Hello all. I've been working on making my first Jedi costume, so please forgive me if this is a terribly newbie question. I've been trying to find a Jedi belt (preferably black) for my costume, and I'm having difficulty finding a belt that will fit right. From what I've seen so far, there's a standard "Anakin belt" and "Obi-Wan" belt, starting at medium, for a 32' inch waist. My waist is right around 31' or 32' inches. Does anyone know where I can find a smaller belt that would fit a woman? I'm not very artsy and I doubt I'd be able to successfully make my own belt. And though I've found at least one site online that makes custom belts, the $150+ price tag was a bit prohibitive for this girl in grad school. If there really aren't any other options beside the standard Ani and Obi belts...has anyone ever bought one of these? Can they be adjusted with velcro to fit a smaller waist? Thank you for any help!
Making your own belt is not nearly as scary as it seems. And, speaking as someone with an even smaller waist... I ended up making my own. The price tag is just so much lower that way. If you're not terribly crafty yourself (and the tools to do it right will set you back a little extra), your best bet is to find someone who does small commissions and doesn't charge a lot beyond cost of materials. Though in all seriousness, with the right supplies, it's a very simple and straightforward project, and completely non-scary.
Thank you! Honestly, I don't trust myself to fiddle with making the belt...would you happen to know a place that does such commissions? Otherwise...I suppose I'm off to etsy to see what there is with beltmaking!
One of my fellow Rebel Legion ladies in Colorado is my go-to for leather work. I'll ask her if she makes Jedi belts and if I can pass along her information.
Really? I would appreciate that! I poked around etsy last night and found a couple possibilities, so hopefully something will work out!
Your best bet would be to ask at Rebel Legion or Jedi Assembly. And get reviews/references before buying and I make costumes for other than SW, so it was worth my while to get my own tools and make my own. Just in case you decide to try it, this is what goes into making a basic belt. Parts: - 2 1/2 in pre-cut belt blank for back belt - 1/2- 3/4 in pre-cut belt blank for inner belt - 8 studs to hold inner belt in place - Buckle (those are the toughest for me to find - I've found Anakin style online and salvaged belts from the Goodwill, but I have to look at a lot of belts before I find one I like) - Thin leather scrap to make belt keeper (to keep the ends of the inner belt in place depending on what kind of buckle you have) - Brown cord for sewing the belt keeper - Long Leather scraps to glue on the inside of the belt to give you a 'ledge' to hook the saber clip and those pesky food capsules on so they don't come off. - Brown leather dye (or whatever color you use) - Leather finish (to protect/seal in the leather dye color) - Leather glue - 4-5 oz leather for the loop on the back (if you have enough to wrap around the end of the belt twice, you can make the wide belt completely adjustable, so the only fastener you need is the buckle on the smaller belt in front) Tools: - Utility knife for cutting - Metal ruler (for cutting straight and marking holes) - Masking tape (for marking leather before you cut or punch holes) Hole punch (there's a 6-size plier type hole punch if you don't know what size holes you need for the studs) - Wool daubers (for painting on the dye and finish) - Leather sewing needle (to use with the cord for sewing up the belt keepers) - ice-pick-like hole punch for making the belt keeper Add some 4-5 oz, or 5-7 oz leather and some sticky-back velcro augmented with leather glue, and make your own pattern with some trial and error, you can make your own belt pouches, too, but that's another story. I get most things from Tandy Leather online. But if you have a local leather store, that's good, too.
Jinn, you said you have trouble finding buckles, well I like to get mine at http://www.strapworks.com/Side_Release_Buckles_s/35.htm they have nice Anakin style buckles.
Not sure if this is helpful, because it is DEFINATELY not an official star wars belt, but it's good if your in a pinch... My dad had two old belts with a sort of woven design on them... They were kind of beat up and scuffed, but that only seemed to improve it's 'Jedi-ness'. If you can find a regular belt that will fit around your waist, you can find simple tools at hobby shops to make more holes in the belt so it'll fit around your stomach. We just hooked our lightsabers onto a 'D' ring which we easily slipped onto the belt.
Just out of curiosity, does the smaller belt have to be smooth leather, or has anyone ever made one with braided leather? I'm also wondering if the belts have to look like leather or if there have ever been any canvas or other type material belts that look like they could fit in with the theme. I'm having difficulty getting things to load because my internet is throttled to snail pace, so I haven't been able to look at much in terms of the various belts.
