How to Recycle Fabric Scraps...into Restyled Shoes!

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Diane Gilleland, contributor

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What a simple, fun way to give new life to old shoes—fabric decoupage!

Katin Imes

Sometimes, you can get a great project out of things you have around the house. (I couldn't bear to toss these fabric scraps I had left over from another craft.)

Diane Gilleland

With a little Fabric Mod Podge, you can seal those scraps to the shoes.

Diane Gilleland

What a simple, fun way to give new life to old shoes—fabric decoupage!

Photo: Katin Imes

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Brush more Mod Podge over the fabric scraps. You want to get them saturated with the glue (especially where they overlap one another), and make sure all the edges are flattened against the shoe.

Repeat this process to cover all the canvas of both shoes.

Remove loose threads with tweezers.

If you're, um, detail-oriented like I am, then you can also remove any stray thread bits with tweezers while the glue is still wet. This photo also shows you how helpful that masking is!

If your shoes have a tongue, apply masking to the back of the eyelets so the pieces won't be glued together.

If your shoes have a tongue, like most tennis shoes, then apply some painter's tape to the back of the eyelets, as shown here. This will prevent the tongue from getting accidentally glued to the eyelets.

Leave the shoes to dry overnight.

Allow the shoes to dry overnight, then remove the masking.

I experimented with adding an extra coat of Mod Podge, which is what I'd do with a paper decoupage project, but I found that this extra coat made the shoes a little too stiff for comfortable wear. So make sure that your first coat is securely adhering all those scraps.

After 72 hours, you can wash these shoes in cold water on the gentle cycle, or spot-clean them by hand. But, according to the manufacturer's website: "Fabric Mod Podge will hold up best on decorative items that don’t have to be washed often." Which is fine if you're just trying to get another season out of an old pair of shoes.

Now, imagine cutting some pretty motifs out of your favorite print fabric and using this technique to customize a tote bag!

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Comments (8)

mdorta writes: &&& Super chic & oh so creative. Love it.
Posted: 3:58 pm on December 11th

crafteegyrl writes: I made shoes a bit like these, except I didn't use small scraps...Check them out!

www.crafteegyrl.wordpress.com

I thought I was pretty original...guess not! LOL!

Thanks, HB
www.crafteegyrl.wordpress.com
www.crafteegyrl.etsy.com
Posted: 4:27 pm on September 18th

paperrain writes: AUGHHGHGHG!!!

Next time I go to Hawaii, I'm taking several pair!
Posted: 7:32 pm on April 22nd

PamHarris writes: Beautiful! Brilliant! Love the idea! And I didn't know there was a fabric mod-podge. Can't wait to get my hands on some of it!
Posted: 11:20 pm on April 11th

Sweet_Dee writes: Gotta try!
Posted: 7:07 pm on April 10th

Edytheanne writes: I am all over this. I think I will make some new shoelaces to go with them and maybe add a few charms at the tail end.
Thanks for the idea.
Posted: 6:03 pm on April 10th

Merit writes: I recently got a pair of denim ballet slipper type shoes from Old Navy, but I kept thinking they just needed a little... something. Thanks for the great idea!
Posted: 5:43 pm on April 10th

theemptynest writes: Sooo cool!! Kids will love these.
Posted: 3:49 pm on April 10th

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