I’m not sure if it’s because Jordann and I are just picky or what but we didn’t really like any of the garters we saw while planning her wedding. So we made one! Today I’ll show you how to make a garter for your own DIY wedding.
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How to Make a Garter
Once her gorgeous wedding dress was hemmed and the seamstress asked if we wanted what she cut off we knew that was the answer! We took the satin and tulle from the bottom of her dress and made custom DIY wedding garters.
I measured Jordann’s leg, multiplied by 1.5, and cut a strip of fabric that long and about 3″ wide. As you can tell in the first photo, the strip I received was a little curved. But it worked out alright with a little pressing and easing.
I folded it over, right sides together, and sewed along the long edge.
Then I pressed it, cut two pieces of tulle the same length but a little wider, and sewed the satin on top of the tulle, close to each edge.
The photo below is what it looked like after I ran the 1/2″ elastic
through it. I cut the elastic to fit snugly, but comfortably, around her thigh, with about 1/2″ extra for the hem. If you’d like a formula, subtract 3″ from your leg measurement.
Below, I sewed the two open ends together.
This was the “keeping” garter. I finished it off with some blue seam binding (since she didn’t have anything else blue) and a vintage rhinestone button.
I didn’t have enough left of the satin to make a “throwing” garter so I bought some 1″ satin ribbon
and attached it to the tulle in the same way as the scrap of satin.
I had some aluminum heart tags to do some hand-stamping for some other jewelry projects. I added Jordann’s new last name and the date of the wedding with my metal stamps.
You can see them both below on the bride’s leg on her wedding day. I especially liked her manicure! It matches the garter perfectly. And she also wore one of my copper cuff bracelets with ALWAYS hand-stamped on it. So lovely!
If you’re planning a DIY wedding, check out these other projects:
- Our DIY Bridal Veil
- Bridesmaid Dress Hangers
- Cones for Lavender Toss
- A Homespun Wedding with DIY Touches
- My DIY | Wedding board on Pinterest
Wedding day photography by Jana Melinda Photography. The step-by-step photos were taken my me on my trusty iPhone!
If you have any more questions about how to make a garter, please leave them in the comments and I’ll try to clarify. Thanks for reading!
‘Til the next project,
Ann @ Duct Tape and Denim
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Marie@The Interior Frugalista says
February 18, 2015 at 6:42 amI really love these – so pretty! I love that they are made with the extra fabric from the wedding dress. Pinning this for inspiration for my daughter’s wedding.
ducttapeanddenim says
February 18, 2015 at 7:17 amThanks, Marie! I was hoping this would be helpful.
Bella says
March 1, 2017 at 7:45 amI would like to make this but I’m a little confused about the tulle – Are they two wide pieces layered on top of each other with the satin piece sewn directly on top? Or did you cut two pieces of tulle, fold them, and attach them separately, one on each edge of the satin? The first way seems easier but I’d like to know what you did.
ducttapeanddenim says
March 1, 2017 at 9:42 amSorry I didn’t make that more clear. Yes, there are two wide pieces of tulle and the satin piece is sewn on top of them. It was pretty easy. Let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks for reading!