How to Make Fabric Flip Flops
If you spend the summer in flip-flops, no doubt you can never get enough variety to suit all occasions. Using old flip-flops, you can make new ones that are unique and/or match specific outfits, using minimal materials, time and effort.
Things You'll Need
- One old flip-flop (either left or right shoe)
- 12-inch square of vinyl
- 12-inch square of cotton fabric (main color of flip-flop)
- 12-inch square of muslin (lining for insoles)
- 1/2-inch wide bias tape (for the flip-flop straps)
- Batting
- Water-soluble fabric pen
- Sewing machine
- Sewing notions (thread, scissors, pins)
Instructions
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1
Place the vinyl onto a flat work surface with the wrong side facing up. Position the old flip-flop onto the vinyl and trace around the flip-flop with the fabric pen.
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2
Fold the vinyl in half with right sides facing each other. Place pins around the outside of the flip-flop outline to secure the vinyl layers. Cut the flip-flop outlines out of the vinyl carefully with scissors.
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3
Fold the main fabric in half with right sides facing each other. Do the same with the muslin fabric.
Place one vinyl sole made in step 2 onto the folded main fabric and trace around the vinyl sole adding a 1/2-inch seam allowance to the outline you are tracing. Repeat with the muslin to make pieces that are the same size as the fabric pieces.
Carefully cut out the traced pieces from the fabric and the muslin. You should now have two vinyl soles, two fabric pieces and two muslin pieces.
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4
Repeat step 3 with two layers of batting for each flip flop (cut four pieces of batting altogether). Add the 1/2-inch seam allowance to the batting layers also.
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5
Place two batting layers for the right flip flop insole on your work surface. Layer a right flip flop muslin piece next, then a right flip flop main fabric piece on top with the wrong side facing up. Pin this stack of layers together.
Repeat for the left flip flop insole.
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6
Place a vinyl sole carefully over each insole made in step 5 and trace around the border of the vinyl sole to create a sewing line. Set the vinyl sole aside.
Stitch along the sewing line you drew on both the right and left insoles. Leave a two-inch opening on the inside edge to allow you to turn the insole to the right side.
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7
Trim around both insoles to make the seam allowance 1/4 inch and turn them both right side out. Adjust the insoles so that they are neat with the seam allowance from the opening tucked inside the hole. The main fabric should be on top and the muslin goes on the bottom.
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8
Cut two 12-inch lengths of bias tape. Stitch along the entire open edge of both lengths of bias tape.
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9
Place both insoles on the floor and place your feet onto each insole. Make a small mark with the fabric pen on both insoles at the point between your first two toes where the flip flop strap must be attached.
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10
Pin the bias tape strap to the insoles at the marks made in step 9 with five inches of the bias tape on the inside of the flip flop (toward the big toe) and seven inches of the bias tape on the outside of the flip flop (toward the other toes).
Stitch the bias tape straps to the insoles securely. Go back and forth with forward and back stitches to make sure that the strap is secure.
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11
Place the insoles back on the floor and place your feet onto them again with the bias tape straps between your toes as they should be. Pull the bias tape straps over your feet diagonally back to where they will need to be attached to the inside and outside of the insoles. Adjust the straps so that they are not too tight, yet not too loose. Make a mark with the fabric pen on both the straps and the insoles at the point where each strap intersects with the sides of the insoles.
Remove your feet and pin the straps in position according to the marks made. Trim any excess strap so that there is 1/2-inch of strap folded under the insoles.
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12
Place the insoles onto the vinyl soles with the top of the insoles facing up. Stitch carefully around the outside edges of both flip flops, catching the straps in the stitching and also sewing closed the openings used for turning the insoles to finish the fabric flip flops.
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