Seat Belt Belt

Here's an instant hack for awesome indie cred. All you need is a car seat belt, scissors, a lighter, and something to sew with.

Step 1: Scraptastic.

I picked up this burgandy loverestraint at an auto scrap yard for five bucks. I trimmed the ends with scissors, and used a lighter to melt the ends so they wouldn't fray.

Comments

[Garthummn]

You know that you can buy these from a skater magazine for about $15 and they are really nice and have a HUGE waist size it is adjustable and I have had the same on for years now.

[pdub77]

what? your comment is that you can just buy it? why make it yourself? why are you even on this website? i just bet myself twenty dollars you hadn't posted any instructables yourself. guess what? i won. and no, you haven't posted any.

[Garthummn]

Sorry that I have better things to do then be on here.

[mg0930mg]

Would you rather make one for free, or pay $15 for one. That's what I thought.

[HammyHavoc]

Just no. DIY is awesome. DIY gets you extra credit. Love it.

[Maxaxle]

Oh man, I can't wait to go to the junkyard now! (assuming our P.O.S. sewing machine actually works without jamming on anything stronger than toilet paper)

[l8nite]

If you look around a salvage yard you can find buckles of different sizes, the ones for the center back seat are usually smallest but may take more ingenuity to attach the material. Ive used seatbelt buckles for everything from demoderby car window safety nets and hood/trunk attachment to icechest locks ant gate closure but never considered using them for an actual belt !

[MKohen]

I just picked up that exact same belt at a local junkyard! I wanted a cheap one, and "useable" belts were $25, but I got this for free. Its plenty long enough for a belt, so I got a great deal...

[porcupinemamma]

i had to pay three bucks at the junk yard for mine and it's really ratty looking :0(

[FireBAT]

Another good source of seatbelts- Firefighters doing vehicle rescue training. I have 6 old belts in my locker at the station that I cut out of rescue class vehicles. We use them for extinguisher slings. Woops! There's my next Instructable! Thanks for the inspiration!

[Browncoat]

I'm not sure what the deal is with that loop... I showed this to my son and he REALLY wants one. But I want to know how to make it right for him... Any input about that mysterious (to me) loop...?

[bofthem]

I had a bunch of spare seatbelt left after sizing it to my waist. I decided not to cut it off and just make it into a loop in case I wanted to resize it later. It could just as easily been taken away, but I didn't feel like getting rid of it.

[Browncoat]

I wish step 2 had more description and/or pics. It's not really clear (to me, anyway) what you did to make the two pieces of seat belt to be one belt. It doesn't look like you just sewed them together or anything...

[makka]

For sizeability, this could be compatible with one of the three pronged clips from a messenger bag or guitar strap. Scrapyard away!

[Deadpunk]

I have some slacks like the one in the bottom picture those things are comfortable man there my favorite pants I have like 3 pair of them and also I have and old seat belt I've wanted to make into a guitar strap but I think I'm make a belt instead

[CreedX]

Haha. Now cops can't bust you for not wearing a seat belt. Imagine the look on their face when you say " But I am wearing a seat belt." x3

[konablue]

Did you call it a "loverestraint"? I've only heard lapbelt. I'm just curious as to where that came from..my theory is that it restrains lovers trying to kiss????? lol or maybe it was a typo that was meant to be lower restraint? im very curious the anticipation is killing me!!!

[leebryuk]

You are a man after my style heart. I loved plaid pants/shorts in my youth. The combination makes it superstar.

[incorrigible packrat]

Hmmm. How wide is your seat belt webbing? I had considered doing this, but just assumed the webbing would be too wide for my belt loops. I suppose actually trying it out would be prudent, but hey, I'm lazy. Maybe U.S. seat belts are narrower and belt loops are wider than those in Canada? Maybe all my current pants lack that style factor of really big belt loops? Maybe I ask too many stupid questions? By the way, all I usually experience at auto wreckers are high prices and disrespect. Get to know some folks that enter demolition derbies. They'll probably give you all the seat belts you want, for nothin' or maybe a brew or 2.

[leebryuk]

The attitude really depends on the yard. The employees aren't hired for customer service. I had problems when I was younger, but there cool to me as I've grown older. I also no longer have purple hair. It also helps that they see you there more often. I do still wear overalls but that seems to be overlooked as an odd thing. It's funny, I actually get complements from grease monkeys tearing apart cars with my dickies. Go figure.

[bofthem]

Only about half my pants can fit this one. I've found that everything I have that's high end or more formal absolutely does not fit the SBB, but my work pants and jeans and cargo pants do. I'd say it's about 1 3/4" wide. Dunno, if you take a pair of demo drivers to a bar, at five bucks a beer you'd be looking at a hundred dollar seatbelt.

[fancypenguin845]

if you have a pair of old jeans, you could prolly reuse the belt loops, or just cut the belt to size and melt the edge clean.

[incorrigible packrat]

I was just looking at some old Volvo belt mechanisms that I have in a cache of junk. Nice narrow belt, but the dang buckle is huge; would require lots of modification. Oh well... Bar shmar! Just give them a bottle or two in a paper bag. They'll be your friends forever!

[bluejayrock]

Love the idea. If you want to build in adjustment you could always get the middle belt from an old pickup truck bench seat, though it might get real bulky. You could also get one of those slide rings you see on the shoulder straps of duffle bags.

[454545sd]

you can buy those @ tillys 4 like 19.95. i got a ferrarri one

[clone1018]

Neetoh thats cool!

[rotinaj]

Nice bracelet.

[bofthem]

A friend of mine (Eric N) brought it back from Africa. He was doing aid in Goma, and there was a learning hospital there in which women learned how to sew and make handicrafts while they waited for/recovered from surgery.

We bought a bunch of things from them through the hospital, and he came back with a whole pile of awesome crafts. I have an equally slick shirt, but it doesn't wear so well with most of my wardrobe.

[Marinus84]

i love this one

[Labot2001]

lawl thats so punk im sooo doing this i might try to make it adjustable; if i do i'll post pics

[BillElGrande]

I am not a frequent commenter, but I loved this. Very nice work! * APPLAUSE *

[DrSimons]

This is awesome! Excellent looking, easier to use than a regular belt...if I ever come across a buckle I like I'll have to try this one. Favorited!

[Erik Lindemann]

I gotta say, that's really awesome. And I've been looking for a new belt lately, I might pop into my local auto yard sometime.

[bofthem]

I highly recommend it, if even just for the scenery. The auto yard is a cool, eerie place.

[James (pseudo-geek)]

/agree

[inquisitive]

Sweet! I have a beloved Datsun 510 from my college days and wanted to take the seatbelts and make a purse or frames from them as a memento, but this will definitely give me the guidelines for the belt I wanted, too. Thank you!

[bofthem]

It's like having a depleted car give you a hug. I'd do this for the Volvo cross country I once had, were it not that I hated the car and I have no idea where it is.

[inquisitive]

Exactly! I also would like to install the rear view mirror in my cubicle somehow so I can see who is going by or sneaking up-lol.
Why not? Good Times+Great Memories+Funky Application=Awesome Conversation Piece

[callmeshane]

I was thinking..... Hmmmmmm the fashion sense, the pantaloons and belt bukkle, was somehow, Hmmmmmmmm so uber un-gay and to be Hmmmmm Fashion Victim / sort of Homeless Bum / Eccentric / Gay Master of the Universe / Power Ranger sort of look.... But to be honest... it's also quite sexy... I am overwhelmed with the urge to just go press that button...... and see what pops out. LOL

[bofthem]

You're sure you know what pantaloons are, right?