Fashion Tips: How To Dress Up An Ordinary Belt

Look around a craft store or department to get some ideas on what you could use to make your belt a little snazzier. Craft stores have unique things like ceramic arrowheads. They come in various colors like black, turquoise, white or blue and can easily be hot glued around the belt. They also have things like conchos, metal pieces that can really enhance an ordinary belt. Most conchos have a slit where you can thread strips of leather. After threading several of the conchos on the leather strip, glue the conchos in place and let the extra leather stripping hang down in front. Or, just glue the conchos directly onto the belt every few inches.

Wooden shapes are flat and are available in any number of sizes that would be perfect on your belt. Paint the shapes, which can be hearts, diamonds, even snakes. Paint with metallic paints, glitter paints, pearl paints, or something eye-catching. You don't have to have the wooden shapes, though; you can just paint your name or other designs on with fabric paint that puffs up when dry. Appliqués are another way to fix a belt up in a hurry.

With a strong needle and thread, you can change the entire look of the belt. Take red, turquoise, or any color or combination of thread and make whipstitches along the edges of the belt. Take two or three stitches, then slide a bead onto the thread, then take two or three more stitches, and so on. You can also just string seed beads onto the thread, then wrap the thread around the belt, securing the thread at each end, or place the strands of beads vertically on the belt. Eliminate the thread and spread glue onto the belt, then sprinkle the seed beads, in various colors, all over the belt. Or, do away with beading altogether and sprinkle multi-colored sand onto the glue. When it's dry, spray with two or three coats of sealant. Re-seal the belt after wearing a couple of times to keep the sand in place.

Flat, tumbled rocks are smooth and shiny - perfect for enhancing a belt. Choose small flat ones to prevent the belt from getting too heavy. Replace the rocks with shells, brass letters, tiny rubber lions, or any number of other unique decorative items.

Rhinestones can be arranged in dozens of different styles and give the belt a look of expense. Line the edges of the belt with rhinestones, or spell your name across the back. Group them together to form small flowers and leaves, or make rhinestone dots all over the belt.

Sequin is very inexpensive and can be sewn or glued on. Cover the entire belt with them, or make a specific pattern with the sequin. Fixing a belt up the way you want it to look is fun, easy and rewarding.