Repurposing Last Season's Sandals

On: Friday, July 6, 2012

Don't you hate it when a pair of your favorite sandals goes out of style the moment you take it home? I can't tell you how many times I have fallen prey to a fashion trend that quickly died out, and quite frankly, I'm tired of it.

In an effort to save money and get the most out of my footwear investments, I have found some ways to repurpose last season's sandals. Now I can really enjoy those funky flip flops I begged my husband to buy me, even if no one else in the world wants to wear them.

Here are some quick tips to help you reuse, recycle, and re-enjoy some of your favorite summer shoes:

New Sandals

You could just give your sandals a facelift to make them look new again. Add rhinestones, strings of beads, hemp, fabric ties, or whatever else you want to the shoes. You could also use fabric paint to change them to a different color, or you could replace the straps with a new material.

Make the sandals a perfect fit for your wardrobe, and you will know for a fact that they are one-of-a-kind.

Picture Frames



Why not make your shoes into cute displays for photos in your home? This will only work for sandals with a relatively flat soles and minimal straps.  You can us a box knife to cut out a rectangle to fit a picture in, and then you can set the picture in the shoe with a little piece of glass on top. You could get this glass from another picture frame, or you could use clear plastic instead. Most craft stores will sell thin sheets of Plexiglas that you can cut with scissors or a box knife. That will make the perfect cover.

If the edges around the photo look a little jagged, glue on some rope or part of the straps. Then just add a triangular piece of matting or cardboard to the back for support, and you can put this super chic frame on any table in your home.

Coat Racks


You could easily turn your sandals into hooks for hanging things. Just get a piece of wood to secure the shoes to, and then use screws or glue to put them toe-down on the board. Then you can buy some decorative clothes hangers and put one in the toe of each shoe.

You could also buy a hook to secure in the toe, but that kind of defeats the purpose of the shoe in general. Try to incorporate the footwear as much as you can. Add a wire to the back so you can hang this on the wall, and you should be good to go. Something like this may even be good enough to win you a scholarship if you play your cards right.

Coasters


At first glance, a pair of shoes on a table may seem out of place. If you clean them up nicely though, they can look like actual coasters for your drinks. Glue a circular piece of cork board to the inside of the shoe, and you will be able to use your sandals just like you would any other coasters. Who knows – you may start a trend for the neighborhood!

There are plenty of ways to repurpose last season's sandals if you just think outside the shoebox. Figure out a way to really let these shoes shine, and you will not have to worry about throwing away perfectly good shoes.

About the Author: Lisa Winehart is an active fashionista who is currently going to college on a left-handed scholarship. She uses her innovative creativity to propel her career and her hobbies at the same time.

Upcycle Old Jeans into a Chair

On: Monday, June 25, 2012

What a clever idea and nice implementation: this chair looks cool and seems to be very comfortable.

It used several pairs of jeans, I guess, because the scraps are in different colors.

Denim is thick and reliable material, so it should be quite durable. Play around for more designs!

Old Jeans into a Chair

No matter why you need more outdoor furniture (for summer outdoors or renting), this is a great money-saving idea!

More cool DIY chairs for outdoors!:

Mason Jar Chandelier with Solar Lights

On: Monday, February 27, 2012

If you seriously don't know what to do with your Mason Jars and both the mason jars garden lanterns and mason jar flower shelf are not the option, consider this cool idea:

Creative mason jar chandelier powered by sun!

You will need 4 mason jars, 4 Solar Light LIDS, and some creativity! Gotta love the light and color play!

Mason Jar Chandelier with Solar Lights
Mason Jar Chandelier with Solar Lights
Mason Jar Chandelier with Solar Lights

Tea Strainers into Unique Looking Mini-Lamps

On: Thursday, February 23, 2012

If you love experimenting with lightning, you should be definitely checking out our previous projects, like this dictionary lamp, beer can lamp, decanters lamps and many others!

Today's new idea is the solid one to add to the arsenal: tea strainer lamp create some unique light play and also look really trendy! Something to surprise your guests with! They could also create a cool interior decor element too!

Tea Strainers lamps

Old Toys into a Cool Chair

On: Friday, February 17, 2012

I have a three-year old daughter and her toys are everyone: on and under the bed, on almost all shelves in the wardrobe, in the attic, all around the floor (especially each evening). She doesn't play with most old ones but still doesn't want them to go.

When I stumbled upon this cool Hello Kitty chair on Flickr, I thought "Would she love that chair?" What are your thoughts?

Old Toys into a Cool Chair

More Awesome Ways to Upcycle Junk into Bird Houses

On: Monday, February 13, 2012

Kids love crafts and making stuff with them is also a valuable time you spend together with your dearest.

We  featured a few cool upcycled bird houses last year but here are a few more awesome ideas to get you inspired for this spring!

Here's a long instruction on turning a plastic bottle into a very pretty bird house:

plastic bird house 

Here's another one that involves more painting:

Cute plastic bird house 

Here's a bird feeder made of recycled milk carton:

recycled milk carton bird house

And even more milk (or juice) carton bird houses here:

Recycled bird houses

Good luck! have fun with your kids and get prepared for spring!

By Annie, author of these kids' party ideas.

Yes, Sometimes Crafting is Tough

On: Sunday, February 12, 2012

This is not to discourage you from crafting. This is just for you to know that crafting is tough. Sometimes it will take you quite some time and effort to create something awesome, but it will always be fun!

DIY fun