Havin' a flip-floppin' good summer!

It's flip flop season. Feet are getting all pretty for the summer. Show them off in some cute new flip flops.

The basic flip flops cost about $1 a pair (I paid under a dollar a pair at Wal-mart in the spring, but I've seen them for a buck at drug stores and at the dollar store). You can decorate a pair with just about anything that a) is small enough to fit on the strap, and b) can be glued down.  Some ideas for flip flop decors -- small shells, flat-bottomed rhinestones, seeds and beads, foam craft pieces, glitter, ribbon.


These are the flip flops that I made for my two daughters as part of their Easter basket fillers. They are incredibly easy to make. In fact, I really enjoyed the afternoon I spent doing them. I used flower and lady bug foam craft cut-outs found at stores like Michaels and Jo-Ann's Fabric and Craft.  They're cute and they're waterproof, so wading into the water at the beach will be no problem. The cut-outs were about $2.50 for a bag. I had the craft cement leftover from another project. So each pair cost under $2.50 each -- a fun, fashion accessory for a song.

Four simple ingredients:

1. the basic flip flops
2. craft cement (texture of rubber cement, I used a floral cement called Flora Bond (it's what I had on hand), I also recommend UHU creativ craft glue designed for flexible materials -- warning, hot glue will not hold well on flexible materials)
3. a bit of liquid dish detergent and cloth (to clean off the straps so the glue will hold)
4. the decor
5. a bit of sandpaper to rough up the surface of the strap to get a better hold with the cement

Basic steps:

• use a piece of sand paper to rough up the surface of the straps a bit first -- just barely scuff the surface.  
• wet the portion of the strap that you intend to glue pieces to. Apply a small amount of dish soap to this area with a damp rag, and scrub briefly. Rinse well, and pat dry with a lint-free dish towel or paper towel.  Flip flops must be completely dry before using the adhesive. 
• layout your design on the table or counter where you're working.
• apply a generous dollop of craft cement to the strap for each decor piece, as you go. If there's an overlap in your decor pieces (as in mine with the layered effect of foam pieces), you'll need to generously cement these pieces to each other as well.
• apply the pieces, and press firmly, forcing out any air bubbles. Wipe excess cement from edges. Do not try on or flex the strap for 24 hours, or as long as package indicates for curing time.

With wear, and depending on your design, you may need to refresh the glue in spots. But I don't anticipate that to be problematic for me.