Shoe Hats - A Conclusion

I'm not really sure whether I should be proud or ashamed - but I am no longer an Etsy virgin.

Remember those shoe hats I was experimenting with before? Well, you all voted for the feather, so I figured I should get to town.

But it didn't work out. I could not produce a matching pair. It's like every feather in the bunch was completely different. And being cheap feathers to start with, they had an annoying habit of falling apart. It didn't look good. It also didn't help that the shedding feather-fluff was flying all over the place, making a gigantic down mess all over the place.

So I thought maybe I'd just go with the single-wing-per-shoe idea. It was my own personal favorite, after all. But I was afraid that it would snag on my dress since it kind of hung off the shoe.

Frustrated, I decided I'd scour Etsy for additional ideas. Well, I didn't find any ideas, but I did find some shoe clips. Some three-dollar-and-fifty-cent shoe clips. With pearls on them.

Source: Etsy Seller Garmenture

And a couple of clicks later, they were mine.

So there you have it - my first DIY fail. But I did get some cute clips at a ridiculously low price, so I'm having a hard time being upset about it. I mean, they are some seriously cute little clips.

I just hope I haven't crossed some sort of psychological barrier that opens up a floodgate of more purchases. I mean, these are a little small, maybe I should switch shoes next?

Well, okay. Maybe it's more of Sak's hope than mine. When you give a mouse a cookie...

Have you given up on a DIY project yet? Did you feel like a failure or breathe the sweet air of relief? Is Etsy always so convenient?

DIY Shoe Hats

A week or so ago my mother went ahead and ordered my suede red flats from Target (along with a slew of bathing suits and tropical-wear for my stylish little sis).

Though they are lovely shoes, I think they need a hat. Anyone want to make some shoe-hats as well?

Let's round up some supplies.
We've got some felt, paper clips, assorted pearls/beads,lace, white feathers, craft glue/glue gun, wire/wire tools, and red jeweled centerpiece beads. Though you can use pretty much whatever you have lying around.

Take a piece of felt (or any other sturdy material, even cardboard would work) and glue it onto half of the paperclip. Now, it doesn't have to be a paperclip...In fact, I think most people use actual shoe clip bases, or clip-on earring bases. But I don't have those lying around, and this is a lying-around tutorial.

Also, I used the craft glue on this particular paperclip, but later ended up using only the hot glue, because I'm impatient and didn't want to wait for it to dry. Make sure you put glue all over the felt, so if you need to trim the felt later, the whole thing doesn't fall apart. In any case, fold it over and let it dry together.

Now just stick a dab of hot glue on your newly made base, and throw whatever you want on top. That's pretty much it. Easy huh? When you're finished, simply bend the other half of the paper clip back to it's original position and stick on your shoe. If it's loose, bend the clip in more so it creates more tension on the shoe.

Feathers! Though I think mine were a little too unwieldy... (and it made a MESS!)

A quick and dirty lace flower. I simply dabbed hot glue on the ends of the lace, coiled it around twice and that was it.
This would probably look more elegant if you did a running stitch through the ribbon for a nice gathered look. If I go with this one, I'd also make the flower larger, or add a few extra around the sides for a clustered look.

A little bead action...but I think this looks a little too much like a happy face, don't you? Let's try without the drapery at the bottom:
Better!

A pre-made wing patch I found...A little big for the shoe though.

A home-made wing. Sak bent some wire into the shape of a wing for me. I backed it in white felt, and glued some beads along the frame. The idea being that both feet together would complete the wing "set".

A similar wing, this time with beads threaded onto the wire, and no felt backing.

You can still see the white felt base on most these pieces, so on the finished product I'll have to do a better job trimming it down to size.

Which one is your favorite? Any other ideas for shoe hats? Maybe a nice silk flower or giant pendant...the possibilities are endless!

Shiny Happy Shoeples

Now before we jump right into the shoe-fest, let's talk about the needs. You see, I'm about two inches taller than dear Sak, so I am not allowed to wear heels under any occasion. Well, except for the secret pair of cute one-inchers hidden under my desk at work...

And then, after loving the way the little red shoes looked on my save the date magnet, I decided I needed red shoes. Yes, needed.

(Sources L-R: Merona , Naturalizer , Volatile , Da Vaccino Clie , Dorothy Shoes? )

The shoes on the top left are the ones I'll probably get (if not for the wedding, at least for everyday!) They are only $20 at Target! Unfortunately, the red ones weren't at my local stores, so I'll have to try ordering them.

I'm thinking they'll look pretty nice with a good shoe clip on the front. (Click the image for the etsy seller!)


Something with pearls to match my necklace? I can probably make my own, though the above etsy examples are so neat as well! I'd have to search for shoe clip findings, which could be more hassle than it's worth. What do you think - buy, make or antique shop? At what point do you stop adding DIY projects? The end of my list is no where in sight!