The Pacific Standard: DIY: Removable Shoe Bows

Shoe Improvements Ahead!

Here is an easy tutorial to quickly give new life to a pair of old shoes or add more
variety in your wardrobe.
Inspired by the always lovely Lauren Conrad's bow tutorial, here.

Instructions:

1. Cut faux leather into sizes below

- 2 1x6 inch strips for the bows

- 1 1x3 inch strip for bow backing

- 2 Thin 3 inch strips to wrap around bow (One slightly wider)

- 1 thin 1.5 inch strip to adhere the bobby pin to the bow

2. Fold the 2 long strips so the ends meet together in the back to create a bow shape and pin in place. Make sure that the 2 bows are slightly smaller than the 3 inch base piece and that one of the bows is slightly smaller than the other. This will ensure that you can see all layers when they are stacked.

3. Hand or machine sew across the middle of each bow piece to connect the ends together and keep the bow shape intact.

4. Once both bows are sewn, stack the two bows on top of the 1x3 inch strip and pin all pieces together to keep in place and hand sew all three pieces together.

5. Take the thicker of the thin strips and hot glue one of its ends to the back of one of the bows. Wrap the strip around the bow, trim excess, and glue the other end to the back of the bow as well. Layer the other thin strip over the first by glueing in a similar manner.

6. Take your last strip of material and glue just the edges to the back of the bow, perpendicular to the strips you wrapped around.

7. While the glue is drying, take 2 bobby pins and open them up enough to clip off half of the wavy side of the pin with wire cutters or scissors.

8. Swipe some glue on the shortened side of the bobby pin and slip into the back strip on the back of the bow (photo below may be clearer).

9. Slip bows onto the front of shoes!

PS: Try leaving the bobby pins intact and using these as hair pins or on the back of your shoes. You can attach these bows to your purse, or use them as a scarf pin... The options are endless!