Ruffle Shoe Tutorial: a Refashion

I really like shoes with something extra, like ruffles or flowers, but usually not the price tag on them...

In my closet I had these boring shoes, still in perfectly good shape, just plain though.

So I thought of a way I could change them. 

And LOVED how they turned out!

So here is another refashion tutorial...

It took me less than a half hour to make these, and hardly any supplies!

Gather your supplies:

* Shoes 

* 7/8" Wide Grosgrain ribbon (color that matches your shoes)

* Matching thread

*E-6000 glue

Begin by measuring your ribbon. I took ribbon about twice as long as the edge I wanted to put the ruffle on. You could use a little less, but don't use too little, you can always trim it if it's too long.

Stitch one edge of the ribbon with a straight stitch, at the longest length your sewing machine will allow. (For mine that is 4.)

Gather the ribbon by pulling one of the threads.

Put it on the shoe to see how it looks, and adjust if needed.

Trim the excessive ends. Make sure the ribbon can still fold to the inside of your shoe like shown in the picture below. Make sure the part on the inside of the shoe isn't ruffled.

Then, with stitch length 1, sew the edge of the ribbon once again, to make sure the ruffle will stay put! 

Now, grab the sports section of the paper, your glue, and if the weather allows it, go outside!

(Otherwise make sure you're working in a well ventilated area!)

Sorry for this blurry picture, but at this point I was holding the glue and camera, and wanting to work as quickly as possible, so didn't take too many pictures....

Put some glue on the center of the shoe as pictured.

Wait a little, following the directions on the glue.

Put the center of the ribbon in place, make sure it is a little higher up than the edge of the shoe, so that the edge won't show anymore.

Work your way around the shoe, finishing of the last part like shown in the picture below, and fold to the inside.

Let them dry and enjoy!

You could also add ribbon flowers, or an extra layer of ruffles, beads, etc.

I liked it just like this, and was worried to mess it up by overdoing it, so I kept them like this.

Would also be fun for plain flats...

Oh, and for people who always manage to glue the lid of the glue stuck to the tube: (Of cooooooooooourse not me, not at all.) I learned by reading the directions in small print (who does that anyway?) that it helps to put a little petroleum jelly on the inside of the lid. Tried it last time and it works like a charm :)

I linked up to Brassy Apple, I heart organizing, CraftOManiac Monday, Blue Cricket Design, Tea Rose Home and Sugarbee Crafts

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Looks like watercolors! - Fun quick kids' craft

The other day I was watering plants, and I accidentally dripped some water on one of my daughter's artworks. Since their creations need to be treated with respect, or so they think, I put it on the kitchen counter to dry. And then I convinced her that I liked it almost even better this way:

It had sort of a water color look. My girls were really excited about it and thought it looked like they painted it!

So we felt like we 'invented' a new craft by accident!

We took some coloring books, just those made with that ugly grey-ish paper.

They picked a favorite picture, and colored it with markers.

Then we sprayed it with a water bottle.

And let it dry...

(We put it outside in the sun.)

Just a fun, quick little craft, and it looks like they painted, without the mess.

Flower T-shirt Tutorial - a Refashion

I made this flower t-shirt using a plain black t-shirt and a black and a white top that I was going to get rid off anyway. It was such a quick and easy project, and I am really pleased with the results. I took some pictures while I was making it, and decided to share..

Supplies needed:

A basic t-shirt (I used black)

Knit fabric in 2 colors (I used 2 old tops, black & white)

Lace

Matching thread

Begin by cutting flowers in 3 sizes using the knit fabric and the lace. I used my Bigshot, but you could also freehand them. Since you will layer them, and put lace on top of the lighter color, their shape won't matter as much. Also, once the t-shirt is washed the edges will curl up slightly, therefore the shape is not too important.

Then, lay out the flowers on your shirt. I used 2 of the big knit flowers, and one each of the smaller ones. Then I made sure that a piece of lace was on top of the white knit, so that the lace was more visible. 

Once you have found an arrangement that you like, pin the flowers down, and start sewing. 

This was really pretty easy. I used a straight stitch, starting in the center of the flower, and went back and forth in a straight line on each petal twice. In order to move on to the next petal, just make sure the needle is down, lift the presser foot, turn the fabric so that you're good to go for the next petal, put the presser foot back down, and repeat.

 Here are some close ups to show the flowers.

And that's all!

Hope you enjoy this mini tutorial, let me know if you have any questions!

I linked up to Brassy Apple, Blue Cricket Design, Tatertots and jello , Under the table and dreaming, CraftOManiac Monday, Young and Crafty, Sumo's Sweet Stuff and Sugar Bee Crafts.