You’ll never throw out an old pair of boots again.
Cut Out Boots
You can still show some skin in the winter with these cut out boots by Aimee from Clones and Clowns.
Materials: a pair of ankle boots that you are willing to cut (fear not, it will all go well!), two pieces of leather 1m x 3cm, two 3.5 cm buckles (Aimee got hers off an old pair of sandals), a sharp knife, sharp scissors, a piece of chalk, a needle and thread, and a leather puncher (if you have one- if not, there's an alternative).
1. Draw the sections you wish to cut out on your boots with the chalk. In this project, The boots shown use a rounded shape on each side, leaving a tongue in the middle of the front.
2. Using your scissors, carefully cut out these sections. Make sure your design is symetrical and the same on each shoe. Take your time and get it right !
3. Now draw two 4cm lines down the centre of the tongues you left at the front of your shoes. Place them towards the middle of the tongues, around about where your ankle starts. You need to draw the lines approximately 1cm apart from each other. Then slit down these lines with your knife- be careful to not cut off your fingers!
5. On the back of the shoes, draw two 4cm lines this time with approx 1.5cm in between. Again, slit with your knife.
6. Take one of your pieces of leather and make a hole approximately 1cm from the end. If you don’t have a leather puncher, use the tip of a large pair of scissors.
7. Poke the metal piece on the buckle through this hole and fold the leather back over the metal bar. Stitch the strap in place, nice and strong.
8. Repeat so that you have one for each shoe.
Now time to put it all together !
9. Take your right shoe. Push the strap through the front hole (left to right) with the wrong side of the leather against the shoe. Go under your shoe and back through the loop in the same direction so the strap wraps all the way around your shoe.
10. Leave the buckle to hang on the left of your shoe and take the end of the strap around the back. Push it through the back loop.
11. Go all the way around the ankle of your shoe again but this time don’t go through any loops.
12. Push the end of the strap through the buckle and cut off the extra leather. Make sure you leave enough space for about three holes. Smooth the end of the strap with your scissors.
13. Punch a few holes in the end of your strap and buckle up !
14. Do the same again on the other shoe, only in the opposite direction.
You did it! Sometimes less really is more.
Studded
This tutorial is an easy way to upgrade plane black boots with flat-backed studs and some glue.
Fabric Accent
Add an accent of fabric on one area of a pair of boots. You can use floral like these bloggers or a more seasonal print.
Band of Bling
Wrap tulle and a jeweled band around the top of your boots for a bit of razzle dazzle, as done here.
