These shoes are ripe for crafting

October 29, 2008 2:41 PM

While you may not be the shoe hoarder some people are, you have shoes in your closet you never wear and you'd like to know what to do with them. Are they just boring? In that case you could just experiment with new ways to lace them, or find a way to make them light up when you walk into a room. Or you could draw on the shoes with markers or sharpies. You could also paint them, going with the theme of your choice: Art Nouveau, Picasso, Day of the Dead, or any of the ideas here. You could cut motifs from fabric and glue them on to your lace-ups, cover your flats with new fabric, bling up a pair of strappy shoes with glitter, or embellish your flip-flops with some yarn. Is the old upper worn out? Knit or crochet a new one. Want to get where you're going faster? Make custom roller skates, or modify your bicycle. Do your shoes hurt your feet? Put them on your face instead as a wrestling mask, or turn them into an iPod case. Your shoes could also become a birdhouse, a planter, a centrepiece, or an integral part of a coat rack, bookends or leg lamp. If you're really not up to crafting, here are 11 non-crafty ways to recycle old shoes. But what fun is that?!?
posted by orange swan (22 comments total)

I have been trying to figure out the hidden knot trick for years!

orange swan you rock!
posted by SheMulp AKA Plus 1 at 2:52 PM on October 29, 2008

I have been holding on to a pair of funky old chuck taylors for almost 10 years. They were my favorite sneakers for so long. But the day came when I had to let them go. I wanted to keep most of the fabric to make something out of but I just kept the lace holes and I think I will make a bracelet out of them. I feel inspired!
posted by SheMulp AKA Plus 1 at 3:02 PM on October 29, 2008

But can you make them into a bra? Or vice versa?
posted by le morte de bea arthur at 3:10 PM on October 29, 2008 [1 favorite]

orange swan, I've loved every post you've made so far. Keep it up!
posted by queensissy at 3:10 PM on October 29, 2008

orange swan you are an unstoppable monster. Wow.
posted by GuyZero at 3:22 PM on October 29, 2008

I feed my extras to a Shoe-pacabra.
posted by ...possums at 3:22 PM on October 29, 2008

How do I tell my gf to use a Sharpie on a $600 pair of black Prada pumps.
posted by Zambrano at 3:26 PM on October 29, 2008

When she does a post something like "those dead people did not need that skin anyway," then I'll run and hide. . .until then, good work, OS!
posted by Danf at 3:27 PM on October 29, 2008

Ooh, this is great stuff. A recent issue of Craft also has some great projects and resources. It inspired me to finally revamp some old shoes.
posted by annaramma at 3:27 PM on October 29, 2008 [1 favorite]

If I could figure out how to get them let me wear sandals to work, I could be happy with only one pair of shoes... sigh...
posted by blue_beetle at 3:30 PM on October 29, 2008

A lot of people credit FDR's Fireside Chats for getting the US through The Great Depression, in the future we'll all look back and thank orange swan for helping us pinch pennies and stay artistic through a rough economic period.
posted by Science! at 4:06 PM on October 29, 2008 [1 favorite]

My favorite painted shoes!

10 points to whomever "gets" it first...

The best wellies ever
posted by Windigo at 4:20 PM on October 29, 2008

*sigh*

And I messed up the link. Let's try that again:

Here
posted by Windigo at 4:22 PM on October 29, 2008

SWEET.

Just when I thought shoes couldn't get any better. MMMM I have a pair of wooden heeled sandals that are going to be so bitchin' when I'm done with them. Soldering iron... enamels... yeessssss.


Dear God I love shoes.

SHOES.
posted by louche mustachio at 5:02 PM on October 29, 2008

But can you make them into a bra?

I did turn a pair of Doc Martens into a nifty corset once.
posted by louche mustachio at 5:05 PM on October 29, 2008

Windigo - those translations of Stanley Donwood "Fleet Street" art (as seen on Thom Yorke's "The Eraser" album) is fantastic, and oh-so-fitting! Did you do those yourself, and if so, with what?

I have a similar pair of boots I wore home from the store. Walking a mile in those during a pleasantly warm summer evening was fun for a while, then got rather humid and a bit much. But still grand fun.
posted by filthy light thief at 5:12 PM on October 29, 2008

filthy light thief:

Alas, no, I did not. Someone I know did them. You get your ten points AND a cookie! A cookie shaped like a Scary Bear, of course.
posted by Windigo at 6:04 PM on October 29, 2008

you are too awesome! this is something I can do with my niece. thank you! =)
posted by girlthursday at 6:52 PM on October 29, 2008

Could you do one of these but for crappy funiture that sucks? I'd like to make my holey couch and boxy ugly wooden dresser into something artisty and awesome.

Just to be clear: I would prefer it if they could also become shoes in some way.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 9:17 PM on October 29, 2008 [1 favorite]

Hmm. Do you want your furniture to double purpose as dressy shoes, like evening slippers or pumps, or will it be okay if they are just suitable for more casual wear, as in the case of brogues or runners?
posted by orange swan at 9:22 PM on October 29, 2008

Ideally I'd like to be able to go to spinning class in my cheapo walmart stuff but save the antiques for weddings or important meeting. Oh and I'd like to make my lamp into a hat.

Now get to postin'!
posted by Potomac Avenue at 5:22 AM on October 30, 2008

Windigo - a scary bear cookie would be fantastic! Except I'd eat it, then I would no longer have a scary bear face hanging around.
posted by filthy light thief at 7:07 AM on October 31, 2008