Our spring/summer calendar is quickly filling up with another round of weddings, so of course I’ve already started thinking about what to wear… The LBD (little black dress) is always a solid go-to option – and I sure have my share of LBDs. But how to mix it up event after event?! Pops of color in my accessories, of course! I am so in love with pretty much everything at J.Crew these days, especially their gorgeous shoes with the fun bejeweled, flowered, and feathered accents…but I definitely don’t have the cash to buy said shoes. So why not take a simple pair of black shoes I already own and add some temporary flair?! Enter shoe bling.
I saw a shoe clip craft on Martha Stewart the other day and thought, “Hey, I can make that…but way cuter!” With a little imagination and using materials I already had on-hand, shoe blingification began. Here’s what I started with:
getting started
- A pair of black patent leather, rounded toe slingbacks (but any shoe will do)
- A pair of black bobby pins (or, if you don’t mind waiting, order some shoe clips here – kind of like clip-on earrings)
- Colored feathers (I used a few $0.50 jewel-toned feather ornament picks I got at JoAnn’s Fabric before Christmas – I was waiting for just the right project!)
- A smattering of fun buttons with the “loops” on the bottom (I have bags of old salvaged buttons)
- Super glue
- Scraps of fabric (for the backs)
I clipped the feathers to the desired length and super glued them to the backs of the buttons in a sunburst pattern. (Tip – Make sure that those feathers that had a curve are glued so that they curve away from the shoe, not toward it.) There were a few beads in the flower picks, which I added to one set of the shoe clips for an extra bit of fun. Next, I cut out a small donut shape from a fabric scrap and stuck it on top of the superglued feathers to finish the back and protect the shoes from any scratches. After letting it dry, I slipped a bobby pin through the button “loop” and then slid them onto the shoes, angling them to the sides. I might end up clipping the bobby pins shorter so the tips don’t show, but I think they look pretty darn good right now! Here’s the final result in green!
green and gold combo
And in blue:
blue with white (+ some extra blue sparkle)
The glory of this craft is that I can pick whichever look I want…and in oh-so-hot jewel tones that keep me current with the trends and spice up my LBD.
I can’t forget to show a pic of the backs:
even the backs are cute!
And, yes, in case you’re wondering, right now all of my fingertips are covered in super glue (but thankfully not stuck together!) – the price you pay for seriously blinged out shoes! How would you blingify your shoes?
Some other ideas to get your creative juices flowing: vintage brooches from the thrift store, buttons, satin rosettes (a la J.Crew), bows, pom poms…the possibilities are endless!
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
adorable! but really, you just used a bobby pin and it worked? My grandma used to have a bunch of them but they were actual shoe clips …I’d love to DIY a bunch but need to find the perfect clip that won’t slip OR damage the shoe. hmmmm .
These really are fabulous though. Maybe two -spaced- shorter bobbies. ..I have some black ones…maybe they’ll work. I’ll try it. Thanks!
Definitely give it a try! I didn’t have the patience to wait for an order of shoe clips to be delivered so I gave it a shot. You could always cut the part of the bobby pin that goes inside your shoe and put the rubber piece on the cut end. But it’s worth a shot – or order some shoe clips from the link I posted! BTW I’m totally going to make your chain/tassel necklace – LOVE that idea.
Hi, I was really impressed with your idea! I have lots of flowers and was planning to do the same, but I can’t find actual shoe clips. I tried your link, but it is no longer available. Perhaps I did something wrong! I’m what they call a dinosaur, when it comes to this computer, this is all new to me. So if you could tell me where to get the clips, I’d be very greatful! Have a great day
Jeanette – Thanks so much! It was a super easy project, and a fun way to dress up a pair of plain shoes. I’m sorry the link no longer works! I found another source here. Good luck!