Beading A Leather Belt

[MurphyMof]

Does anyone know the best way to put beads on a leather belt. I want it to be like an inlay, not just loomed and stitched to the belt. I have tried that and makes it too bulky for me personally.

[DoubleC]

I've done inlay and overlay work Murphy, although when it comes to inlay in my opinion Katass does the finest work I've ever seen. If I were going to do what you seem to be wanting, I'd cut my window, and then some strips of leather from the same leather that will fit through your beads. Then I'd dye the belt, and the strips (same leather so they'll be same color if that's what you want) then burnish the window and strips and dye the edges of all that. Make your strips longer than the window. Put your beads on the strips, and if I was doing it I'd saddle stitch all the way around the window, not just the ends where the strips are underneath the leather. It would look more professional and draw more attention to your beads. Then you're going to have a choice to make when you line it. inlay needs lined to protect the inlay and keep the stitches off of you so they aren't irritating. Helps cover lousy stitching on the underneath too so you can focus on the top that is showing. HOWEVER your inlay isn't going to be solid like most, so I'd use a thin liner and double it, have the hide side up where it shows through the window and hide side down where it shows on the back of the belt.

I'm sure there's probably other ways to do this, that's just the way I would approach it. Cheryl

[Dwight]

Murphy, . . . I am not expert on beading by a long shot, . . . but sometime back I did a piece you can see on my website, at the end of the long rifle gun bag, it is the globe, eagle and anchor of the USMC.

I bought my beads at a "bead emporium" and the lady who sold them to me was very helpful in making sure I got the right stuff, . . . spending a lot of time explaining what I would have to do.

Her one piece of advice I didn't expect was that anytime you can use it, . . . the best beading "string" is dental floss. Enter each bead left and right, . . . and of course put them in a loom.

For what you are doing, . . . I'd skive out a pit to put the beads in, . . . the back being very thin when I got done, . . . lace the loom and beads to the belt through the pit, . . . then put a liner inside the belt to give it the strength. That way all your knots and strings would be hidden, . . . and of course cemented to the other piece of leather, . . . should never be a problem losing beads or anything like that.

Best wishes, may God bless,

Dwight