How to up-cycle old boots to look trendy

Repair your heels for cheap

Some of you may remember my post on my closet clean-out. See the link in case you missed it. In the post, I gave examples on what to toss and what is worth to repair. I identified a pair of boots with distressed heels as worth the effort to repair them. Since Fairbanks again has no cobbler, I had to do it myself. I decided to jump the bandwagon on this fall’s trend of “jeweled heels.” In this post, I will explain how I up-cycled my old boots into trendy statement boots. The best, when the trend is over, it is easy to remove the decoration and replace it with leather. Low risk.

What you will need

1. Plastic clue
2. An iron cleaning brush
3. Studs or other decoration best as a band like shown in the photo below (Tip: Buy the band twice the length of the circumference of the heel in about the width of the height of the heel)
4. Paint to color the rest of the heel where needed
5. A small paint brush
6. A pair of scissors
7. 15 minutes of undisturbed time

How to get jeweled heels

Clean the distressed heels from soil, loose leather and dirt. Use a steel brush to roughen the surface so the clue gets a good grasp. When working on the first heel I put the clue onto the decoration band. However, some clue went thru the grid and dripped and changed the color of some studs to looking silver. Thus, for the second galosh I put the clue on the heel. This procedure worked better and didn’t cause discolorations. I later painted the discolored studs gold to fix the mishap.

Finishing touches

After the clue had drier, I painted the remainder of the heel gold. Of cause you can also go for a decoration band that can be cut to measure for the heel. Then you won’t have to do the painting. However, this doesn’t work with plastic studs that are hollow inside.

Tip: When you use a material that can be cut in which ever way you want/need to cut it, I would recommend to create a paper pattern of the heel surface. This way it is easier and safer to cut the material than doing it directly.

How I styled these trendy heels

I wore the up-cycled beauties for the first time with a little black dress and a statement belt. A pair of leopard print gray and black tights served to create interest. It’s interesting how gray looks light compared to black. Isn’t it?

A denim coat to stay warm

Even tough we are still waiting for real snow up here in the Interior of Alaska, it’s now getting pretty cold. Thus, posing for outfits is a cold affair. Actually, a well insulating coat is a must-wear. In this look of the day I went for my denim coat.

More DIY and recycling ideas

You can find posts about other DIY projects like how to revive an old shirt into a summer skirt, dyeing a blazer, making a patched shirt, or shortening a high low hem dress, just to mention a few.

P.S. Like this outfit? Feel free to pin it to your own Pinterest board. It’s a great way that your friends, and family can see them too.
P.P.S. Stressed out about buying holiday gifts for friends, family and colleagues? Check out my gift guide for great gift ideas, great deals and promo codes.

Photos: G. Kramm

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