Member- kokuu
- 8 years ago
- Wedding: October 2010
You will need:
- 2 yards of 1 1/2″-2″ wide grosgrain ribbon (the ribbon with the stripes)
- 1 1/2 yards of 3/8″-1/2″ grosgrain ribbon in contrasting color
- 5/8 yard 1/2″ non-roll elastic
- Dritz Fray Check
- Thread to match ribbon
- Sewing Machine
- Scissors
- Sewing Pins
- Saftey Pin
- Iron
Step 1: Measure the circumference of where on your thigh you want to wear your garter. Take that measurement, and multiply by 1.5, and add a couple of inches for seam allowance. Cut two lengths of the wide grosgrain ribbon to that measurement. (I’m chubby, so my thigh measured 19″, so I cut two lengths of 30″ ribbon) Apply a small amount of fray check to the edges of the ribbon, and let dry.
Step 2: Cut two pieces of the thinner grosgrain ribbon half the length of your wider ribben PLUS about 12″ (Since my wide ribbon was 30″ long, I cut two pieces of thinner ribbon about 27″ long, though you can always go longer) Apply fray check to the cut ribbon
Step 3: Fold ONE of the wider pieces of ribbon in half, and mark the center with a pin. Take both pieces of the thinner ribbon, line up the cut edge with the cut edge on both sides of the wider ribbon, and start pinning. I just eyeballed where the middle of the width of the wider ribbon was for pinning the thinner ribbon. 
Your two pieces of the thinner ribbon should meet in the center of the wider ribbon, and each should have about a 12″ tail overhanging. We need this extra ribbon, so we can tie a bow later.
Step 4: Stitch as close to the edge of the thinner grosgrain ribbon on both sides with matching thread. I would recommend using a walking foot if you have one to help the pieces of ribbon feed evenly, but if you don’t have one, a regular foot will be fine, since the garter is going to be gathered anyway.
Step 5: Once you’ve stitched on the thinner ribbon to the wider ribbon, take your ribbon and match up the cut edges, right sides together, and stitch close to the edge so your ribbon forms a circle. Do the same with the other plain piece of ribbon you cut earlier. You could now have two ribbon circles. Trim the seam allowance if necessary (shouldn’t be any wider then about 1/4″, apply fray check, and press the seam open with your iron.
Step 6: Place your two circles of ribbon one inside the other, wrong sides together and pin all the way around. You’re now going to use the two pieces of wide grosgrain ribbon to sew a casing for your elastic- remember the casing needs to be a little bit wider. Depending on the width of your ribbon and the features of your sewing machine (needle placement), you can either use the ribbon as a guide for sewing the casing, or you may need to mark your sewing lines with tailors chalk (make sure to do it on the inside of the garther). On one side, stitch all the way around, but on the other side leave about a 1″ gap so you can feed the elastic in.
Step 7: Using a saftey pin, feed your elastic through the casing. Try it on for fit, and adjust as necessary. Once you get a comfortable fit, sew the ends of the elastic together, insert into the casing and then stitch the gap in the casing closed.
Step 8: Tie the extra ribbon tails in a bow, and proudly wear your new garter!
Total Cost: ~$7, and I have enough ribbon left over to make about 2 more garters, since I had to buy ribbon by the spool. Time: ~ 2 hours. I’m a rather slow seamstress, and made a number of mistakes, but now that I’ve got the process down, I could easily crank out one of these in under an hour.Skills: Beginner. If you know how to use a sewing machine, and sew in a straight line, then you can make one of these garters.
