.

So…

What do you think of the challenge so far?

I definitely feel like I’m getting my money’s worth.

P.S. Pray for the weather here if you think of it. Tornados are popping up all of the Dallas area, and there’s been a lot of damage.

_{The CSI project ~ Menu Plan Monday ~ C.R.A.F.T.  ~ The Southern Institute ~ Making the World Cuter ~ Thrify Décor Chick ~ Metamorphosis Monday ~ Sumo Sweet Stuff ~ Gunny Sack ~ Singing Three Little Birds ~DIY Homes Sweet Home ~ Dittle Dattle ~ 1929 Charmer ~ Everything Under the Moon  ~ ModMix Monday ~ Sew Stylish ~ Coastal Charm ~ Under the Table and Dreaming}

_{Tuesday ~ Get Your Craft ~ Tip Junkie ~ Blackberry Vine ~ Crafty Confessions ~ Me & my Boys ~ A Bowl Full of Lemons ~ Home Stories A-Z ~ My Uncommon Slice of Suberbia  ~ Carolyn’s Homework ~ Sugar Bee Crafts ~ House of Grace ~ Passionately Artisitc ~ My World Made by Hand ~ Uncommon Designs ~ Trendy Treehouse}

_{Wednesday ~ Blue Cricket Design ~ Somedays Crafts ~ Sew Much Ado ~ Sew Woodsy ~ Handy Man, Crafty Woman ~ Savvy Southern Style ~ {Primp} ~ Midweek Fiesta ~ Rae Gun Ramblings ~ Polkadots On Parade ~ Lollipop Cards ~ JAQS Studio ~ Let Birdz Fly ~ Let Birdz Fly ~ My Girlish Whims}

_{Thursday ~ Thursdays are Your Days, Transformation Thursdays ~ Somewhat simple ~ Show off your stuff ~ House of Hepworths ~ Delightful Order ~ My Simple Home Life ~ The Frugal Girls ~ Thrifty Thursday ~ DIY Diva Thursday ~ Tablescape Thursday ~ No Minimalists Here ~ Crafty, Scrappy, Happy ~ Thrifty Decorating ~ Between U and Me ~ 36th Avenue}

_{Friday ~ The Shabby nest  ~ Show and Tell Friday ~ Finding Fabulous ~ I’m Loving it ~ Simply Sweet Home ~ Whipper Berry ~ Chic on a Shoestring decorating ~ Spunky Junky ~ Delicate Construction ~ Homemaker in Heels ~ Family Ever After~ French Country Cottage ~ Common Ground ~ Young And Crafty ~ At the Picket Fence ~ Fingerprints on the Fridge ~ Miss Mustard Seed ~ Addicted to Decorating ~Bacon Time with The Hungry Hypo ~ Making Lemonade ~ I Can’t Stop Crafting ~ Over the Big Moon ~ Shabby Art ~ Answer is Chocolate}

_{Saturday ~ I heart nap time- Sundae Scoop ~ Tatertots and Jello ~ Be different Act Normal ~ Funky Junk ~ 2805 ~ Making Lemonade Blog ~I am Along for the Ride  ~ Lolly Jane}