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Oh I am so excited about this project! Any DIY that takes less than 30 minutes is worth getting excited about, no? These flip flops are so easy, and so so comfortable. The best part? They only cost me $1.oo. All you need is a pair of inexpensive flip flops, I bought mine at Old Navy for a buck, some scrap fabric and you’re set. No sewing..but you can glue if you really want to ;).
I saw a similar pair at Target, which I would have bought had they fit. I quite literally have the widest feet on the planet. No really. So wide feet people rejoice! You can have cute shoes too! Let’s get started!
Tutorial ~ Diy Knot Flip Flops
Supplies:
- flip flops
- kitchen scissors or an exacto knife
- about a 1/4 yard of fabric off the bolt, or scrap fabric
- hot glue – not necessary, but if you have it, it couldn’t hurt
Fabric Cuts:
You will need four 4½ x 24 inch strips. You may be able to get away with less, I just left a lot to work with.
Assembly:
First you will push the straps through the back a little and cut off the wide part holding it. I used an exacto knife on these flops, but the ones I made today I just used kitchen shears. They worked great.
Okay, now we have our flip flop bottoms, sans the straps. I just left my fabric with a raw edge. I like it like that – but by all means, break out the sewing machine if you like :).
Cut all of your tips into a point like shown.
Now take two strips and pull two ends through the hole at the toe.
Tie a good and tight double knot. The knot will fit in the little divet left from the original straps.
Cut the little tails off.
Now turn the flop over. You are going to tie one knot about an inch from the shoe, this is where it will go in between your toes. Hold both the straps together to tie it.
Tie a second knot right behind the first knot, good and tight.
Okay, we’re almost done. Now pull the two straps through the side holes like shown.
Put the flip flop on and tighten the strap to where it is tight on the top of your foot, then tie a knot on each side. Take the shoe off and make sure that the knots are tight, try the shoe on and make sure it fits, walk in it and make sure it is not too loose. Remember, fabric stretches, so it’s better to be a little snug.
Cut off the ends and the little knot should fit in the divet.
You can skip this step, but I thought it might reinforce the knots a little. I just put a little dab of hot glue in the hole and tightened.
You’re finished! I think I will make a pair for my little girl too, since she inherited my feet. It’s hard to find shoes for her too, plus I can just use scraps from things I make her :).
They really are super comfy too, feels like you have nothing on. Let me know if you make some, or add them to our flickr pool.
There is also the Key West flip flop re-do from last year using the same idea, super cute! And while you’re at it, we have a bunch more Diy Flip Flops, you should see the ruffle ones…oh my :)
Hope you are having a happy Monday friends!
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I loved this flip flop makeover and just finished making my first pair :) I have scheduled a post for Monday morning at http://www.chase-ingthedream.com Thanks for the great tutorial!
Posted pics of my flip flops and some alternate designs. They are iPod pics, so they are kind of cruddy.
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150222220134710.325743.108902254709&saved
These are so AMAZING! I need to make these ASAP! I was just thinking how boring my flip flops were. so creative!
smile :-)
Thank you so Much for Sharing this. My 5 year old has a deformed foot, making regular flip flops impossible to wear/painful to wear, using your tute, i was able to make her some flip flops, she actually started crying she was so happy to have her very own flip flops, she has always wanted what the “other kids” have, and I never thought she would have been able to wear a pair of flip flops. You made my daughters summer a much happier one, that is for certain!!!!!!!! Thank You Thank You!!!!
WOW!!! I have goosies covering my entire body and tears in my eyes after reading this. I think it’s amazing that you did something so beautiful for such a beautiful gift (child) from God. You have reminded me that no matter what struggle I’m going through, there is always someone going through one greater than mine. You’re my inspiration for today. Thank you for touching my heart :)
I made these and added them to my flickr…. I don’t know what your pool is but I’d love to add the picture.
THANK YOU for this post! My 5 yr old twin girls picked out flip flops while we were on vacation in Florida this past Spring and they love them. Unfortunately, just yesterday, one of the flip flop ‘plugs’ broke and we had a very sad girl as we threw her flip flops in the trash. I just saw your post via a link on Design Mom and went out and dug through our trash and found the pair of broken flip flops (covered in egg and God only knows what!). After a thorough cleaning I am going to make these tonight and I think I will have a VERY happy little girl tomorrow morning! I just may have to cut apart my other daughter’s flip flops so she has some ‘special’ hand made ones! Thanks again!
I made these for my daughter – she loves them! http://www.everythingbeautifulinitstime.com/2011/06/knot-so-hard-flip-flops.html
I love this! Thanks for the tutorial! I made some with my own little twist here: http://sparklesandbugs.blogspot.com/2011/06/fabric-flip-flop-makeover.html
http://www.sparklesandbugs.blogspot.com
http://www.fitmamawannabe.com
I featured these this week. Grab a button if you like:
http://southernscraps.blogspot.com/2011/06/must-do-monday-altered-flip-flops.html
i love those shoes they are fantastic.
Adorei essa técnica.
Qundo puder nos visite.
Artmenina
Awesome!!!
These are soooo cute
I made these and they are fantastic! So comfortable. Posted on my blog at:
http://herecomesthesun-kelly.blogspot.com/2011/07/flip-flop-revamp.html
Thanks so much! My daughter decided to make a pair for her 4-H project. They turned out great! I think I’ll try a couple other ideas with adding an accent between the toe strap and making a pair with knots at the toe. My 8 year old daughter wants to make a bunch to sell – I think she’s got something!
I was thinking maybe using more layers of fabric and braiding and using beads to accent!
Hey, Peg! I think you just made a great idea even better! The possibilities are endless, aren’t they?
I love the idea and I love the fabric…. do you remember what the name of the fabric is?
Hi Mary, sorry for the delayed reply. I was lucky, I just happened to have a little scrap piece with the selvage still in tact! It is from the Girly Girl collection by Art Gallery Fabrics. I tried to find some for sale with no luck, but maybe if you do a little digging :)
Here is a link to the fabric http://www.artgalleryfabrics.com/cgi-bin/fabricshop/gallery.cgi?func=show&file=20&Category=30&Page=1&v=1
I have to say the fabric is much more vibrant than the pictures show. Good luck!
woooooooooooow sister i like this it’s soooooooooo lovely i like it thanks a lot .
Those are ADORABLE!!! Thanks for the post :)
Love this tutorial – easy and practical! Just made myself a pair and looooove them! Thanks again :)
Great idea. My husband has some old work shirts that I want to re-purpose, thanks for the idea!
Cannot thank you enough for this great idea – my feet thank you! ;) Love creating my own one-of-a-kind flip flops!
Posted a photo of my attempt at: http://69shotsofgasoline.blogspot.com/2011/08/flippy-floppies.html
I love this idea and will be doing it.I think I must have skinny feet because the size flipflops and even slipon shoes I wear,they tend to be wide for my feet and I like tighter fitting footwear so this will be a perfect solution to my troubles. :)
I just finished using this tutorial to make my now 4 year old daughter flip flops to wear with the pillowcase dress that I made her time wear for her birthday party. She hasn’t seen them yet because she is taking a nap. She saw the picture of the flip flops on the computer and wanted me make them. She is going to be so excited to see them and wear them. Thank you for the tutorial. Next I’m going to make some for me, the momma.
Ok my first pair of DIY flip flops are done. These are my observations. 1. Exacto knifes are sharp and have a very pointy tip! (I now have a nice hole in my thumb from accidentally hitting the tip, bled a lot and hurts like heck). 2. The second one will always turn out nicer than the first. 3. When using single sided material, fold material in half so the ugly side does not show. 4. Have a better pair of scissors than last years school scissors. 5. Tying knots with fabric is hard, especially when you attempt to make the knot small. 6. The most important thing to remember is that spider webs are actually made of glue gun stringy melted glue. I am currently sitting in my own hand made spiders web. My first pair are cute, could be cuter. I used OU fabric and it doesn’t come across real well. But hey I did it! Next pair will be easier and better.
Lol! Love the play by play! My friend and I were just talking about how some batches of hot glue sticks seem to be more stringy than others. The last few pair I have made I didn’t use glue, and had no problems.
Thanks so much for letting me know!
Found this on pinterest and just broke a pair of flip flops. good coincidence! I found that buying fabric quarters for quilting was the perfect amount of fabric! They were on sale at Joanne’s for 1.49 and I had a 40% off coupon! Cheap revamp of flip flops! Thanks for the great tutorial!
My pair: http://i.imgur.com/B4PAY.jpg
I will definitely be making more!!
Shelly, they turned out great! I love seeing pictures, you made my day! Thanks so much for leaving the feedback on the fat quarters, that will be helpful for those without scraps!
Thanks for the oh-so-cute flip flop ideas. I think they’ll make great gifts for my girlfriends. Your step-by-step instructions and photos will make it easy for me to do. Thanks a bunch and keep those ideas coming! I love creative people!!!
These are awesome! Thank you!!
These are absolutely adorable and a great way to dress up flips. My daughters loved them too. After watching me do one pair for them, they have been busy. My oldest daughter even altered your version and braided the thong. I will be posting pics on my FB page http://www.facebook.com/crazydaisyscreations. Thanks for this awesome tutorial and inspiring my kids to be crafty and creative.
I made a pair of these from an old (hardly worn) pair of brown flip flops and some repurposed fabric ties I had from a dress which I turned into a skirt. The ties were already stitched along the edge, so they made a clean, polished look. I only knotted mine (by the toes) once, as they fabric was a little shorter. I also didn’t glue the holding knots. They turned out great and I plan to buy a few more pair of cheap flip flops and make some more with some other fabrics I have. Thanks for the tutorial!
Very nice and easy!! Love it!! Thanks for sharing!!
Why did I never think of this? I hate flip flops because of how bad they hurt my feet. I can’t stand having that hard piece of plastic between my toes. I am so going to try this. Thanks for the idea.
Thanks so much for the tutorial – just made a pair and the cost was less than 2.00 — what a great idea! Thanks for sharing!
These are awesome! I was just thinking about how I could make some cute flip-flops for cheaper than what all the gussied-up ones cost. And what a great way to keep using those old beat up pair that you don’t wear anymore. I can’t wait to try this!
These are so cool! I think it will be great to match my flip flips to favorite outfits as well. I have a lot of fabric stash, and I also love the tip someone wrote about using a fat quarter piece. I saw some really cute fabric the other day at Wal Mart for 99 cents. Now I can make matching ff’s for me an my friends.
UPDATE: I just made a pair and used an old sheet. I cut the length, then did a small cut and tore the strips. Left a nice frayed edge, and it looks great! I did have some trouble tying knots tight enough, but that got better the more I tied. They are SOOO comfortable and cute! I will definitely be making more of these for myself, and for gifts.
I made something like this 3 years ago for my brothers wedding. I am a plus size girl so I made them to fit. I had left over fabric from hemming my dress and some buttons that ran down the back of the dress. I sewed a hem on each side of the fabric, tied ribbon where it goes between the toe and glued a couple buttons at the top. Matched the dress perfect and I was comfortable all day.
Made these for my youngest daughters wedding shower. She’s getting married on the beach so the theme was perfect for these flip flops. They were fun to make.
This is so amazing!! Why didn’t I think of that? I have so many of these rubber flip flops in every color, this is a great way to jazz them up. Thanks for the inspiration!
Loved this so i went out and bought some fabric to match my new bathing suit.They look great and are comfy. Can’t wait to make another pair. I just buy the small pieces of fabric for quilting its the perfect amount.
Oh, I wish I had seen these this morning! My favorite flip flops broke this past week and the trash service just picked them up today!! Drat!! I will definitely remember this next time, though! Especially since my replacement flip flops don’t feel all that sturdy compared to my old ones.
i loved these so much I made myself a pair today, from flip flops my alien girl managed to kill. lol
so super easy, and so many other ways you can fancy them up, as well!
I have wide feet too and love wearing flip flops. Thank you.
Supercute! I featured them here:
http://sewprettysewfree.blogspot.com/2012/06/interchangeable-flip-flops.html
I just bought some flip flops at Old Navy’s $1.00 sale yesterday. I never, never where flip flops and I lived in Florida for 10 years. They always hurt between my toes. I have sensitive feet. But I thought I would try wearing them the price was right to try. Then last night I saw this on Pinterest and am so excited. It is the perfect solution. They would also be great for weddings and matching a dress when you have to go to an outside party. Thank you so much, I’m off to get some fabric.
I love this! It took me a little bit to find the actual tutorial, a pin is floating around pinterest that doesn’t link back to you. I’m glad I found the real source!
I just got done making mine, they were super easy! Took less than 30 min. I had a pair in the closet forever that actually broke and i never threw away. I now need to go out and buy more $1 sandals cause I’m gonna be the one wearing cute sandals all summer long. Thank you for sharing.
I made them a little different but LOVE them and I am getting ready to repurpose some other ones that I thought were beyond hope! Hope you can see the pic! http://pinterest.com/pin/107664247312469317/?timeline=1&fb_action_ids=10150890558947047&fb_action_types=pinterestapp%3Apin&fb_source=timeline_og
Oh I love your version! I am going to have to make a pair now ;). Thanks so much for sharing!
You know, I ended up hating these, lol. I don’t think the fabric I used was thick enough so they aren’t really wearable now. If you have more of a canvas type fabric, use that. :D Hope you have fun!
These are really cute, and so easy! Lightweight denim would be a fun choice for the tops. I also thought that slender macrame cord and small wooden beads would be interesting. Macrame would be a little more time-intensive; it would depend on how much time you’d want to devote to it. Thanks for a great tutorial!
FYI: 24 inches long isn’t enough for women’s size 11 feet. close! but not quite.
Yeah. Tried these THREE times. (Three PAIRS. Not just three flip flops.) Failed Horribly. Couldn’t get the knots to go in the same place as it’s ‘mate’ (the other shoe). Or the knot ended up looking weird, different or bigger than its mate….I had ONE shoe out of six that turned out well. That’s it. Not sure how I’m doin it wrong…
Hi Nancy,
What kind of fabric are you using? If it is too stiff it would really be hard to get good knots. Also, when your tying your knots, try to keep them loose until they are where you need them and then tighten. You should be able to work with the ones you’ve made though, just untie the knots!
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