How can I reuse or recycle snapped belts?

belt(Well, snapped is too harsh of a word for it but I can’t think of a better one ;) )

John and I had a major tidy/clean of our bedroom at the weekend and as well as collecting three bags of stuff for the charity shop, a giant bag of unwanted plastic coathangers and organising my crafting fabric stash, I found five old belts dating back over the last few years.

Two are woven straps that fastened with D-loops or those annoying slider buckles that come loose really easily. Both are quite fun designs so I’m thinking maybe casual bag strap?

The other three I got after I realised how much I hated D-loops/slider fasteners and are the more convention stick-and-holes style. The top six inches of those have pretty much fallen off – not surviving the repeated bending over the buckle and through the loops. I could trim the end neatly but would have to lose a bit of weight in order for the shortened belt to fit. And by “a bit of weight”, I mean my pelvis.

So what can I do with them instead? From end to end, they’re about 60cm (24″) and about 3cm (1.5″) wide. They’re pleather – which is, I suspect, why they’ve broken – with metal decorations. One of them (the black one with square studs on it) might work as a wrist cuff or as a “I’m well ‘ard” decoration on a bag ;)

Any other suggestions though?

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12 Responses to “How can I reuse or recycle snapped belts?”


  1. Deb says:

    Use them to keep sleeping bags,drop cloths, blankets and such rolled up.

  2. Erin G says:

    They make great bookstraps! Use them to hold big stacks of paper or files together. Keep the lid on boxes.

  3. rainboltart says:

    use them for straps on hand made messanger bags / purses etc. If they are thin, cut and use as a book mark, tool the leather to personalize the book mark. Wrap the canvas around a cell phone or PDA pin or tack and then sew it into a holder for the phone/PDA that can loop around your new belt.

  4. Alice says:

    Learn lesson – buy good quality belts in future so you don’t get through them so fast! Also buy belts with “growing room”, just in case…

    Fake leather, cotton and most other things are easier to stitch, so maybe you could stitch two broken ones together to make one usable one.

    Also, you could take the horrible buckles off and stitch better ones on. With artificial fibres maybe you could try using a lit stick of insence to burn the edges of the holes to stop them fraying.

    It’s easy to find good quality real leather belts in charity shops, so go out and get something that will last!

    • louisa says:

      I do that now – these belts are from “before”.

      I got a lovely tan leather one from a charity shop in Harrogate for 50p the other week. Hopefully that will last me for ages.

      (An informational aside for those who may be visiting the area: Harrogate is awesome for charity shopping. There is a road – I think it’s Commercial St – which has about a dozen charity shops on it and we always get great bargains on there.)

      -louisa :)

  5. Alice says:

    P.S. sorry, don’t burn the edges, obviously just MELT the edges, otherwise you’ll stink your whole house out and possibly also burn it down..!!

  6. Trish says:

    Cut them into squares and use the squares as art tiles, or glue magnets to the back of the squares.

    I’ve seen them used as straps for dresses or tops. Cut them into the length you need, then cut them into the width you want, then attach them to the dress/top you want to add them to.

    Keep one in your first aid kit for use as an emergency tourniquet.

    Glue them to the tops of pots to make a cool border for your plants. Works well for jars, serving bowls, and even candle holders.

    I’ve seen skirts made from belts. I’m not sure how they did it, but I bet you could figure it out.

    Keep one or 2 in your car in case you ever have to bundle things or if you have a pants emergency where you NEED a belt, even if it doesn’t match.

    Make like a beaded curtain from them. Cut them into squares, poke a hole in the top and bottom. Link them together with some chain. Attach hoops to the top square, and run the strips through a curtain rod.

    Weave them into a garage mat.

    Weave them into a mat, hang, and use as a cork board. If you pin/glue small ribbons around it, you can make a picture board.

  7. You can cut the belt strips into squares and stick them on the bottom of chair legs. This is particularly useful to stop the chairs from scratching hard floors.

  8. Delusion says:

    My father keeps spare belts for when his VERY old tool boxes end up with loose/broken latches so he attaches the ends of belts to keep them closed.

  9. The Lug says:

    Yes, what I do to recycle broken (shorter) belts are:-
    1- Cut off the part that used to have holes in it. Punch some new holes to make
    a shorter belt. Then I hang it round my
    neck with a small plastic bag attached
    (full of clothes pegs).
    It is a very ergonomic way to hang out,
    & take in the washing from the clothes
    line.

    2- I take the metal hook (from a broken
    clothes hanger), I attach this to one
    end of the belt, where the holes are.
    To the other end (buckle part), I
    attach some metal weights (any sort will
    do). Then, I put the hooked part under the back of my shirt (above my right
    buttock), then bring the ‘Weighted part’
    over my left shoulder, & let it hang
    down over my left thigh.
    Then I wipe my arse in complete comfort.

    You should try this one, it works !!

    The Lug, xxxx

  10. john says:

    Screw them to walls or tops of cupboards and use them to belt up bedding and clothing when storing.

    Affix in the centre to the sides of your car boot so you can belt up all the stuff that usually rolls around when you drive (I currently have 2 sets of toy aeroplanes, 5 frisbies, and a water bottle).

  11. nelly says:

    If you had two ones that were the same (and also very long!) attach them to trousers o i cant remember wat theyre called!



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