Starburst Wrappers? Ballet Flats? they go together.. how?

starburst wrapper ballet flats

.. with a little mod podge and a lot of snipping! Yep, I decided to enter the craft challenge over at Craftster: “Footwear Face Lift”. I had this idea awhile ago, but never worked up the energy to actually try it.. so this challenge was a great way to get me going! I went over to Nordstrom Rack and found some metallic-y ballet flats in my size for $11.90.. perfect!
This is what they looked like before:

gold ballet flats gold ballet flats

Then after TONS of starburst wrappers, mod podge, and lots of snipping wrappers with tiny scissors, they were magically transformed into these!

starburst wrapper ballet flats

starburst wrapper ballet flats

I am amazed they came out so well, and they are definitely safe for wearing (yep, the mod podge holds up just fine!) so I’ll probably wear them everywhere! Yay! I’m very excited, and kinda nervous.. voting is tomorrow! ee!

**Edited to answer some questions**
Are they safe for wearing?
I have not worn them out much, because I prefer to see them as an art object (and let’s face it, most days I’m just not that brave). But I’d recommend a coat of varnish over the Mod Podge – Mod Podge is somewhat water-soluble, so I think it would wear out before long. Also, it maintains its stickiness even after it dries, which means dust will stick to it like crazy!

How long did they take?
They took a bit of patience – time to collect plenty of wrappers, and then the main time investment was spent trimming each wrapper to fit on its spot on the shoe. It’s worth it to take your time so the end result looks tidy!

58 Responses

  1. red shoes says:

    ohk, so i made my own

  2. starbursts1334 says:

    OMG!!! those are amazing!!!! i wanna make some with my friends at my sleepover? is that ok with u? we were gonna put your innnitails on them, SJ right?

    • Sam says:

      Of course you can make some of your own! You don’t have to put my initials on them, it’s totally fine :) Make it your own! I’m sure you guys will come up with some awesome shoes.

      To make them, I cut my wrappers into relatively small strips and then put some Mod Podge on each one. I then layered them onto the shoe, and used multiple coats of Mod Podge on top to attach them more permanently and provide a seal.

      If you want to wear them regularly, you’ll need to seal them with a final coat of some sort of varnish. This comes in brush-on and spray-on varieties, so for this brush-on would probably be easier, since for spray on you’d have to block off the inside of the shoe.

      Of course, you don’t have to do stripes – you could use a hole punch to make dots, or cut squares, or do diagonal stripes… there are tons of options, and I’m sure you and each of your friends could come up with something unique!

      I’d love to see pictures when you’re done, so email me back! And let me know if you have any more questions!

  3. Starburst1334 says:

    Thanks!!!! Sooooo much!! How long did it take you to make them?

    • Sam says:

      Hmm.. a couple hours, at least, I can’t really remember since its been a long time. I did multiple coats of Mod Podge and you have to let it dry between coats. You might have to get the first coat done with your friends and then they can finish the rest at home. Or you could do one coat at night, and the second when you wake up in the morning!

  4. Flower Vases says:

    hmm..really, so good-looking and comfortable.
    I love this.

  1. February 16, 2013

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