Here’s a brilliant use for a bunch of thrift-store belts: a fantastic Edward Scissorhands-style cincher.

craftygoths member hkcreations riveted them together using leather strips that she cut and dyed herself. If you want to use the same technique you’ll need a few specialized tools: CRAFT has a great article on making a dog collar which discusses the same kind of leather-working equipment you would need for this project, and the accompanying photos will give you a pretty clear idea of how to attach the strips to the belts. (As a bonus, you can use the same equipment and technique to make your own studded collars and bracelets.)

If you don’t want to invest in a lot of tools, you could hand-rivet or sew the belts together (use pieces of an extra belt for the leather strips): This post has a short overview of different ways to join leather, but the basic idea is to punch a hole with an awl and then stitch or rivet through it. (If you’re brand-new to working with leather, get an extra belt or two at the thrift store and use them for practice.)

This is a wonderful project: Inexpensive, fairly easy, and a really striking result. Lovely!