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Link Love: Pumped Up Kicks

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Bye, bye boots! I am officially ready to retire my winter kicks and pull my sneakers out from the back of my closet. However, nothing ruins the excitement associated with spring clothing quite like the realization that your wardrobe is, well, boring. Luckily, there are so many ways to refashion a pair of plain sneakers and create a colorful, eye-catching pair of shoes that will last all season long. Whether you’re rocking a pair of lace ups or prefer some slip-ons, there are so many simple crafts to try. This is a great way to save money – no need to hit the shoe store when you have these craft projects at your disposal!

A lightweight pair of sneakers can be a great wardrobe staple during the spring. Create your own pair of Upcycled Vans – you only need two fabric paint colors to change the look of your shoes. Not a fan of black and white? Colorful Upcycled Sneakers are loud, proud and so much fun to wear. Best of all, these sneakers will get you in the mood to work up a sweat! Toms shoes a great accessory for the season and you can easily customize them with a few inexpensive supplies. Tutorials for Over the Rainbow Shoes and Simple Shoe Makeover will help you get started and think outside the box.

Unleash your creativity and add doodles, symbols and more to a plain pair of tennis shoes. Your one-of-a-kind creation is sure to get you noticed all season long.

  1. Spring Time Sneakers from A Lion’s Nest
  2. Miu Miu Inspired Glitter Sneakers from Love Maegen
  3. Aztec Inspired Shoes from C.R.A.F.T.
  4. Mystic Shoe from The Daily Telecraft
  5. Polka Dots Sneakers from Born In Eighty Two
  6. Altered Art Shoes from Robayre
  7. Tribal Tennies from Dream a Little Bigger
  8. Floral Canvas Shoes from Henry Happened
  9. Chevron Shoes from Time for Tea Beads

Link Love: Shoe-stravaganza!

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We already craft everything else in our wardrobes–you might as well make over your shoes too! Add straps, clips, and embellishments, change the color, add some glitter, or even re-cover the entire shoe with these genius ideas from around the web!

  1. Strappy Flip Flops from Delia Creates
  2. DIY Glitter Shoes from iLoveToCreate
  3. Felt Heart Shoe Clip from Color Me Katie
  4. Frilly T-Strap Sandals from Make It and Love It
  5. Glittered Baby Shoes from Infarrantly Creative
  6. Decoupage Your Shoes from Brassy Apple
  7. Mila Baby Shoe Pattern from Fleeting Thing
  8. DIY Dolce and Gabbana Jewel Shoes from …love Maegan
  9. Plain to Pretty Shoe Makeover from funkytime

How to: Revamp your Shoes

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There is nothing better than a good pair of shoes. Great shoes improve your posture, flatter your figure, give you a more attractive gait, and provide the base for a stylish outfit. Shoes always fit, no matter how many scoops of slow-churned goodness you added to your cone last night. And as Cher Horowitz of Clueless would say, “You see how picky I am about my shoes, and they only go on my feet!”

Simple Flats with Rhinestones Studded Shoes Bead Embellished Homecoming Shoes Bohemian Flower Pumps

Instead of buying a new pair of shoes for every trend, why not take some old, washed-up, has-been shoes from your closet and DIY them into something unique? There are myriad ways to re-do your shoes. If you follow these how-to tips, even your shoe rack will inspire you to say “Hello, Lover…”

Re-Do your Shoes: Make a Removable Embellishment
Sex and the City Shoes
Make a simple ribbon or chiffon embellishment that you can add to any pair of strappy heels and remove when the trend dies down. Because let’s face it, wearing ruffly chiffon leaves all over your feet is not going to be popular for long. For these tutorials, use a ribbon as a base to hold whatever embellishment you want (be creative!) and attach it to Velcro strips (thus the “removable” part).

Re-Do your Shoes: Decoupage
Mod Podge
You already know how to decoupage a piece of furniture or a picture frame, but did you know you could decoupage a pair of shoes too? With a little mod podge, some fabric, and a hot glue gun, you can essentially reupholster a pair of old shoes like you would a couch. Try this tutorial for detailed instructions.

Re-Do your Shoes: Paint
Spray Paint
Spray paint a pair of boring flats or heels with a bright color and seal with a coat of clear spray paint. Make sure you tape off the soles and other places you don’t want the paint to get on, and wait for the paint to dry completely (overnight) before handling.

Re-Do your Shoes: Sew a Ruffle
Ruffle

Use our handy How to Sew a Ruffle guide to make tiny fabric ruffles to attach to your shoes.  This tutorial shows how great ruffle embellishments on flats can look.

Re-Do your Shoes: Add a Flower
Fabric Flowers Fabric Flowers Fabric Flowers
Use one of our easy fabric flower tutorials, or crochet or knit a flower, and attach it to your favorite heels or flats. Flowers look good on the toes of your shoes or even adorning the ankle straps.

What other shoe refashions have you seen or done?

Book Review and Giveaway: Altered Shoes

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Book Review by Maria Nerius

I adored this book before I even opened it! Altered shoes… I love it!  This book really is a great step-by-step guide to making fabulous footwear.  We all have shoes that are in our closet that are gathering dust.  Plain, ordinary shoes.  This book lets the artist in you come out and play!  Every type of shoe is covered.  Stilettos, boots, flats, pumps, struts, sneakers, loafers, slip-ons, sandals, flip flops, and espadrilles.  You name it, Stevens-Heebner has got the shoe covered.  I love that so many different techniques are explained in this book. Everything from stamping, clays, beads, feathers, buttons, craft gems, chains, and more.  Get out your craft supplies and make some unique footwear.  My favorite was the Via Las Vegas Stilettos!  If you like mixed media and working with different art and craft supplies, you’ll enjoy this great book.

Altered Shoes
By Marty Stevens-Heebner
Publisher: Krause Publications
ISBN: 978-1-6006-126-1

altered-shoes

WIN THIS BOOK!

We are giving away the Altered Shoes book for free. Just post a comment on this blog and you’ll automatically be entered to win. The deadline to enter is April 28, 2009 at 5 pm CST. We’ll send an email to the winner so please check to make sure your email is correct. You’ll get an extra entry for EACH of the following (if you comment and do all four things, you’ll be entered FOUR times):

  1. If you blog about this giveaway at your blog, we’ll give you an extra entry. Contact us with a link to the blog post.
  2. If you twitter about this giveaway, you’ll get an extra entry. Again, contact us with a link to the tweet.
  3. If you add a link to us on your blogroll or website, we’ll give you an extra entry. Again, contact us!


Craft Giveaway Summary

Prize: 1 Altered Shoes book by Mary Stevens-Heebner

Deadline: April 28, 2009 5pm CST

*U.S. and Canada residents only. Winners must claim prize within 14 days of being announced.*

Good luck!

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