Belly Dance Tribal Belts

[Black Syren]

I know we have dancers here and I am trying to make my own, however I am having trouble finding a pattern for the belt itself..and where do you find the long fringe, someone suggested Yarn.

Any help would be appreciated...Thanks

[Duchess]

It depends on what sort of fringe you want. Using wool yarn will make very light fringe that when long tends to clump up. Using synthetic yarns (nubby, feathery etc) will make long looser fringe with good movement. The smooth synthetic cord/thread (which I think is probably what you're thinking of) are usually polyester and will make swaying highly mobile long fringe. Usually this stuff is bought as a fringe already, by the yard in what ever length you like. Try a google search or ebay. This stuff does look modern so if you're going for a more natural (I won't say authentic since tribal dance isn't authentic to any time, culture or what have you) look then you might want to avoid this stuff.

I don't usually attach the longer base fringe to the main belt, but make it a seperate one. That way the belt can be used for several different things. And sometimes its just damned inconvienent to have all that fringe draggin around. Nice fringe only belts can had for usually forty five to eighty dollars depending on length and dye job.

If you can give a little more clarification of what you're interested in I can post some links for you.

[Black Syren]

To be honest, I just want something with good movement and I love fringe and tassels and as this is my first attempt at making my own thought I would put feelers out and see what the general consensus is. But thank you for the input so far, gives me something to look into.

[Jolliet Rouge]

Syren, dear, you may also want to think about adding either coins or bells to your belt as well. Just a thought.

[BluePuppy]

Like Duchess said, you can usually get the thin cordy stuff sold already as fringe. Or you know those big tassels they sell for curtain pullbacks? those would probably work as well. They come in all sorts of sizes from very small to gigantihuge =p

good luck on your belt! :)

[Caraccioli]

If you can give a little more clarification of what you're interested in I can post some links for you.

Yeah, post a bunch of links and say something about Paris Hilton.

(At first glance I thought this was another one of our new "friends" posts. Good thing there wasn't a smiley in the title or I mighta' zapped it. I'm getting edgy around this place with all the SPAM were getting lately.)

[michaelsbagley]

Another thing you can do for a belt, is buy a very basic belt and sew additions to it to customize it. It saves you the frustration of starting with nothing, but is still a cheap and great way to get what you want.

My girlfriend has always had the best luck using this approach and swears by it. I think she got her last "base" belt from somewhere like "Trader Joes" for something like $8.

[Black Syren]

Well I have some really colorful fabric I bought two years ago, blues greens, blacks oranges and yellows. I added a small chain to the bottom of the fabric after sewing a belt and have added some yarn, feathers, bells and such..It's still not full as I have run out of stuff I had on hand. Will have to wait to buy my tassels and more bells and fringe. But thanks for all the info so far....

[Lady Alyx]

Well heck just spotted this post. I made for myself two tribal belts just recently...and I had so much fun designing them myself. I made one to go with my more Tribal outfit for faires and then another one I call my Pirate Tribal belt. All I did was buy some wide trims. I sewed two complimentary trims together. Then I added my tassels. As Blue Puppy mentioned the ones for curtain pull backs are great...and cheap if you find them in a discount store. I get them at a discount fabric shop. I also added either vintage metal buttons or dangles from broken jewelry (Indian jewelry)

I just made mine as a slim rectangle not the triangle, but will make some triangle ones as well.

Here is a beautiful one....for ideas

tribal belt

[Rumba Rue]

Nowadays at many yardage stores you can get ready-made beaded fringe. Some of the stuff I've seen is terrific for bellydancing outfits. I've even seen coins sewn on trims that all you have to do is decorate to your hearts desire any bra and belt design you want.

[Cap'n Sage]

I have made more than a few tassel belts for me wife. Ye can make the tassels yerself if ye want. Yarn is a good way to go fer those and not hard at all. The nice thing is that ye can weight them how ye like. I made some nice fat ones with good swing to em.

Ye can always make tassels out of hair. Yep. I bought extensions and then loop them through a metal washer and tie em tight around.

If ye have a JoAnne's fabric near about ye and make it to the embellishment section, there a tons of regular fringe by the yard and as others have said there is beaded fringe as well. I have used both and both work great for different things.

Look for some simple kuchi jewelry on ebay. Stuff is expensive as all get out but ye can find deals on some of the hanging pieces that will be nice to add to yer belt.

I also made a panel tassel belt--where you take 6-10 panels of rectangular or square fabric and lace them together in some way shape or form. I made a badass one out of leather with skulls and such. I will track it down and get some pics.

Keep an eye out for after Christmas sales as well for decorative tassels that are used as ornaments. They are usually very well made and swing like crazy.

All in all, have fun with it. Try different things. For good swing, tassel placement is key.

Hope this helps.

thesagelion.com

[Lady Alyx]

I was going to mention as well that you can make your own tassles...everyone probably made them in school as a kid.

Here's a website with tons of middle eastern costuming patterns, they have added loads more since I last looked. They even have a pattern for the gothic tribal belt similar to the one I made for my Pirate outfit. (It is towards the bottom of the page)

pattern webby

Here's another page with beautiful belts

tribal belt webby

And here's a page for making tassels

tassel making webby

[Maeve O'Treasaigh]

Fringe galore (yup, even the longish and super long stuff):

http://www.lynchs.com/cat--Fringe-Chainett...chainette2.html

https://www.murielleroy.net/miva/merchant.m...ategory_Code=14

http://www.crazycrow.com/Merchant2/merchan...ode=570-100-000

http://www.mjtrim.com/search.aspx?Query=ch...hainette+fringe

Hopefully that's part of what you're looking for Syren.

[Black Syren]

Thanks and all of that has been very helpful. I have been working on making my own tassels with just regular crochet yarn as practice. Not perfect but each one does get better.

As for the Kuchi jewelry tis very expensive and I have been raiding e-bay and found some good stuff though have not bought anything as of yet.

If any have pics of theres I would be intrested in taking a look at them, and definitely the leather and skull one..

Thanks for all the advice, links and tips.

[Rumba Rue]

Wow! Thanks for all those links Maeve and Alyx!

[Lady Alyx]

For kuchi jewelry, don't forget to scour, garage sales,flea markets, thrift shops, import shops. They used to be dirt cheap in the import shops years ago, now if you find a little bit it is expensive now, but the secondary market is the way to go.