Shrug It Off!

While we wait to see what direction fashion will eventually take, I thought I'd go the accessories route and update the look of a few' outfits with the help of a shrug. A shrug is like a micro jacket, originally designed to cover only the shoulders and arms, it was worn over a fancy nightgown as a woman received guests in her bedroom. But since the 1930's when this was immensely popular, this simple little garment has come a long way as a fashion accessory. There are shrugs for day and shrugs for eveningwear. It can be as fancy or as understated as your choosing.....like the velvet sheath with matching shrug pictured below.

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For my dolls, I have a super simple method for making shrug. It's as easy as taking a rectangular piece of fabric and creating a horizontal tube leaving the end and the middle open. 

For Sybille, a Fashion Royalty doll, I cut a piece of stretch velvet that is 1-1/2" (4cm) long by the length of her outstretched arms--which is 10" (25cm) wide. Fold in half with the wrong side facing you and stitch, leaving the area from shoulder to shoulder free. Turn right side out and put the doll's arms through each end of the tube. Voila!

While stretch fabric is ideally suited for this, you can also use woven fabric.

Inspired by an outfit from the designer Ronk (Spring/Summer 2020), I made this outfit from a piece of my dad's worn out plaid pajama top. The rectangle here is 2-1/2" (7cm) long by 10" (25cm) wide. I hemmed each end before creating my tube. Since Gloria, an SIS Barbie, doesn't have a body where the hands can be removed, my tube had to be a little wider at the ends. However, you can create a "cuff" of sorts by making a 1/2" (1cm) stitch perpendicular to the hem near the doll's wrist. Fold over and close with a snap. Before securing the snap to each sleeve, check to make sure her hands can pass through the end.

Now...hold that thought and let's make a very fancy version of this.

This is exactly the same shrug as the first two, but this time, it has been embellished!

I started out with this dress inspired by British designer, J. Mendel (S/S2020). It's indigo blue silk made to ressemble jeans. The dress is simple: fitted, strapless bodice over a circle skirt. It is embroidered with beaded motifs cut from swatch of embroidered lace. To make this I began with a foundation....a tube cut from silver tulle. The tulle stretches. So it will be just like working with a stretch fabric.

1. Make a tube as described at the top of this page. Here, I've folded my rectangle horizontally, stitched it up being careful to leave the middle (from shoulder to shoulder) free, as well as the ends open. 

2. When cutting this out you want to use the direction of the tulle that stretches for the horizontal direction of your shrug. Like that it will lay over the back of the neck smoothly and it will facilitate getting the doll's arms in and out of the garment.

3. Turn to the back. As you have noticed with the previous shrugs, the back swings away from the body. In this case, I want to control that by removing the excess. I pin this down from each shoulder point and hand stitch in place. 

4. Now, the real work begins. You can do whatever you want. What I've done is to cut small motifs from a fancy piece of beaded lace, then pin it in place over my shrug foundation. 

5. Continue adding more pieces of lace or....add a few beads or sequins to fill the bare spots or to cover the stitches.

6. Work in the round. That is to say, keep turning the shrug around to check for balance. 

7. And don't forget to think about the back! Here, I've cut a bit of embroidered lace from another swatch. The fun part for me was actually assembling this as if it were a collage of sorts. I used the edge of a piece a lace to the edges of my shrug and the hems of my sleeves.

And Voila!! Here's Denise showing off the front, side and back.... My shrug is like a piece of jewelry adding to the total look!

Now, let's take this back to the lingerie roots. Awhile back, I did a post on slip dresses. All by themselves they are quite lovely. But Kym wanted a little top for her dress. So I took the same 1-1/2" navy lace trim I used for the dress, and made a matching shrug.

You could keep this quite simple, but Kym wanted something a bit fancier.... something with ruffles. 

1. Technically, this is the same tube as before....except I am making this right on the doll. The width of the shrug is the same as the doll with her arms stretched straight out. 

2. Fold the lace over her arms, front over back and hand stitch.

3. The back will flare out at the shoulders. 

4. Create a dart from the hem upwards to get ride of the excess on both sides of the back at the shoulder joint.

5. The front should look like this. 

6. You could really stop here if you wanted something understated and discreet! But Kym insisted on something fancier!

7. Take a separate length of trim and gather enough to fit from the two front shoulder points.

8. Pin in place and adjust as needed. Cut and gather a little more lace to attach to the hem of the sleeves.

If you look up shrugs on Pinterest, there is also something else that appears. Personally I see these as glorified shawls with the exception that they have a tad bit of structure. But since they are easy to make and serves the same purpose as the classic shrug, I have included them here. 

In keeping with the lingerie look, here's another slip dress I made for Janice, a Model Muse Barbie. Janice wanted something pretty and frilly so I pulled out the a length of black lace trim. 

This is simply a piece of lace with a running stitch down the middle and gathered into ruffles. Put this on the doll and adjust the ruffles so that her shrug wraps around her and meets at center front. Take a length of ribbon which is the length of the ruffle plus enough extra to tie into a bow in the front and stitch it over the center of the gathers.

This idea of a ruffle can be exploited into something quite creative and grandiose like Laetia's fluffy, lime green "shrug."

This, again, starts out as a tube made from a rectangle of polyester organza. The edges have been melted with a flame. After turning the tube right side out, I keep the seam in the middle, then gather along that line. Adjust so that it wraps around the doll. You can use a ribbon, or, in this case, a strip of organza that is stitched down over the gathers in the middle and tie in the front.

My preference, however, remains with something more discreet. A wispy little tulle shrug that discretely adds a touch of glamour over the shoulders of a little black dress.

1. Start off with a rectangle of tulle, organza, chiffon or the sheer fabric of your choice. The rectangle should be a little longer than its width. For example, this one here is 7" wide and 8" long. If you want less gathers you can reduce the length. Pay attention to the direction of the stretch. I found that, in this case, you don't want this garment to stretch horizontally because it tends to do funny things over the shoulders when you put it on the doll. Make gathering stitches along each side of this rectangle.

2. Gather the edges tightly.

3. Stabilize the gathers by sewing and wrapping each edge with a few more stitches.

4. Take a 1" (2cm) piece of polyester ribbon and melt the edges. Fold in half over each edge and stitch down. I did this to keep things as bulk free as possible. You can now add a snap or a hook and eye.

5. For the embellishment, you can use anything you want...a ribbon, rhinestone, a pouf of tulle or, in the case of Anna...one of the silk roses we made on our last project! 

Anna's best friend, Veronique opted for the shrug with the satin ribbon!

I'll close with one last variation. A reversible, day to night shawl-shrug. Denim on one side, silk brocade on the other!

Inspired by a Haider Ackermann jacket with a big draped collar I made a few years ago, I decided to make a shawl-shrug that would have a similar finished look, but could be removed. I chose this fitted denim jacket over a matching silk flared skirt I found in Margot's closet.

1. The rectangle should be wider than the doll's shoulders because you want to add tucks and twists. I chose to line this garment with a contrasting silk brocade that peaks through at the edges. Right side to right side with the wrong side facing you, stitch the two fabrics together, leaving an opening so that you can turn it right side out.

2. Turn right side out. Stitch the opening and press flat.

3. For each side, create a series of soft pleats but stagger them so that it will lay fairly flat. 

4. Stitch the pleats together using a slip stitch so that they remain as invisible as possible. 

5. Lay the top over the bottom in the front and pin.

6. With the front pinned in place, create a series of soft pleats and tucks until the shawl fits the doll. 

7. Again, tack each tuck and pleat, being careful that the stitches remain out of sight.

8. Go back to the front and after determining exactly how the front edges will overlap each other, place a small pin to indicate where you need to sew a snap or hook and eye.

9. When it's all done, it should look almost effortless.

Remember, I said I wanted this shawl-shrug to be reversible! After all, that's why I chose a silk brocade for the reverse side. 

Turn the shawl, to the reverse side. Turn upside down and plan the over lap of the front edges. Plan where you will sew the hook and eye. Try to position everything so that the closure you have for each side does not show. Here, Denise shows the same shawl-shrug over a little beige silk slip-dress.

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All photos and text property of Fashion Doll Stylist. 2020. Please do not reproduce without prior permission and please always credit us. Thank you.

Late Summer Blooms 2

The Fashion world is in a drought. There are no catwalk shows, no red carpet events, no parties, no exhibitions, no concerts.... Without all of these sources of inspirations, now is the time to go back to basics. And to spruce those basics up, we look to things like textiles, fabric manipulation... or for the sake of this project....embellishments. This is great because, with a few little scraps you can transform a plain piece of material into a luxury fabric or create trims that add a generous dose of glam to almost every garment. For this project I looked at DIY fabric flowers and adapted them to serve as embellishments for our 1/6 scale fashions. 

Let's start with a super simple rose. You can make them from any fabric you want in any size you want. Depending on the fabric, you will get different effects. For the two garments pictured here, I wanted to use my roses as a trim to replace feathers or even fur. 

1. I had begun working on a light blue suit jacket made from a piece of old light blue denim. I used the same denim to create my roses. I cut circles approximately 1-1/2" (4 cm) in diameter. You don't have to be so careful when you cut. In fact, your roses will be a little more interesting if the circles aren't so perfect! Cut about 4 circles. Then fray the edges.

2. Fold each circle in half, then in half once more. Stitch the bottom point to hold in place.

3. Take the second circle and repeat the process. Add it next to the first circle. Continue until all four are together..

4. Turn to the underside and fan out each cluster. It should look like this on the underside.

5. On the right side, here's what your flower looks like. The two-tone fibers of the denim really make for very pretty roses. Don't worry about the fraying. It adds to the beauty. 

Of course, this was going to be just a corsage, but then I couldn't stop.... I made four more big roses to trim the hem of Stefani's jacket sleeves and two smaller ones for the pouf buttons!

What's fun is that you can use almost any fabric for this. That means you can compliment the fabric you choose with a perfectly matched trim!

Case in point, I took a piece of the herringbone and made four more fabric flowers to put around the neck as a collar. 

Instead of fur or feathers, think of using giant fabric roses! For Helena's collar, I cut four, 1-1/2 inch (4mm) circles tacked around a basic coat pattern. It would have also been fun to create a trim around the hemline! But where you can really have some fun is with evening wear. 

Let's begin with a simple rose. For this you will need scissors, small bits of synthetic fabric cut into circles, a candle and matches, needle, thread and a few tiny beads.

1. The fabric you choose MUST be 100% synthetic or this will not work. Synthetic fabrics melt when they come in contact with a flame. Natural fibers  (which includes rayon, will burn!) Before you began cutting your circles, test a scrap of the fabric first! Now, cut your circles. I generally prefer 4 per rose. The more you use the denser the flower.

2. Light a candle.Then with each circle, bring it close to the bottom of the flame about 1/8" (or 2mm) away from the edge. Carefully approach the flame only close enough for the fabric to curl. Then rotate so the entire edge has curled and melted slightly.

3. The circles can be different sizes Experiment with different types of fabric. I used polyester organdy, polyester taffeta, tulle.... 

4. When you have finished making enough circles for all the flowers you need, stack the layers. Here, I have stacked four layers.

5. Pin together on the bottom to hold in place while you sew them together. 

6-7. Knot your thread and push the needle up from the bottom. Make a few stitches. Knot the thread after your last stitch.

8. Right side up, the rose looks like this.

9. Here, I've added a few tiny seed beads to the center of my flower.

Shakira's drsess is in two parts. The skirt is made from stretch lace to which I added my taffeta roses in the front and to one side. The dress is draped up and over the skirt to expose the roses. I also added tulle roses to the top of the neckline.

Sometimes a single rose will do. I took a simple gown with a deep slit over the leg and added a rose as an accent. 

Or, the roses can be more a more prominent focal point as Aayeesha shows us. An otherwise boring black sequinned sheath gets a dramatic new look when black taffeta roses (and a tad bit of feathers) are added around her strapless neckline!

But you don't have to use the roses intact. You can simply use the petals to create a showstopping gown.

Using polyester organza, I cut my circles and melt the edges. Instead of stacking them together, I tack them onto a strapless bustier (of the same fabric) instead and stagger them from front to back.

Here, Noor shows off the finished dress. The top is worn over a circle skirt of the same fabric. And for this photo, I wrapped her waist and tied it into a bow with a matching organza ribbon.

Two years ago while searching for fabrics for the wedding dress post I did, I discovered "couture fabrics." These are fabrics with silk flowers, beads, petals and leaves worked into the design. They are essentially made for wedding gowns so you know they cost a small fortune. I could not afford to buy any of them, but I did study them in an effort to create my own. In this first photo of Isabela (a Tonner doll), I made a bustier from a scrap of embroidered tulle tacked onto a tulle camisole. The skirt is simply a sarong using a beautiful piece of grey-tone floral printed chiffon. I wanted to create bring a few flowers "alive" with 3-D applications, but in a subtle way. For this skirt, I made pinwheel roses out of the same fabric.

For the first 6 steps I'm using a solid white fabric so you can see the details better. 

1. Begin by cutting squares. Again, I've cut them 1-1/2" (4cm).

2. Take each square, hold diagonally and gather it in the middle and twist.

3. With needle and thread, stitch through the center.

4. Wrap the thread around a couple times and push needle through.

5. While the first square is still on the needle, take the second square, gather in the middle, twist and add it to the first. Do this for the second and third square. 

6. After you have added the last square, wrap the thread around all four, push the needle through and knot. 

7. If your fabric is thin (like the printed chiffon I've used for the sarong), bend the two halves of the squares together and add a few stitches around the base. Turn right side up and spread the petals evenly.

8. Here you can see how my 3-D motif brings "alive" the flower print. 

9. I didn't want my flowers to overwhelm the print so I added them to a few strategic places. Since this fabric is being used as a sarong, I put it on the doll first, then determined where the silk flowers should go.

Of course, there are times when you really do want to pull out all the stops and create a beautiful piece of fabric. Here is where the wedding couture fabric greatly inspired me. Estelle was already wearing a white satin slip dress. So as soon as I finished this piece of lace, she grabbed it and tossed it over her shoulders. 

Before we start, let's make our "rosebud."

1. Start with a square. The size will depend on your needs. Here, I am working with a 1" (2.5cm) square. 

2. Fold in half, then fold in half again. The folded edge pointed downwards.

3. Cut a heart shape at the top.

4. Fold this once more in half and stitch down the folded bottom corner.

For this project, I made fabric roses out of polyester taffeta and pearls but added a few "rosebuds." as well. Here I took a very inexpensive piece, horribly ordinary piece of 6" (15cm) lace trim and turned it into a luxury item thanks to roses and bits of lace decals cut from an old blouse.

1. The lace on lace look recalls "re-embroidered lace." I thought it gave the fabric a little something extra. 

2. I made my rose, dotting it in the center with a pearl. This is placed in the middle of the woven pattern of the flower. 

3. I add a "rosebud to the flower pattern near the edge of the lace (just under the scallops). 

4. Before and after. Here is my finished fabric. 

Estelle has turned this into a shawl, but you can also think about using it for a dress or an evening skirt.

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Virtually Chic: Dior's Digital Couture Show

In this, the year of Coronavirus lock downs, in person catwalk shows have been halted...at least for the moment. But the fashion industry wants everyone to know that it is still with us, if in no other way, it exists in spirit. As a result, the big haute couture houses of Paris staged a "virtual fashion show." For some this was simply a collection of photographs or sketches for a collection that will never be. While for others it was an opportunity to creatively express the philosophy of its couturier. For me, this season was not so much about clothes as it was expressing soul of each fashion house. 

Theatre de la Mode (1946). Source: Dior.com

The virtual show presented by the house of Christian Dior touched me profoundly, not because it employed doll-sized couture gowns, but also because it allowed us to revisit their famous, "Theatre de la Mode,"  a traveling exhibition of 27 inch tall, quarter-scaled mannequins used to present their post-war collections to clients living in Paris, London and the United States. The backdrops of each "scene" were designed by world famous artists including Christian Berard and Jean Cocteau, set to much by Christian Dior's personal friend Henri Sauguet. The mannequins were constructed of wire, resembling a five-minute sketch, each dressed in an exquisite couture creation and accessorized by other renowned milliners and jewelers. A few weeks ago, Dior released a video for Fall/Winter 2020, where it borrowed the concept of their iconic "Petit Theatre" and applied it to the creations of its current designer, Maria Grazia Churi. 

 

   

Though I am not a huge fan of Mme. Chuiri's collections, I loved this video. Aside from the sheer fascination of recreating haute couture creations from the most famous fashion house on the planet to "doll clothes," I find it amazing that two sets of clothing were created...one at 1/4 scale the other full scale. Each had its own set of challenges. The next video takes the viewer back stage for a rare look at the atelier and processes involved in bringing this collection to life.

 

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Shoe Biz: SNEAKING Around With Her

Between an unrelenting heat wave and a few challenges making sneakers for my high heel gals, it took me bit longer to bring this post to you than originally anticipated! I also didn't think there would be that much of a demand outside of my Barbies. But to my surprise, some of my Fashion Royalty girls confided how they needed a break from their stilettos and wouldn't mind the comfort of sneakers! Awhile ago, Integrity Toys created a doll body that allows the collector to swap out the high heeled lower limb for one sporting a flat foot.  Admittedly, I had not thought to put this feature to use before my tutorial on men's sneakers. 

Putting together sneakers for the girls  is identical to my last the tutorial on sneakers for the guys. But since most of us have dolls with high heeled feet, I was forced to think of something that works for those who permanently pose on their toes. I thought it would be as simple as my tutorial on espadrilles. But the sneaker is a little more complicated due, in part to its chunky set of proportions. I started out using the actual size of the doll's foot for the base of the pattern. But when I finished, the shoe on my FR doll's foot, looked more like a stump. So I gave that pair to a Fashionista Barbie (pictured above) and went back to the drawing board. The proportions of my final shoe are much bigger than those of the dolls' feet, however, they perfectly capture the massive "spirit" of the full scale footwear.

Ok, so let's get started. Again, assembly of the sneakers for the girls is identical to those for our guy dolls. In case you missed it, here's a copy of those (below).  At the bottom of this post, you will find the patterns I created for this project. Again, it is on 1/4 graph paper. You only need make a few adjustments so that it fits your doll's feet. 

1. These steps are good for any of the patterns featured in this post. The sole should be a little bigger than the doll's foot. For best results, trace each pattern piece off onto the wrong side of your material, then carefully cut. Though I have drawn the cuts which fall over the shoe sole, you can cut in a straight line then cut the notches afterwards.

2. For each shoe: There is the back quarter (cut from black fabric), the heel (cut from white leather), an insole (white) cut from card stock, the outer sole (black) from a sheet of craft foam, and a white rubber band. glue on the leather bits to the toe and the heel while the pattern pieces are still flat. 

3. Place the insole on the doll's foot. Begin with the "vamp" (the toe) and after cutting in the notches, glue the bottom edge around insole. Line up the center back of your back quarter so that it lines up with the back of the heel. If necessary, you can add a few stitches to secure the upper to the insole.

4. Add a layer of strong glue to the bottom of the shoe.

5. Firmly press on the outer sole to the rest of the shoe.

6. Use a dowel or a pencil as a rolling pin over the bottom of the shoe

7. Put a layer of rubber cement around the outer edge of the outer sole.

8. Cut the rubber band in half and fit it around the shoe to get the exact fit. Cut away the excess. Next, put a layer of rubber cement around the inside of the rubber band. Allow the glue on both edges to dry. The surfaces will be tacky.

9. Very carefully, line up the middle of the rubber band to the center front of the shoe.

10. Carefully line up the rubber so that it is flush against the top and bottom of the shoe as you wrap it completely around.

11. The back of the band should meet flush together. If the edges won't stay down, you can use a tiny bit of tape to hold the two sides together.

12. With everything in place, feel free to customized. Use a pencil to lightly draw a line around the center of this band. This will serve as a guide. Place the shoe on the table.Take a fine tipped permanent marker and very carefully draw in the line.

For the classic white sneaker, I used linen which emulates the scale of the canvas found on a full sized sneaker. The toe as well as the back of the heel was cut from tiny pieces of leather. The shoe laces are tiny slivers of leather which are easier to thread through the holes than regular string. I did not use eyelets. Instead, I poked holes using the needle of a compass. A white rubber band is used for the lower border of the shoe.

Denim is also another good substitute for the canvass used in a traditional sneaker.

For the high heeled foot, it's a little more complicated. What I've done was to create a wedgie sole out of clay (polymer or epoxy), then build the Converse style sneaker around it. On the exterior, the shoe appears to be flat. This trompe l'oeil effect tends to elongate the leg. This style of sneaker is the only one that works with the high heeled foot. As with the men's footwear, you can use almost any material from cotton to leather. In the United States, everyone tends to wear "athletic" style shoes, while in France, fashionistas tend to opt for a more "girly" version cut from florals, prints and even lace! 

So for my first pair, I chose a tiny floral print, accented with a hot pink suede toe and white satin ribbon shoelaces.

1. If you choose a cotton as I have, you will need to line your shoe. I cut my pattern out twice per foot, once in my fabric, and another in the lining material. Stitch along the center back seam.

2. Iron the back seam flat. Place the right side of the shoe upper to the right side of the lining then stitch along the sides and across the top.

3. Turn right side out. Make a stitch along the bottom edge of the shoe upper. Cut notches. And if you choose to add top stitching to the shoe, now is the time to do that.

4. Cut out the vamp. Since my fabric is not heavy, I added iron-on interfacing to the underside. Set aside. 

If you are cutting this shoe out of leather or a sturdy cotton, you can skip these first four steps and simply turn down and glue in place the edges of the side back. For the upper/toe, use a anti-fray product along the edges around the tongue. Continue on with step 5.

5. Wrap your doll's feet in plastic to protect them.

6. Take a small ball of clay and press it to the bottom of the doll's foot. You want to shape a wedge that fills in the area between the doll's heel and the surface of the table. Create a little bit of a platform by adding a little more clay under the foot itself  as well as just above the toes.

7. Cut out and place the insole at the bottom of this clay platform. Then massage the clay so that it fills in within the confines of the sole. Cut away the clay that extends further than the sides of the foot. But don't worry about this structure not looking so "perfect." It will be hidden. If you have used polymer clay, carefully remove the sole off the foot and back in the oven according to instructions. If you have used epoxy clay, carefully remove from the foot and allow to air dry.

8. Put a layer of rubber cement along the underside of the notched edge of the upper/toe as well as over the underside of the sole.

9. When both surfaces are dry and tacky, carefully fold the notched edge of the upper onto the bottom of the sole.

10. If you are using a lined cotton back quarter, be sure to cut notches along the bottom seam allowance. If you are using leather or some other non-woven material, turn the top and side edges under and glue in place. Flatten the center back seam. 

11. If you are going to add on any decorations, this is the point you should add them. For the "Chanel" sneaker, I added an inverted V shape to the back. (Before adding the sole, I added a black leather toe to the rest of the upper.)

12.Put a layer of rubber cement along the underside of the shoe back quarter as well as a layer of rubber cement over the rest of the shoe bottom. When both are dry, carefully match up both center backs and wrap around the rest of the shoe.

13. Punch the holes on both edges of the upper. thread in your shoe laces. Tip: If you use string, dip each edge in craft glue and let dry. This will make it easier to thread it through the holes!

Now, let's go back to our flat foot and do something really easy and fun! Let's create an "athletic" shoe. 

While doing the research, I found myself fascinated by all of the tiny bits and pieces that cover this style of sports footwear. Working with such tiny scraps is a tad bit time intensive, but when I finished, it was well worth the effort. Unfortunately, this style of shoe only works with flat feet.

1. For this shoe, I chose a tiny scrap of leather. The pattern requires a seam down the front because it is shaped around the heel of the foot in the back. Begin by stitching down the center front seam.

2. Turn to the wrong side. Flatten the center seam. (If you are using leather, run a line of rubber cement down each underside of the seam and press. Turn the top edge down and glue. (If you work in cotton, you might need interfacing to give the shoe more structure over the top of the foot.

3. Cut notches along the bottom edge. Stitch along the back edge of the shoe.

4. Add rubber cement to the bottom edge of the upper as well as the bottom of  the sole. Let dry until tacky to touch.

5. Slip the upper over the dolls foot. (You can wrap the doll's toe with a bit of cotton and tape so that when you stretch the upper over the foot, the toe remains rounded and not flat.

6. Put the sole onto the doll's foot, tacky side up.

7. Fold the top edge over the sole. Your basic shoe will look like this. 

8. Now comes the fun part. Take all those tiny strips of leather and lets decorate our shoe. I started by putting a tiny tab onto the center front near the top of the shoe. 

9. With other strips, I make curved shapes, gluing them together where they cross.

10. Add other bits as you want. Draw the "laces" on the front tab. 

11. Add industrial strength glue to the bottom of the shoe. Then add a sole. I cut this out of a sheet of craft foam. 

12. Using a dowel or a pencil, roll it over the bottom of the sole to ensure all areas are fully glued together.

13. When set, add a layer of rubber cement along the bottom side edge of the shoe as well as the underside of a rubber band. Let dry until both surfaces are tacky.

14. Carefully press the rubber band to the sides of the shoe.

15. Off all the sneakers I made, this was the most fun! I started thinking of other color combinations when a little voice inside my head said, "Stop and post this tutorial!!!" 

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