Monday, April 12, 2010

On With The Shoe!



I had been spring cleaning in my closet and these shoes that have been lurking in the closet, nearly got the go ahead to end up at Good Will. When I had a pin cushion swap coming up, I couldn't resist turning them into an artful functional piece. Either way they were getting recycled, but I nearly had to buy them back! The one on the right is what it looked like before (as if you couldn't have guessed! lol) I will have to save that one to do another one for myself or another trade.



I thought that perhaps I would need to sand the shoe a bit but unfortunately it would be taking off some of the leather, so decided to leave well enough alone. I painted them in acrylics and looked for bits and pieces that would corridinate.



When I took the buckle off, I realized I really had to cover that area up again and found some fabric that I fused together that formed the curl up over the edge. I glued the fabric and stuffing in place and had an old beaded necklace that covered the edge of the glue line.



At first I planned to restring the right amount of beads, but then decided to leave a bit of a decorative hang so I added more yarns and hanging beads. I am rather pleased how it turned out even though I didn't have a plan. I grabbed my paints and went on with the shoe!

One time my daughter and her husband had flown back from vacation and we were to pick them up at the air port. When we did, my daughter took one look at me and said, did you dress yourself? I said," yes, why? " She then told me to look at my feet. When I did, I finally realized that I had one black and one blue shoe on! I have always liked one of a kind things. I guess this just proves it!

14 comments:

Ann said...

what a fabulous idea...bravo !!!!

Dotti said...

Hey there...no plan is a good plan, and you just proved it!

Sharne Gregory said...

What a great idea! Thank you for sharing it.

morningDove said...

i love this idea, did you clean the inside of the shoe?? mine would not be reusuable i'm afraid.lol
but yours is gorgeous. love the colors.

NEEDLEWINGS said...

Dove, Just use a little lysol spray in the shoe, that will make it a little user friendly. LOL

TheaMinPA said...

That's a Really Great Shoe!
I love the way you jump into things without planning ahead - you're my idol!

Melissa ;-) said...

What a great idea! I love it!

Pattyskypants said...

Dress for Success!! ROFL!

Diane Kelsey said...

Sharne told me about this today. Great to see the pictures.

Mary Helen-Art Saves Lives said...

I have a memory of wearing two different shoes into my classroom of laughing eighth grade class...but who cares now? This is a splendid project to add to playful childlike abandonment in color and re-purpose a favorite shoe's new life. Imagine and Live in Peace, Mary Helen Fernandez Stewart

Vic said...

It is a great shoe make-over! And I am the very lucky recipient of it!

Thank you so much, Wanda!

NEEDLEWINGS said...

You are welcome Vic!

The Dolphin Inn said...

Wow this shoe is amazing, I have seen them altered before but not as nicely as this, love the way you turned it into a pin cussion, meant to say in an earlier comment how much I love your blog name - very cute !!! XXX

SkitzoLeezra said...

Genius idea! Gonna suggest your practical use to my glitter shoe friends.