DIY Bead Embellished Flip Flops

I joined a “flip-flop-swap” on-line this summer and again looked to my favorite sites (including this one) for inspiration.

Let’s just say that I figured out that Instructables needed an ‘Embellish your own Flip Flops’ set of instructions, and I just so happened to be making a pair of embellished flip flops!

Made with ribbon, beads, shell beads, and buttons, I plan on making my personal (grey) pair using some flea market clip earrings as a centerpiece.  (But that’s another day!)

Step 1: Materials & Tools

Materials & Tools Needed:

• Pair of Flip Flops
• Ribbon – 1/2-inch thick to no more than 1-1/2-inch thick, a total of about 9 to 10-feet long.
• Pearls, I used 6 mm (but 8 mm could also be used)
• Seed beads
• Shells and/or other type of matching beads
• Containers for the beads (I used plastic baggies when needed)
• Buttons and/or other smaller embellishments such as earrings, pendants, nail decorations or other “bling” such as glue-on jewels, etc.
• Beading thread and beading needle (I used size 10 and 13, and four broke)
• Wire cutters or button shank cutters if you use buttons with shanks on them.
• Aleene’s tacky glue and I use toothpicks to place it

Time frame:
The first shoe took me about three-and-a-half to four hours to complete because I was trying to get the hang of it.  I tried regular sewing machine thread at first, only to be extremely disappointed in it as it snapped more times that I could remember.
I probably completed the second flip flop in about three hours as well.
Total time commitment: About six (6) hours.