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Making Baby Shoes from Thrifted Purses

 

Baby feet are the sweetest kind of feet there are.  You know what I mean, I’m sure of it.  If you’ve ever held a little baby foot in your hand and have had the sudden urge to munch on it or smother it with kisses…….you’re totally normal.  Toddler feet?  Well, um, only sweet after a bath.  Adult feet?  No thank you.

 

And almost as cute as those little baby feet……..are those itty bitty shoes that cover them.  I just gush when I hold a pair of baby shoes in my hands.  They’re as sweet as sweet gets.  I know babies don’t really need shoes, but good golly, I can hardly stand how adorable they look in them.  But wait, I guess I have these same emotions when I hold a little pair of pants, or bloomers, or onesies, or……..oh help!

 

Anyway, babies grow so fast so it’s hard for me to justify buying new shoes for babies every few months.  So I thoroughly enjoy making my own.  And since my 11 month old is growing like a weed, she continually needs new shoes.  (Especially in the winter……..shoes keep her tootsies nice and warm.)  So while at the thrift store a few weeks ago, I found some old purses that I knew I could use to make new shoes. 

 

(I used part of the same thrifted purses to embellish my 5 year old’s shoes last week.  Remember that?)

 

 

So, I turned those old purses into new baby shoes for my littlest lady.  (Using the Abigail Bootie pattern from my shop, here.)

 

 

 

 

So, keep an eye out at the thrift store (or you probably have an old purse or two in the closet). 

And turn an old cast-off……into some great little low budget shoes.

 

 

 

 

It’s the perfect way to gussy up those feet.  For cheap.

 

 

 

You can use real leather or faux leather (aka vinyl) purses.  Both work great.   (You could also look for shoulder bags, pouches, leather jackets, etc.  There are some great/inexpensive resources out there.)

 

 

 

Making your own shoes can save you some money…….but can also be really satisfying.  Especially after you try them on for size.

 

 

 

Using old purses keeps the shoes soft and flexible…………making them perfect for babies.   And yep, great for crawling.

 

 

 

So, hurry and find an old purse to cut up and think about how you want to fancy up some shoes for baby. 

 

Bows? Darling. Ruffles? Scrumptious.  Or go with something completely different.  Have fun with it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Like I mentioned above…….I used my Abigail Bootie Pattern (for sale in my shop) as my base shoe construction and then I added on the extras.  I used the same sort of cozy lining that’s explained in the pattern and then used the purse scraps as the outer shoe fabric. So if you already have the pattern, dig it out of your computer files and print it off again.  Or if you have a different pattern that you like, you can probably make this work the same way.  Or go and purchase one and get started.

 

To add the ruffles, stop before attaching the main shoe part to the sole.  Then add little strips of ruffled purse vinyl to the toe section of the shoe.  (Need help with gathering/ruffling?  Go here.)  Also, there’s no need to hem under the little strips because leather/vinyl won’t fray.  So keep them simple.  And I sewed the ruffles right onto the shoe through the black fabric and the lining together (and sewed right over the basting stitch where I gathered it) .  Then I finished putting the shoe together, like explained in the pattern.

 

To add the bow, just make the shoes like normal, make a bow out of the some of your purse leather/vinyl, then hand-stitch the bow right onto the toe section of each shoe.  (As for the elastic strap, I added that on instead of a velcro strap, but that is not included in the pattern.  But it’s pretty easy to figure out and add on.  Sorry, no pictures of that.)

 

***I just use my regular needle and my regular sewing foot when sewing with faux leather and soft real leather.  There are leather needles out there that may be better for real leather (especially if it’s thicker) but I have never had a problem using a regular needle with faux leather (vinyl).

***Also, if you’re having problems with your vinyl sticking a little bit to your sewing machine while sewing, visit this post for some tips.

 

 

 

Another way to turn old into new.  Remember how invigorating that is?  Have fun with it!

 

 

 

**P.S. If you have a baby boy……don’t feel left out.  You can turn purses into boy shoes too.  Just choose boyish colors and cool textures.  There are many boy bootie patterns out there, including one that I have for sale, here.

 

 

 

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This post is sponsored by:

 

 

Ashley Johnston

Administrator at Make It & Love It
Ashley Johnston is a professional DIY costume maker, sewist, crafter, and owner of Make It & Love It. She is a mom of 5 and a wife to a very patient (with the craft clutter) husband. In case you’re wondering, she always chooses crafting/sewing/designing over mopping/dusting/wiping base boards……but bathrooms/laundry/full bellies are always attended to. Whew!

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Hi, I'm Ashley

Hi, I’m Ashley—the DIY-enthusiast behind this crazy blog!

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