Wedding Blog

I purchased some flip flops at Joann’s when they were on clearance for 50¢ a pair. I got enough to keep a basket of them handy at the reception in case anyone’s feet were hurting. Since they are plain-jane boring, I decided to dress them up by covering the soles with decorative, self-adhesive shelf paper.

I started by making a template. This was easily done by tracing the shape of the flip flop onto a piece of card stock and cutting it out.

Then I traced the template onto the back of the shelf lining paper. (I purchased my shelf liner at Kmart. It’s from Martha Stewart.) Flip the template over and trace again so you have two soles. Cut them out.

Line up the new sole with the heel of the flip flop. Mark the areas that will need to be cut and removed to fit around the plastic. Cut along your markings.

I had to cut a half-inch circle to accommodate the plastic straps of the shoe. This would vary depending on the flip flops you have.

Place the sole on the flip flop to make sure if fits. At this point, you may need to make some adjustments with your cuts to make it work.

When you have a good fit, start at the toe end and peel off the backing. Adhere at the toe and slowly smooth the sole down as you move towards the heel.

Use a bone folder to smooth out any air bubbles.

Here is the final product:

The shelf liner does not have a permanent adhesive, so the covering will peel off of the flip flops after the wedding. (I really don’t think this is a big deal since it would allow for more wear options if they are returned to their original white.)

Making these took a little longer than I would like, so I’m not sure if I will do this to all 25 pairs of flip flops I purchased. I do think I will at least be covering enough pairs for my bridesmaids to wear during the reception.

Are any of you providing sandals or slippers to comfort your guests’ dancing feet at the reception?