Shake Your Pom Poms
Elementary craft supplies add serious pow to simple shoes
Sandal season is about to get a lot more fun. All you need are some pre-made pom poms, a pair of spartan kicks, and a glue gun to make some fresh new footwear.
High Stepping
Start with a simple pair of high heels that have a wide toe strap. Choose a handful of pom poms in varying colors and sizes (we used 1″, 1½”, and 2″). Arrange them in a cluster toward the outer side of one toe strap until you love the look. Use a hot glue gun to secure the pom poms in place. Repeat the design on the second shoe.
Flashy Feet
Start with a simple pair of gladiator sandals with woven or braided wraparound straps and ¼ yard of decorative trim the same width as the toe and side straps (you’ll use it to cover them if they’re not woven). Cut the trim to the length of each strap. Using a hot glue gun, put a little hot glue on the trim’s raw edges to keep them from unraveling, then hot glue the trim to the sandals’ toe and side straps and press firmly.
Next, prepare your pom poms in varying colors and sizes (we used ½” and ¾”). Using a needle and thread that matches the color pom pom you are working with, pull the thread from one side of the pom pom to the other (going through the thick middle). Go in and out of the pom pom several times, make a knot on one end of the thread, then pull back through tightly. Sew a jump ring to the pom pom (we used ½” jump rings for ¾” pom poms and 3/8″ jump rings for ½” pom poms), looping the thread around the pom pom and through the jump ring several times. Knot to secure. Dab hot glue where pom pom connects to the jump ring. We also added jump rings to assorted charms.
Put on one of the sandals and experiment with the placement of the pom poms and charms by opening the jump rings and slipping them through the woven straps in various places. Once you love the look, remove the sandal and close the jump rings using flat nose pliers. Add the same pom poms and charms to the other sandal like a mirror image so they match.
By Callie Watts
Photographed by Megan Senior
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