Handmade Ballet Flats With Crystal Accents

Handmade ballet flats can provide an individual and completely out-of-the-ordinary shoe. Crystals added to a handmade shoe enhance the basic design. Ballet shoes aren't difficult to make, but do require some basic sewing skills and knowledge. With the right materials, it's possible to create a shoe wearable in any situation where a shoe purchased from a store would be worn. These shoes work well for costumes, dress-up and house shoes or slippers.

Materials

Ballet flats come in a variety of materials and fabrics, from real leather to soft satin. When making ballet flats at home, it's best to use a sturdy material, such as flexible suede or faux leather. A sturdy cloth, such as felt, or canvas will also work. Double the fabric for the top of the shoe to make it sturdy. Use leather as the base for outdoor shoes or felt for indoor shoes. Crystals can vary in size and quality, from rhinestones to real crystals.

Design

The design of a ballet flat can vary as well. The rounded toe design is the most well-known shoe design. The toes can also be pointed or square. For cloth shoes, a rounded or square toe will hold its shape the best. The toe bed can vary in thickness from revealing about half of the toes to covering the instep nearly to the ankle. The shape for the shoe upper is typically a horseshoe shape.

Construction

A regular sewing machine should be able to handle the construction of the shoe. A heavy-duty needle should be used, such as a denim or leather needle. This will penetrate the thickness of the cloth. The ends of the horseshoe shape are sewn together first and any hems added. The now oval shape is then sewn to the shoe sole. Double seams will provide greater strength in the sole and shoe joints. Excess fabric at the seams are cut close to the threads.

Adding Crystals

Crystals are usually added last of all. They can be machine sewn, sewn on by hand or even sewn in place with an embroidery machine. For most crafters, the hand-sew method will be easiest. The crystals can also be glued on if they have no holes for sewing. Waterproof fabric glue will prevent the crystals from falling off when the shoe gets wet.