Boy's Lego Belt

I was actually supposed to make this for another blogger but missed the deadline due to the circumstances of my week last week. So...I get to show it here.

It didn't turn out exactly how I wanted so I guess it's good that it worked out this way. :)

It is a super, quick and easy belt. In fact. You can skip the belt making part and just add the buckle for a 5 minute project. So easy.

Let's get started.

I found this belt buckle at DI for $1.00. It actually came with a ratty, dirty woven belt that I didn't feel was worth salvaging. You can also get one at a craft store. I *think* Joann's might sell the buckles for $3.00 or so.

The buckle calls for a belt about 1 1/4 inches wide.

So I cut some gray canvas and a thick black cloth I found in the remnant bin. I cut them to 3 1/4 inches wide and 35 inches long. 

I then folded the sides in 

and ironed it down so that it was a finished 1 1/4 inch width. 

I sewed up the sides and some lines in between.

Please feel free to tease me about my inability to sew straight. It bugged me too!.. so much so that I made another belt but got the same results. If you really, really want straight lines, I recommend ironing the pieces together with fusible webbing and then pre-drawing washable marker lines before sewing. Also using matching instead of contrasting thread can help. It is really thick so sew slow.

I almost tried again but decided I didn't care that much so I finished the ends and called it good.

For one side I just did a regular quick zig-zag stitch {right}. This side will go into the buckle and be hidden.

The other side {left} I used a wider and tighter zig-zag stitch and went over it a couple of times. This is the "good" side that will show at the end of the finished belt.

Now for the buckle.

I gathered some Legos from Owen's collection. He has a TON of Legos and it still took some convincing on my part for him to give these up. He *almost* didn't let me take these. :)

I made a buckle piece and then cut a rectangle of black craft foam. 

As you can see. The actual buckle is curved. So gluing the Legos right to it can prove tricky and unstable. Adding the foam solves that easily.

Using my trusty E-6000 glue. I glued the Lego pieces together into the buckle form. 

You can get E-6000 glue at any craft store but Walmart sells it for $2.60 or something like that.

I then glued the foam onto the back of the Lego buckle piece and then added it to the actual buckle. 

E-6000, doesn't dry very quickly. So although it only takes a minute to make, plan on a lot of drying time. I give it at least a day or  more to be sure it is nice and stable.

And that's it. 

Owen loves it. I don't think he regrets giving the Legos up anymore.

What a little stud.

I think it would be fun to build a picture on the front with gem Legos. The only thing that worries me is that it would get played with too much and be a distraction in class or something. Or that the gems would get lost. I don't know why I have to be such a mom and worry all the time, but I can't help it.

And guess what this nice blue background really is? A dumpster by our house.

Ha ha! I was really trying to make my deadline [even though I sadly didn't anyway], Reid was napping and it was supposed to snow later that night. I had to get a little creative.

Thanks to Owen for being my adorable model. He let me style his clothes and hair how I like it, which is not common for him. When I asked him if he was having fun, he exclaimed, "Yeah!" and he even let me pay him in Laffy Taffy. :) Again...what a stud.