How to attatch a buckle with a prong to a belt

Generally, I prefer slider buckles, not because they are easier to sew, but because they do not require making all these little holes along the belt. Plus you can loosen it slightly while at a big dinner (something so typical in Spain...) in a very discreet way ;)

But today I want to show you how to deal with the other kind of buckles, those with prongs. It works both or metal and plastic prongs, as these can sometimes cannot be removed without braking them.

I know two ways of attaching a buckle to a belt. In the first one you have to consider the prong while making the belt itself.

One way - when you make the belt

Step 1

After you have stitched the sides of your belt together and before pulling it the right side out, mark a line at one end. I marked 30 mm, which is OK for hand-stitching, but if you want to machine sew your belt, you may need 50 mm or more, depending on the shape of the buckle. The longer it is, the longer the incision you will need (let's say, the length of the prong plus some 12 mm - 1/2" and extra 12 mm for machine-sewing. if you want a measure).

Also, some buckles have very thick or wide prongs, so take it into account when making your belt.

Step 2

Sew around the line, like when making a slit opening and then cut it along the line you marked earlier.

Step 3

Turn the belt inside out and press. You may need a crochet hook to get the split end out.

Step 4

Now your belt is ready to be attached to the buckle. Follow these our steps:

Step 5

Sew the loose end. You can machine-sew it or hand-stitch. For machine sewing you will need the split to be way longer in order to it under the presser foot and the stitch will also be visible, while hand-sewing allows or an invisible stitch.

The other way

If you have bought a strap in a shop and you want to turn it into a belt, you will need to attach your buckle in a different way. Also, you may find that this is just an easier way to do it on a sell made belt.

Step 1

At a certain distance (again, considering the buckle size and whether you need to machine sew the last bit), mark a line, 10 mm or 3/8" long, similar to when making a button hole. Remember to add extra distance if your buckle is long, the bar is thicker, etc.

Step 2 

Sew an oval around the mark, not too wide, using a very short zig-zag stitch. I would not recommend using the button-hole mode, as you may need a bit more space for the prong. If you really have no other option, a key-hole-shaped button hole is not a bad idea. Again, make sure you have left enough space if the prong is thicker or wider than usual (for example, this belt buckle has a very wide prong).

Of course, you will want a thread in a matching colour. I am using white to show you better where to sew ;)

Step 3

Cut out the inside of the hole. Not just along the line but remove as much fabric as you can.

Step 4

Attach the buckle, taking the prong out and sew the loose end.

That's it really. Not that difficult I guess. A few more tips:

• If you are making a leather belt, instead of cutting out a hole, like in the second method, you can simply make 3-4 holes very close one to another, like in the picture below. 

• Oh, and don't use wool if you are making a tutorial! It is quite difficult to handle and you have to operate with a humid cloth every time you press it. You may want to use simple cotton fabric instead ;) I chose this pink wool because I had suitable scraps left after sewing this dress. 

___________________________________

This post was originally published in September 2016 but was revamped and republished in March 2026. I may not have the pink buckle in stock anymore, but there are plenty of other beautiful buckles out there you can use.