How to Add Extra Holes to a Leather Belt
In this post, I'll show you how to easily add extra holes to a leather belt, so you can keep using it even if it's the wrong size. In the past, I've used Exacto knives or needles to poke extra holes in a belt, and it always ends up looking really ugly and deformed, rather than perfectly round as the other holes are.
Maybe you lost or gained some weight; maybe you found the perfect belt at a thrift store, but it's a not the right size; maybe you need a hole between two of the already existing holes--whatever the issue is, this tutorial will show you how to add nice round belt holes.
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Resources Used to Add Extra Belt Holes:
- 6 Piece round punch set: You'll use this to punch new holes in your belt. This six piece set will give you the right size for most belts. The round punches range in size from 1/8" to 5/16." You could also use leather hole punch pliers.
- Leathercraft Nylon Hammer: You'll use this to hammer your punches into the leather. You could also use a rubber/rawhide mallet.
- Small anvil or another hard work surface. You'll use the punches on this surface. You could also use a table, but you'll be hammering the punches through the leather, and it's possible they'll scrape up your table.
- Scrap leather
- Ruler
Add Extra Belt Holes to Your Leather Belt
First, gather your materials. I compared the punches in my leather punch set to the holes already in the belt to see which one was closest in size, and I used that one to create new holes
Measures the distance between the holes on the belt to add evenly spaced new holes. Place your punch where you want a new hole. Hammer the punch through the leather. Belt leather is pretty thick, so this may take several blows. The punch will have a piece of leather stuck in it now. I used my stitch ripper to poke this piece out. Use a piece of scrap leather beneath the belt, so that you're not hammering the punch right into the anvil.
I added the two top holes in this picture. The bottom hole had already been punched into the belt. Unless you're looking really closely, there's not much difference between the new holes and the old holes. The new holes look slightly more ragged around the edges, but using the belt will help to smooth them down.
