DIY PROJECT #4: THE INTERCHANGEABLE BALLET FLATS

Every woman has a pair of comfortable, plain ballet flats in their shoe collection. It is the go-to shoe for many outfits because it goes with just about anything - from leggings to jeans to summer dresses. And they're easy to wear (hell yeah to no laces or socks). But do you ever get bored of the plain-jane style? I do. So I set about trying to update my flats so that it would reflect changing trends. 

What you'll need:

• velcro
• ribbon
• glue
• sewing supplies: needle and thread
• decorative button

Step 1: Start by cutting off whatever is on the surface of your flats. In my case, it was a bow. Make sure you are left with a smooth surface. Take one half of your velcro (measure it so it will fit on the top of your flats) and stick it on your shoe. The adhesive is quite strong, but if you're worried it might come off I recommend giving it a stitch or two with the ol' needle and thread to secure it in place. 

Step 2: Take your ribbon, folding one side inwards towards the middle. Secure in place with glue (you will stitch it later). Take the other side and bring it towards the middle, then fold it back. Essentially you're creating a double fold. 

Step 3: Take your button and glue it to the centre of the ribbon. Let dry. Take the second half of the velcro and stick it on the back of your ribbon. Place your ribbon over the velcro on your shoe. And there you have it!

The whole point of using velcro is so you can "interchange" whatever style you want. You can easily peel off your ribbon and replace it with something else if you get bored of your design. I'm thinking chain...rope...something with gems....beads..this is for the future, as at the moment I think I'll give this project a break and move onto something else. 

This took me twenty minutes. Now you get crackin'.