Don’t want to read? Fine then, skip to the videos.
Sooooo way back in the day I wanted to teach a creative project for #HottieHoopCamp that involved creative expression, upcycling, hand projects/crafts, and pockets! After some evolution of an idea around journal couture, the awesomeness that is the DIY Punk Rock Utility Belt was born!
Hotties on the deck, photo by Tr3y
Wait, you don’t know about #HottieHoopCamp? It was a springtime camp on Surfside Beach of hoopers and hotties and overall rad people who came together for a long weekend of flow arts, good food, personal development, love of self, and each other! It went on from 2010 – 2018 and like any good sleep-over, we get cute for ourselves, each other, and do some personal style development.
So pockets. What’s so important about pockets?
Well, for reals there is an epidemic of legging wearing, and in case you need some, our hottie Lala sells ’em. But the point here is what you gonna do with your wallet keys phone snacks and seditious material?!!!!
MAKE YOURSELF,
A PUNK ROCK UTILITY BELT!
Cause your hands need to be free for the important things.
Punk Rock Utility Belts can be plain as Jane, or Fancy AF and an excellent way to use up all those buttons, ricrac, scarves, tulle, lights on a wire, the random stuff you collect at burner events and slutty but excellent skirts you grew out of. In fact here is a video on the different supplies you need so you can start rummaging through your house. Like right now. GO.
Anyway, one of the focus points of #HottieHoopCamp is self-acceptance, body positivity, and having you mother trucking look down.
And for us that’s what this project is, a craft project that helps us love our bodies, gets pockets on the bod, and lets us get to it hands-free.
Utility belts have different foundation styles, in this series of videos I teach the basic (and easiest) peace flag style. They are the easiest to fit, pretty straightforward to create, and can be gussied up if so desired. And the cool thing about these is that it doesn’t take an exceptionally high skill set while at the same time training the eye for design elements where it sits on the body, and how the structure of the belt lends itself to desired function. A good first step into reconstruction/upcycling fashion design. I’m not gonna even lie, we would put on the movie Pretty in Pink and sew our little hearts out.
If I was working with kids or adolescents (I’m looking at you, Girl Scouts) or homeschoolers, this is a good discussion point on decision making and critical thinking. Like what do you want to carry, and which pocket you going to carry that in. I made a PG friendly video in case someone wanted to play it for tender ears.
Oh, you don’t mind a little swearing? RIGHT ON!!! PUNK ROCK!!! I got a video for you too! And this one is pretty detailed, with some feminist and off-color humor, and goes through more ways to not make learning curve errors.
I start a peace flag basic belt in this video, and in subsequent vids I’ll show how it is going, and do a little show and tell. This belt has seriously HUMBLE beginnings, so it’s kinda like a sew along. Speaking of, tag us on Instagram @punkrockhoops and #GetYourLookDown and #PunkRockUtilityBelt so we can clap and cheer with you!
Shout out to Lisa Sacaris, our style maven, always encouraging us to think outside the box. #HottieHoopCamp was better because of her, in all the bestest ways.
Thanks for reading my loves, makes sure to watch the videos, and subscribe to the Punk Rock Hoops YouTube channel so as I make more you get them in your inbox.
xoxoxoo,
Rowan
PS 
Whether it was for a reason, a season, or a lifetime, I’m eternally grateful for all the learning, love and laughter that I had while journeying with these Hotties.
PPS
These are seditious times. I’m not even joking.
PPSS I was listening to this playlist on spotify while I wrote this #Covers
