How To Embellish Your Own Handmade Leather Sandals
Whether you've made your leather sandals yourself or bought them at a high-end boutique, they'll most likely be long-lasting and durable. In addition to performing well, you'll want them to look good as well. By embellishing your own handmade leather sandals yourself using some creativity and craft supplies, you can create a one-of-a-kind shoe to take you through the warm spring and summer months.
Not only do hand-decorated leather shoes make a great addition to your wardrobe, they're ideal gifts for all of the fashionistas in your life. When you decorate sandals yourself, they'll have that boutique-quality look at a fraction of the cost. You don't even have to be very crafty in order to make them stand out from the crowd.
Customized leather sandals are perfect for packing in your vacation suitcase, wearing on a cruise or tropical island getaway, or even showing off at a special event, such as a summer wedding. You can use your favorite colors, designs and even hobbies into consideration when crafting your sandals.
Here are some embellishing ideas to get you started:
1. Buttons
If you love to sew or just want a way to add instant interest and color to your leather sandals, eye-catching buttons are the way to go. Start by gathering your preferred buttons, paying attention to unique shapes, such as flower designs. You can also use vintage buttons with pearl details to give your shoes a touch of old-school glamour.
Start by wiping the leather straps, heals or any other area you want to embellish with alcohol wipes to remove any oil. Cover the surface with a glue recommended for use on leather, and then press the buttons onto it in any pattern you desire. Allow the glue to fully dry before wearing the sandals.
2. Gemstones
You can also decorate your sandals with flat-backed glass gemstones using the same technique as the buttons. Use tweezers to pick up and press smaller stones onto the leather to avoid touching the glue.
Use the gemstones to create small designs, such as hearts or stars, on the sandals if you desire.
3. Shoe Clips
If you desire a less-permanent way of adding bling to the leather footwear, use removable shoe clips. You can either buy them pre-made, or make them yourself using vintage clip-on earrings or brooches with interesting details, such as crystals and pearls.
Attach several smaller clips all over the straps, or affix a large, eye-catching clip to one area to create a bold style statement.