https://www.cutoutandkeep.net/projects/decorated-summer-sandals • Posted by Theano
Learn how to make upcycled or new decorated summer sandals Greek style! You can make this project totally free of charge by repurposing and upcycling the materials needed. You can fix your old sandals, use repurposed lace trim and seashells that you find from the beach or you can buy all these beautiful items online from Etsy or a craft shop near you. I love my island, Cyprus! Situated in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, we are blessed with warm summer weather nearly all year round and endless beautiful beaches, some of which are considered to be the best in the world! The beach is always the best place to be. I am in complete bliss when I am there, just lying on the sand and letting the waves splash my feet, collecting endless seashells, sea glass and pebbles. Only when I am at the beach or creating jewelry, sandals and crafts am I in complete paradise and peace! You could find your seashells from your last beach trip and use those for your design. Together with the lace these sandals are just perfect if you have a beach wedding to attend! The cost for these beautiful DIY decorated sandals could be really low or a tinsy bit expensive. It all depends what you choose for your materials. I upcycled an old pair of sandals which were in excellent condition. And I bought some real seashells made into beads and lovely lace that I had left over from a previous craft project, so the cost was low in general, depending how expensive your material is. You can also use real seashells collected from the beach and repurposed lace. Although I absolutely love the beach, my dream is to visit romantic Florence, Italy, home of the Renaissance where art and romance become one and visit some of the greatest artistic treasures in the world. I would love to visit the many museums and just walking with so much history around me, this is true inspiration and I would love to be able to just sit in a park and create whatever I am inspired to make, something rustic and romantic, with my beautiful surroundings. As an artist and designer this would be my dream come true!
Learn how to make upcycled or new decorated summer sandals Greek style! You can make this project totally free of charge by repurposing and upcycling the materials needed. You can fix your old sandals, use repurposed lace trim and seashells that you find from the beach or you can buy all these beautiful items online from Etsy or a craft shop near you. I love my island, Cyprus! Situated in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, we are blessed with warm summer weather nearly all year round and endless beautiful beaches, some of which are considered to be the best in the world! The beach is always the best place to be. I am in complete bliss when I am there, just lying on the sand and letting the waves splash my feet, collecting endless seashells, sea glass and pebbles. Only when I am at the beach or creating jewelry, sandals and crafts am I in complete paradise and peace! You could find your seashells from your last beach trip and use those for your design. Together with the lace these sandals are just perfect if you have a beach wedding to attend! The cost for these beautiful DIY decorated sandals could be really low or a tinsy bit expensive. It all depends what you choose for your materials. I upcycled an old pair of sandals which were in excellent condition. And I bought some real seashells made into beads and lovely lace that I had left over from a previous craft project, so the cost was low in general, depending how expensive your material is. You can also use real seashells collected from the beach and repurposed lace. Although I absolutely love the beach, my dream is to visit romantic Florence, Italy, home of the Renaissance where art and romance become one and visit some of the greatest artistic treasures in the world. I would love to visit the many museums and just walking with so much history around me, this is true inspiration and I would love to be able to just sit in a park and create whatever I am inspired to make, something rustic and romantic, with my beautiful surroundings. As an artist and designer this would be my dream come true!
Firstly, find a pair of sandals you would like to decorate. They can be brand new or a favorite pair you would like to revamp. With the old pair, carefully cut off any beads or string attached and clean your sandals thoroughly before you begin. If they are brand new, then you can jump this step and go to Step 2.
Think about your design and how you imagine your sandals to look like. I wanted a pretty romantic and simple, delicate rustic look, but also wanted a Greek beach style, so I stuck to beautiful lace cord and small seashell beads with holes already made in them. Lay out your design on your sandals before you start gluing and cutting. When you are happy with your design, then its off to start our DIY Sandals!
Cut your lace in the length needed to place along your sandal straps and glue them on (here I used the E6000). Although, you might need 24 hours for it to stick completely, here in Cyprus it is so hot this time of the year, it took me half an hour to go onto the next step.
Take your seashells or beads and place them across the lace straps and carefully put a tiny dot with your pencil where you are happy with them. Take a piece of thread, long enough to sew a seashell or bead (I used about 30cm for each seashell). It doesn’t matter if its longer, rather you have a bit left than run out. Then take your seashell and carefully sew each one on top of your pencil mark, making sure you hide the mark.
When you are done, you can also add a dab of fabric glue on the thread just before you cut it to make sure it stays in place. Also, you can place some glue on the bottom of your seashells and stick them to the lace to make sure they won’t come off (This is optional).
Step back and admire your new embellished DIY Greek summer sandals created by you! Wear them, show them off and enjoy them!