It’s Monday and time for belly + baby! The belly band is a maternity essential, especially in the first and early second trimesters. The belly band allows you to wear your normal pants unbuttoned and normal shirts that would otherwise be too short. It’s a little maternity clothing cop-out! I made this version with a ruffle, to add a little feminine touch to any outfit. Here is the ruffled belly band tutorial:
Materials:
1/2 yard stretchy knit fabric
Belly Band Pieces:
Band: 2 pieces measuring 10″ by 28″
Ruffle: 1 piece 45″ by 4″
Let’s go! We’ll start by making the ruffle so it’s ready.
Iron the ruffle piece in half.
Then run a basting stitch through the top and pull the threads to gather the strip.
Gather it enough to match up with the length of the band.
Pin the ruffle in between the two belly band pieces, on the long side.
Sew it up with a 1/2″ seam allowance. Then, pin the top piece together and stitch it up also.
It will look like this:
Fold the belly band in half and pin in place. Sew up the side seam.
And you’re done!
Try it on!
Have you ever worn a belly band? I think I might wear this one even after the baby comes!
Also check out CINO’s nursery tour and Shwin & Shwin’s bow belt!
See you next Monday for the final week of belly + baby!
Kate – you just blew it out of the water. This is amazing! Seriously, I am sitting here thinking – now why didn’t I think of something that awesome when I was pregnant?! This rocks big blocks! Way to go!!!
HI! Kate! This is so cute! When I was pregnant I was just learning how to sew and I totally purchased those Belly Bands for like $20 (gah!) Now that I know how to sew, I would NEVER spend that! That’s such a rip off and now adding a ruffle! It’s just so cute and fun!!! Can’t wait to make next time! GREAT idea! :)
well… my baby is now 18 years old but i still have the belly… and this is AWESOME!!!
Thank You for inspiring me!!!
This would have been so handy when I was pregnant. I hadn’t started sewing at that time but this sure would have gotten me started a long time ago.
VERY adorable! I will be saving this tutorial for when that time comes!
Helen
Blue Eyed Beauty Blog
I loove this!!
OK, this is too cute! I am so going to have to do this for my next pregnancy. I have such big kids and am such a small girl that my belly gets HUGE and I always feel like it’s hanging out the bottom of my shirts! Cute cute cute!
Love love love!!! I am towards the end of my first trimester for my 2nd little one and needing some of these! Glad I saw this before I made them! :)
That ruffle is ADORABLE! Hope I get to use this one of these years. :)
My baby belly could definitely use some sprucing up (less than one month to go! yay!) and these ruffles would be perfect and so comfy.
-Amberly!
thank you for this blog ! what a good ideas !
I’m going to do this even though I’m NOT pregnant! This is awesome…I find too many times that my shirts are too short and my pants are too low! :) This is the perfect fix!
This is great! I’m curious about the size, however. A 28″ (smaller with seam allowances!) band would never fit around my pre-pregnancy belly, let along my 5 month belly! Would you suggest making it the same length as my pant size (about 40″ for me)? a few inches bigger? a few inches smaller?
Your input is much appreciated, as is the base tutorial!
Yeah, just make it bigger, but not too big! You want it to be a little smaller (3-4″) than your belly, so that it stays up and is nice and tight! It also depends on how stretchy your fabric is. Good luck!
Great idea! I have a 4 month old and was looking for something like this to wear under my shirts so my belly isn’t exposed while nursing without having to buy a ton more nursing shirts.
OK….SO CUTE and I am not pregnant and will not be in the future. Will SO be making this. Hate to pass ups those cute printed shirts that are WAY to short. What a cute solution.
Thanks for the tutorial! It’s a great one.
I’d pay for you to make me one..I’d do it myself but I don’t have a machine or the time!!! What do you think? I’d probably get now than one lol
I’d pay you to make a couple for me..no sewing experience or machine + no time means no band for mui! What do you think?
Sorry, I don’t have time for custom orders right now! I’m glad you like it, maybe you can find someone to make one for you! :)
Hi,
I tried making a band with similar fabric but I wasn’t successful in sewing it right. Bobbin thread started bunching. I used stretchy (and also ballpoint) needle, allpurpose thread and a super stretchy stitch my machine has. Can you please provide the details u used. I am a beginning sewer struggling my way through any help is appreciated.
This belly band would also be great for non-pregnant women! I am very tall, so a lot of shirts are just too short and inappropriate to wear as a teacher. Making a belly band would make it look like I was just wearing a long tank-top underneath the short shirt. I may have to try this! :) Thanks!
I don’t think my last post went through. I was thinking that this belly band may also be great for non-pregnant women. I am very tall, so a lot of shirts are just too short for me to wear! I think that this belly band may look like I am wearing a long, cut tank-top underneath the short shirt! Thanks for the great idea!