Harry Potter Golden Snitch Leather Sandal

Seeking a new pair of shoes? I was, so I decided to make a pair of leather sandals inspired by the golden snitch from Harry Potter (One of my favorite things!)

When I wear these I'm wicked fast and damn near impossible to see : )

Step 1: Mocking Up the Sandal

The first step was to mock up the sandal, I had a rough sketch / idea of how I wanted these to look, so to create them I started by examining a pair of existing sandals that fit me perfectly.

I traced around the sole to create the pattern and referenced the sandal to figure out where to put the straps and how long they should be. Then I started making some mock up strap designs out of scrap pieces of vinyl until I got the right shape. It took a few times but I finally got the right fit.

I fine tuned the pattern in Illustrator based off my mock up from actual fabric, since I was going to use real leather I wanted to make sure everything was perfect.

If your want to create this exact sandal, I have attached the pattern I created, it is for a size 7 1/2 : ) Enjoy!

SnitchSandalPattern_Size7_1:2.pdf
Download

Step 2: Create the Upper Leather Soles

Supplies Needed:
Tools:

Heavy duty shears or utility blade
Pencil
Foam Brush
Paper Towels

Materials:

Leather ( I needed a 11 "x 7" for a size 7 1/2" shoe) - I purchased mine at Tandy Leather
Leather Stain - I used Eco-Flo Professional Waterstain in Medium Brown, you can find it here
Leather Finish - I used Eco-Flo Super Shene Leather Finish, you can find it here
Pattern for the sole

To create the upper leather soles I used a thick piece of unfinished leather.

I marked out the sole pattern on the leather, including the hole markings for the straps.

I cut out the soles and holes for the straps using some heavy duty shears and a utility knife. The holes for the straps took some time to cut out but I have also seen people use a chisel to hammer out the holes which I might try next time.

Next I added a brown stain to the soles to give them a nicer look. I applied the stain to the top of the soles using a foam brush and applying it in circular motions. After I finished coating the entire top I buffed it out using a paper towel and let it dry. I applied 3 coats to achieve my desired color, allowing about 15 minutes drying time before applying each coat.

To seal the stain I added a gloss finish using a foam brush.

And to complete the leather uppers I added a topstitch around the entire outer edge to give it a real sandal look.

Step 3: Create the Bottom Rubber Soles

Supplies Needed:
Tools:

Utility Blade

Materials:

5mm Brown Rubber ( I needed 11" x 7" for a 7 1/2" shoe) I purchased my rubber from a local shoe repair shop.
Sole Pattern

To create the rubber soles I traced out the sole pattern onto the rubber excluding the hole markings for the straps, you don't need those for the rubber bottom.

The soles were carefully cut out using a utility blade. Since the rubber was 5mm thick this took some patience but they cam out great. The edges came out clean so I did not need to do any sanding to finish them off but you can definitely sand the edges down as needed.

Step 4: Construct the Straps

Supplies Needed:
Tools:

Scissors
Pencil
Binder Clips
Sewing Machine

Materials:

Gold Leather - I purchased mine at Tandy Leather
Strap & Gold Snitch Pattern
Gold 5mm Studs
Gold Thread

Since these sandals were inspired by the golden snitch, I used gold leather to create the straps. I have been waiting for a project to use gold leather on so I was very excited when I decided to make these : )

I marked out my pattern pieces on the gold leather using a pencil and cut them out using fabric scissors.

I started assembling the pieces by attaching the wing detail to the straps. I used binder clips to keep them in place, then top stitched them down.

Next I added some gold 5mm studs to give them some extra bling!

Step 5: Sew the Snitch

Supplies Needed:
Tools:

Sewing Machine
Binder Clips

Materials:

Golden Snitch leather pieces
Gold Thread
Gold 5mm Studs

For the snitch I created a round base and added leather applique details to the front to resemble the golden snitch.

I used binder clips to keep the applique pieces in place and top stitched them down.

After I finished sewing on the details to the top base piece, I attached the backing. I cut slits in the backing where I could insert the straps through which holds the snitch in place on the front of the shoe.

Then I added some stud details to make them look like the real thing!

Step 6: Attach the Buckles

Supplies Needed:
Tools:

Leather Hole Punch
Sewing Machine

Materials:

Left & Right Inner Strap Pieces
2-3/8" gold buckles - I purchased mine here
Gold Thread

The next step was to attach the buckles. I positioned the buckle 1” in on the longest strap and used a leather hole punch to create the hole to slide the buckle through.

I inserted the buckle through the hole and folded over the end of the strap to close it.

To secure the buckle I sewed the strap closed using binder clips to keep it in place.

Step 7: Attach the Inner/ Outer Straps

Supplies Needed:
Tools:

Sewing Machine
Binder Clips

Materials:

Both Pairs of Inner & Outer Straps
Gold Thread

To prepare the strap pieces to be ready to attach to the soles I started by sewing together the inner and outer straps at the center toe. I layed the outer strap on top of the inner strap and stitched them together at the center toe using binder clips to keep them in place.

Step 8: Slide on the Snitch

Supplies Needed:

Materials:

Left & Right Straps
Both Snitch Pieces

To attach the snitch, I slid the front end of the inner/outer straps through the slit in the back of the snitch piece and positioned it where the front straps intersect.

Step 9: Attach the Straps to the Leather Upper Sole

Supplies Needed:

Tools:

Small Brush

Materials:

Left & Right Leather Upper Soles
Left & Right Straps
Contact Cement

To attach the straps to the leather upper sole I pushed the straps through the corresponding holes in the sole.

I gave them a 1” over lap on the back and secured them in place using contact cement.

Step 10: Attach the Leather Upper Soles to the Rubber Soles

Supplies Needed:
Tools:

Paint Brush
Clamps
Paper Towels

Materials:

Left & Right Rubber Soles
Left & Right Sandals
Contact Cement
Vinyl Fabric

To attach the leather upper soles to the bottom rubber soles I started by applying a base coat of contact cement to both surfaces and allowed the glue to get tacky for 15 minutes.

After the glue was tacky I applied another coat of contact cement to both surfaces and and sandwiched them together using clamps. ( A lot of clamps! ) I used scrap pieces of vinyl to protect the shoe from getting damaged by the clamps, I didn't want any scuff marks on the leather sole. I allowed the shoes to dry over night to make sure everything was secure and firmly attached.

Once my shoes were completely dry I added the holes for the buckle to
slide through on the outer strap pieces, you can add this at any time but I waited until the end so I could see how everything fit.