Some exclusive tips from the author of Altered Shoes, Marty Stevens-Heebner. Read a review of Altered Shoes here.
Doesn’t it just break your heart when your most beloved and broken-in shoes get scuffed, torn or otherwise maimed? They’ve been such good friends to you, so don’t cast them aside – transform them instead! It’s a great way to recycle and become your own shoe designer in the process. Here are just a few tips to ignite your crafting imagination:
- Start with your junk drawer and your broken jewelry collection. If you’ve got a scuff or two to cover, hot-gluing beads from a broken necklace over the scrape is great camouflage.
- Personalize your sneakers by decoupaging a photo of your pet on the top (like the “Rocket Lily Sneakers”) or photos from a favorite trip all the way ‘round, just like my “Safari Sneakers.”
- Have a lot of ribbon lying around? Get out your hot glue gun because you’ve got a great way to add color and contrast to your shoes. Just glue it around the seam where the sole meets the upper, or where your foot slides in the shoe (as I did with the “Viva Las Vegas Stilletos”). You can also combine several colors and kinds of ribbon and completely transform your pumps the same way I did with my “Ribbon Stripe Pumps.”
Altering and recycling your shoes provides a great opportunity to show off your individual style and put your stamp on everything you wear. If you already loved those shoes, and also loved those leftover jewelry baubles and ribbon, why not put them all together to create a thoroughly unique pair of shoes that express who you are?
So tap into your creativity – you know you have scads of it! – and give your forgotten footwear a vibrant second life.
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