DIY // How To Make A Skate Leash Carrying Strap from a Belt

I’m not sure who originated this idea, but it’s genius (I think it’s similar to a yoga mat carrying strap). Not only is this leash easy to pull on and off of your roller skates, it makes carrying them a breeze. You can wear it over your shoulder or if your leash is short enough, carry it in your hand. It eliminates the need for a large skate bag and makes your skates easy to grab and go!

There are tons of cute handmade skate leashes available on Etsy in tons of cute colors and patterns for very reasonable prices (which I will link to in the shopping widget)… and though I am not trying to take away from small businesses or creators, this is a simple design that is relatively easy to make (especially if you already have all the materials or can upcycle and reuse something you already have).

While I was thinking about what fabric I already had to create this, it dawned on me that a belt might work just as well, if not better, so I ran to my closet and quickly flipped though all my belts (that I rarely wear) and found this old woven stretchy silver number I’ve had for ages and honestly can’t even remember where I got it. I think I have another one somewhere in tan actually (and when I find it, I’m making a second one of these for my other skates) because it really turned out better than I expected and has been a really great way to transport my skates.

Here’s What You’ll Need…

* Heavy DUTY woven stretch belt (mine was about 45″ long after removing the buckle) OR HEAVY DUTY material such as canvas, jute or woven rope, etc. (70″-80″ long – or as long as desired) – NOTE: your material has to be STRONG enough to hold heavy skates.
* Heavy duty thread and a large needle
* Scissors (small and large or a seam ripper)

* Lighter -if using a nylon material to singe the edges

NOTE: Because my belt is so elastic, I was able to make this with a pretty short amount of material. IF you are using NON-STRETCH canvas or other material with no stretch, you’ll need to make this strap probably about double the length of mine.

Here’s How You Do It…

This DIY is for up-cycling a woven stretch belt into a carrying leash… if you have material ready to go, i.e., not attached to a belt buckle, etc., you can skip these first steps.

* First, remove the buckle by finding the stitches/seam and carefully pulling them out.
* Then simply pull off the loop, prong, and buckle.

NOTE: If your belt is glued, you can instead CUT the material just below the seam. I wanted to keep the extra few inches AND this way, the ends were already fused so they wouldn’t unravel.

IF you aren’t using a belt or stretchy material like this, cut a strip of material at least 70-80″ long OR hang it over your shoulder and decide where you want your skates to fall on your body… add 10″ or so of extra inches to each end for your loops… IF you’re using nylon material, you’ll have to SINGE the ENDS with a lighter to get them to fuse so they won’t unravel. If using a cotton or rope material, use glue (or tape if it’s going to be folded under and unseen).

* Once your buckle is off and you have one long piece of material…

* Begin at one end, bring your strip down and around, then fold the end OVER the fabric strip, leaving about a half an inch…

* Hand stitch (or you can machine-sew this, it’s just so quick, it’s easier by hand) the loop over onto itself – not onto the longer strip – and make sure there’s a little wiggle room, but not too much … THIS ALLOWS THE LONGER PART OF THE STRIP TO MOVE UP AND DOWN so you can adjust it and easily make it wider to pull over your skates and then cinch tight to hold them in place.

* I started stitching on one end and visibly stitched over the top edges it to keep it sturdy… then I stitched the flat part near the bottom end all the way to the other side and stitched that end… then repeated the stitching on the flat part towards the top and ended on the side I began, knotting the thread. This rectangle stitching pattern ensures a sturdy hold.

* Repeat the same steps on the opposite end…

* I looped the fabric/strip in the opposite direction of the first one, but I’m not sure it matters.

And here’s what the back side looks like. It’s okay if your stitches show but try to make tiny stitches on the front side and the larger stitches on the backside.

Pulling your leash on and off your skates…

To pull your leash on your skates, open the loop up large, slide it over your front wheels and toes of your skates and then cinch it to hold the skate in place and repeat on for the other skate.

NOTE: I’ve seen some skaters loop it only around their wheels instead of the entire skate… they’re using a leash that is a little more narrow than this and more pliable… but I kind of prefer it looped over the whole skate because it feels sturdier and the skates don’t flop around while I’m carrying them. If my leash was longer, it might make a difference.

And… Voila!

Hands-Free!

Or carry them like a tote bag!

Okay BYE! I’m going skating 🙂

Happy Friday Lovecats!

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Roller Skating! The Skates I Bought & Everything You Need To Know