Decorate Your Own Flip Flops

Why spend extra money when you can decorate your own flip flops and have something unique for half the price? If you really get into it, you can end up with a closet full of summer shoes that are all distinctively yours.

You can decorate flip flops to suit any occasion.

Everyone is interested in saving money, but few people have any extra time, so you may wonder what the point is in decorating your own flip flops when so many cute ones can be bought cheaply. Well, for one thing, "cheap" is relative – a few decorations can add to the markup on shoes considerably. If you're at all interested in crafts, you can save a bundle. In fact, if you're really good, you can probably make some extra money by decorating more shoes and then selling them yourself.

Custom decorating shoes can be fun beyond the individual. You can hand decorate the flip flops for a beach wedding, for example, with all the bridesmaids matching. It can also be a fun way to promote team building or show school spirit.

Even if the shoes aren't made to match, decorating flip flops at home is a fun activity for family members and friends and you'll end up with some very cute shoes, so there's no good reason not to give it a go.

Glue, or a glue gun, is your friend. You want to avoid staples and such like, because they can irritate your feet. Glue and paint, however, will allow you to accomplish pretty much anything you can think of. It should be noted that flip flops made of cheap plastic will probably not take to hot glue well – they might melt. In this instance, a craft glue is a good alternative.

• First you'll have to buy some plain flip flops. Try not to get any that are so cheap they offer no cushioning whatsoever. Remember, once you've decorated them, you will want to wear them and they should be as comfortable.

• Your local craft shop should have any number of interesting paints and decorative objects. The most obvious are fabric flowers, but you could also consider sequins, plastic fruit and toys, bows, seashells, vintage buttons, fake pearls, rhinestones and knitted pom-poms. As your confidence builds, so will your ideas and you can start making any number of lively themed shoes. You can also start with a base of fabric paint or glitter.

• Plan your shoes. For the most part, once something is glued on, it's stuck, so be sure to play with the items you've chosen and find the best way to lay them out and show them off.

• Take your time with the actual gluing. Some items will affix more readily than others. You may need to use clothespins overnight to set some items. You will certainly need to wait at least a day before the shoes are ready to wear, so don't wait till the last minute to decorate your own flip flops for a special event unless you don't mind taking a risk.

For beach flip flops, which will come on and off all day, you should consider decorating the sole of the shoe as well. Fabric paint will allow you to go to town. Most of them will hold up to water, although you should definitely check. This is a great idea for children's shoes, as it will help them identify whose is whose – besides, they'll love it!

The more you get into decorating your own flip flops, the more events you might find for showing them off. There are even "costume" contests now for flip flops! No matter what, you'll spend the whole summer in style.

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