I found a cheap (but genuine leather) belt at a discount store. The only problem was its length. Even when fully tightened, it was still a bit loose around my waist, and the excess flapped awkwardly as it extended far beyond my belt loop. Here's how I fixed that.
There are two general ways to adjust a belt.
Punch a new adjustment hole or two, and cut off the excess at the loose end to a manageable length. The downside is my amateurish work plus the untidy look of holes close to the end.
Trim off the buckle end and rebuild the belt where mistakes are kept hidden. More work, but better results.
I went with option 2. There are a few ways to go about this process, too.
Use an awl to punch new rows of holes, and then saddle-stitch the new length in place. This resembles the original belt construction pictured above. It requires more labor, but uses no new hardware, and may look more elegant.
Punch large holes for Chicago screws, also known by other names. This is less work overall, and quite sturdy, but more utilitarian.
Punch even larger holes for snaps. This requires more tools, and has been a weak point in other cheap belts I have owned. I wear things on my belt. Snaps pop loose at inopportune times.
Chicago screws are cheap, and easy to install. If the buckle fails, I can replace it easily. That has been another problem with cheap belts in the past. Finally, if the belt itself fails, I can probably reclaim the hardware for future use.
Tools
Leather punch. Mine is a common design with a wheel of different sizes.
A sharp knife. A retractable utility knife, X-Acto, or similar works best.
A safe cutting surface. I used a kitchen cutting board.
A screwdriver. I used my Leatherman Wave.
Shears or scissors.
A pencil, used to mark hole positions and more!
Supplies
A too-long belt. Congratulations on your weight loss or thrifty purchase!
Chicago screws. Available at most hobby stores or online.
Instructions
Cut off the old buckle end. Unless you need to reduce the length a lot, trim it just past the old stitching or however else it was originally connected to the buckle. A sharp knife may work with one or two passes, but scissors or shears will probably work better.
Mark positions for new holes, allowing room for the screw caps on the sides. It's also a good general principle to leave at least enough material to match the hole diameter between the hole and the edge to avoid tearing over time.
Punch holes carefully. It's not the end of the world if you're slightly off the mark, but keep it as precise as you can. Don't forget to include a slot for the tab on a typical belt buckle. If it's a western-style belt with a big oval buckle, skip this step. Otherwise, punch a couple holes and use a utility or craft knife to connect the sides as a long slot.
I also used the pencil tip to slightly burnish the raw edges for a better fit at the holes and slot. This is cheap leather with a lot of suede-like loose fiber under the finished surface.
Insert the socket half from the front of the belt. Add keeper loop and buckle, fold over, and use screw half to connect everything. Job done!
Caveats
The original belt was "skived," or shaved down in thickness. I didn't do that. I should have allowed more room in the middle between the sets of 4 holes for this extra material to fold around the buckle. I had to use a lot of force to connect the Chicago screws as a result, but it worked.
You can also see the leather keeper loop is literally just stapled together. It's not under a lot of stress, so I just used my pliers to pinch the staples snug. Yay cheap fast fashion!
This buckle is more rugged than some I've seen, so it may be more durable than I expected. Some just have a very thin rod hidden inside the belt instead of this full frame.
If you want a guide to belts and fashion, The Art of Manliness has a nice overview, and if you're interested in starting leather work, a few tools are all you need. The punch was about $10. The screws were about $6 for 8, and I only used 4. You may have everything else on hand already. Don't be afraid to try new things. Save money, waste less, and become more capable!
