Chain Belt
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| Description: The Chain Belt is similar to one of the Macrame belts that Elvis wore in the 1970’s. He was famous for both his music, and his interesting clothes, which included handcrafted belts. The Chain Suit he wore was very popular, and I’ve seen pictures of him wearing a belt like this one. It was made with yarn, but you can make this belt with regular nylon cord, metallic cord, cotton embroidery cord, or similar materials. The nice thing about using the Chain Sennit to make this belt is that both the front and the back are appealing. So this belt is reversible. |
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Supplies Needed:
- 4mm Cord material
- Project Board and pins
- Tape Measure
- Glue
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Knots Used:
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Cutting and Mounting Cords |
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Measure the area just above your hips. That is where the Chain belt should rest. Don’t pull the tape measure too tight. Decide which size belt you need, and cut the cords as follows:
- Small (28 inch) Belt = 5 yards per cord x 3
- Medium (35 inch) Belt = 6 yards per cord x 3
- Large (42 inch Belt) = 7 yards per cord x 3
- Extra Large (49 inch Belt) = 8 yards per cord x 3
For sizes in between those listed, it’s best to use the next size up, so you have extra cord, rather than risk running short. If you wish to make the belt wider, cut 4 strands instead of three.
Prepare the ends with glue, wax, or tape. See Cord Preparation for more details. |
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Designing the Chain Sennits |
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Step 1: Make a Chain Sennit with the first cord. Start it 15 inches from the end. Stop when the belt is the size you planned on making.
Click on the image and a larger one will come up, in a new window. |
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Step 2: Make a Chain Sennit with the second cord. Make sure you always keep the working end on your left, so the loops don't get twisted. Also, tighten the loops as you make them, by pulling firmly. Place the second chain to the right of the first one.
To link the sennits, pass the end of the working through a space at the right edge of the first chain. It's best to direct the cord through the space from below (back to the front). Repeat this process every 5 - 7 inches. |
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| Step 3: Make the next sennit for your Chain Belt, placing it to the left of the first Chain Sennit. Link it to the first one, as you did in the previous step. This pattern looks best if both linkage points are next to one another. |
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Creating the Fringe |
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Step 4: Match up the ends of the Chain sennits, and secure them to your board, so they rest vertically.
Cut two pieces of material, each double the size of the sennits. Add an extra two inches as well.
Place the center of one of the cords next to the end of the middle sennit, which should be the first one you made. It should rest horizontally. Secure it well, because it will be a holding cord.
Attach each of the three cords used to make the sennits, with a Double Half Hitch. Pull it tightly, so these knots rest against the last knots tied in the Chain sennits.
Direct the ends of the holding cord to the back of the belt, and use tweezers to pull them through the back of one of the knots in the middle sennit. All five ends can now be used to make the fringe. It's a good idea to put tight Barrel knots at the tips, to prevent unraveling. |
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| Step 5: Repeat Step 4 at the other end of the Chain Belt. Make sure the fringe is the same size at both ends. |
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| Need Macrame Supplies to make another project? Come visit the "official" online store for Free Macrame Patterns.I carry many items suitable for Macrame and Micro-Macrame. Just click on the banners like the one below to go to the store. |
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