https://www.cutoutandkeep.net/projects/doll-infinity-sandals • Posted by NataLuna
i am so excited that these worked!! i have a doll that needed pretty shoes, and barbie flat-footed shoes are not so common. see, i made them in my head several times, over the course of about a week, until i got the concept just right. BUT things could (and did) go wrong in the reality, so i was still not sure until i made them. sorry i did not make a tutorial (wanted to make sure it worked first... also a bit lazy), but i will probably make another pair soonish, so i could potentially do one then. i will, however, explain; then maybe you can try it anyway. but first, the pictures: front with skirt back with skirt semi-sideview showing that i am not so great at knots, also this is a close-up and you can see the straws do not show as much as i expected them to... other sideview, cos it shows some things better. i don't mind if you copy this idea for personal use. after all, i copied the idea (sort of) from the human-size mohop shoe and open-source shoe in CRAFT or MAKE mags. but if you do make these, please post photos! OK here is the concept: NOTE: the clutter in the foreground of some photos is intentional. string, foam, nonwoven fabric, a cocktail straw and a pencil, are literally all it takes to make these shoes (except the scissors and glue which i forgot to put in the picture).
i am so excited that these worked!! i have a doll that needed pretty shoes, and barbie flat-footed shoes are not so common. see, i made them in my head several times, over the course of about a week, until i got the concept just right. BUT things could (and did) go wrong in the reality, so i was still not sure until i made them. sorry i did not make a tutorial (wanted to make sure it worked first... also a bit lazy), but i will probably make another pair soonish, so i could potentially do one then. i will, however, explain; then maybe you can try it anyway. but first, the pictures: front with skirt back with skirt semi-sideview showing that i am not so great at knots, also this is a close-up and you can see the straws do not show as much as i expected them to... other sideview, cos it shows some things better. i don't mind if you copy this idea for personal use. after all, i copied the idea (sort of) from the human-size mohop shoe and open-source shoe in CRAFT or MAKE mags. but if you do make these, please post photos! OK here is the concept: NOTE: the clutter in the foreground of some photos is intentional. string, foam, nonwoven fabric, a cocktail straw and a pencil, are literally all it takes to make these shoes (except the scissors and glue which i forgot to put in the picture).
Use a pencil to trace your (flat-footed) doll's feet onto the materials and cut out (together? it worked for me cos mine were sticky already) 3 layers: nonwoven fabric + foam + nonwoven fabric. NOTE: it would look neat if your bottom layer looked like rubber treads. but it's so small it might not matter if your top and bottom layer are the same, like mine are. mine were fake suede and foam that were part of a belt, which is what gave me the idea to use them together. you could use a prettier color of foam or later you can probably color the foam with a sharpie to make it look less like an icecream sandwich!! i'll do this later, but i wanted it to show up in the photos.
Decide where you want the ties to go. maybe mark it on the foam layer.
Cut out 2 little channels across your foam section. they will be the same width as your cocktail straw.
Glue your base layer to the foam layer, leaving the 2 channels open. depending on your glue, let it dry a bit. don't use too much glue, cos this stuff is all tiny.
now lay the cocktail straws in the 2 little channels and cut to size. one straw will be enough for several pairs of shoes so if you don't have any handy you can recycle your coffee stirrers (wash them first!! ) if they look like tiny straws. you could maybe also do it without straws, but i didn't think the strings would slide well without this.
glue the top layer (footbed?) down over the straws and the foam.
finish drinking your coffee and put the cup as a weight on top of the shoes until they dry. (i'm sort of joking, but this is also what i did, and it worked great. you might choose to use another kind of weight, though). thread the string into the straw-sections that you placed in the little channels. This was easier than i thought it would be, but that might depend on the string you use.
finish drinking your coffee and put the cup as a weight on top of the shoes until they dry. (i'm sort of joking, but this is also what i did, and it worked great. you might choose to use another kind of weight, though). thread the string into the straw-sections that you placed in the little channels. This was easier than i thought it would be, but that might depend on the string you use.
you could probably make different configurations of how the string is wrapped, especially if you made more than 2 channels. i did the only one that was obvious to me.
you will have to sometimes thread the string through the channels in both directions. the easiest way is to thread it through one way, and then use that thread (by friction) to help you pull the other thread through the other way. this is WAY easier to do than to explain... sorry
put the shoes on the doll, wrap the ankles, and tie! please let me know if you would like more explanations and/or tutorial. if anyone adapts these shoes for the dolls with curved feet, please share, too! thanks for looking...