So here’s the problem. We went into the store the other day to buy my son new pants, because he’s growing like a weed and high waters are not in. He’s so tall and skinny, and I rarely measure his waist or remember the number when I do, so I wasn’t really sure what pants and belts to get for him. Sure, we could try everything on, but sometimes we just don’t have the time or the tags make it difficult.
While we were over by the belts, reading the sizes to see if he was a, x-small, small, or medium, an idea hit me. What if the belts could also be used for measuring? Sure, I can see what size waist each belt is for, but as my son grows that will become more difficult to judge (and he likes to skip sizes.) Plus, different brands measure different ways. I decided to make my own solution to this problem by creating a measuring belt.
As my mom pointed out, she wouldn’t want one of these for herself as an adult. I probably wouldn’t wear it either, but kids don’t care and I found another way to fix this. The belt that we purchased was a reversible belt, so one side is generic black, fits with just about anything, and the other side was white, perfect for adding a ruler to.
This adorable fashion accessory can now be worn as a regular black belt with a hidden measuring tool underneath or turned to show the decorated side of the belt (that others probably won’t realize is accurate right away anyway.) It’s a real tool belt–stylish pant keeper-upper by day and part-time emergency measuring tool (for buying new clothing, charting waist size, or making sure that cool new super hero night stand will fit between the bed and the window.)
Now, don’t take this belt off to measure if your child’s pants will literally fall down to their ankles…in fact, those pants are probably too big if they fall to that extent.
Are you ready to get started? This DIY is seriously easy.
What You Need
- Belt (you will need to find one that already fits your child, of course, so take that into consideration. I purchased a reversible one with some room for growth. We found our black and white Dickies belt at Walmart in the boy’s section.)
- Permanent marker, normal and thin (buy a brand you trust. You don’t want that ink erasing off or smudging onto your child’s pants.)
- A yardstick
- A ruler (optional)
Directions
1. Line the belt up with the yardstick as a judge for where to add lines. Note that you will want the numbers to be right-side up when worn, so take that into consideration.
2. Start at the part of the buckle that will meet the end of the belt. Draw on the big inch lines, using the yardstick as a guide. I used the slightly thicker marker for this. If you want the lines to be nice and straight and even, use a ruler to keep the marker on track and the lines uniform. I did not use this because I have the “good enough” policy. Since waist measurements are often rounded up or down, I went for a more whimsical, handmade look that took me a little less time.
3. Using the thinner marker, fill in the half-inch, quarter-inch, eighth-inch, and sixteenth-inch marks.
4. Counting from the buckle where the belt end will meet, count out the inches. Begin marking the numbers once you’ve reached the belt. You can see I went ahead and added the first few before I completed step 3.
5. If you want, mark “inches” on the belt. You can even add a few circles so it looks like a regular ruler.
6. Let the ink dry completely. I let it sit a whole day before it was worn, just in case. My son wore it out to play in the rain (follow me on Instagram to see more pictures) and it did not smudge at all.
7. When it’s time to measure, having the belt unbuckled and overlapping in the front is the most accurate (see first picture: measures at about 22.5 inches.)
Once it is buckled, it really depends on the belt being used. Ours was off by about 1/2 an inch. I would judge his waist size at 22-23 inches.
Typically clothing has a range of measurements listed or implied for each size, so we will find the size that is the closest.
Have you come up with any quick parenting hacks? I’d love to hear your wonderful ideas in the comments below!
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Have you come up with any quick parenting hacks? I’d love to hear your wonderful ideas in the comments below!You May Also Like
Very cool idea! I just love diy’s!
Thank you, DJ!
Very clever.
Thank you, Dorothy!