Upcycled Design Lab Blog

Upcycled Fourth of July Shoe Fun

It is hard to believe that it is the 4th of July weekend already. The days are getting shorter again and here in Colorado it won't be long before there is a crisp coolness in the evening air signaling the approach of fall. Fall in Colorado is actually a beautiful season but the kid in me still wants summer to last forever. And on that topic (the one about staying young at heart or at least trying too) we have been invited to an annual 4th of July party on Monday. Last year and years previous I have, at the... Read more →

Shoe Re-Do And Maybe Me Too

I have been thinking a lot about my habits lately. Mostly the bad ones. The ones that keep me from accomplishing the things I want to do. Sometimes the weight of them seems crushing. I want to shed them like a heavy winter coat but I know it is a little more complicated than that. All too often it's easier just to watch more TV and forget about it. I can find plenty of things to help me procrastinate, there is always tomorrow to do this or that task. Why bother trying to do it today? So the laundry piles... Read more →

Lace Up Roper Boot Refashion

Some friends of ours are moving out of state for a new job. I will miss them of course. But I am surprised to find myself feeling slightly to envious. I have solid roots here. I love my home, my hometown and having my family and friends nearby. We have renovated nearly every part of our house over the last 15 years to make it our own. I can't imagine not living in this space that I have labored over; sanded, painted, torn up and put back together. All the seasons of digging, planting, watering and mowing have reinforced the... Read more →

Upcycled Shoe Refashions - Costume Shoes - Cinderella Glass Slipper Sugar Shoes, Minnie Mouse, Ruby Slippers, Hello Kitty, Candy Corn

I had so much fun with this project I didn't want to stop. I kept coming up with new ideas. The first two pairs of shoes started like this and this. And ended up as Minnie Mouse Shoes. The process: Step 1 - Clean shoes with rubbing alcohol Step 2 - Paint with yellow and red paint Step 3 - Add black marker details if desired Step 4 - Use E6000 glue to attach bow Step 5 - Finish with one or two coats of hi gloss polycrylic Next up is this pair of plain sling back shoes. That turned... Read more →

One New Shoe (upcycled paper mache shoe tutorial)

Happy Summer Days Everyone. Is it just me or is the summer rushing by full speed ahead? I am finding it more difficult to squeeze crafting and blogging in between all the projects and chores the outdoors seems to require of me lately. But today finally I have another project (well to be honest half of a project) to post about. The story begins with this blue pair of shoes. Not really my color and they were scuffed in a couple of places. The soles and heels were in pretty good shape and originally, I had intended just to paint... Read more →

Little Pink Shoe Make Over - Hello Kitty

**** Good Morning Fellow Crafters I do hope your day is off to a lovely start. It is cold with a capital C here today. But I really shouldn't complain. We have had a very mild winter up to this point. I think I might be cheating a little bit here on my true definition of upcycling as I usually like to use items that are no longer useful and make something that is useful. Although perhaps in this case my definition does still hold. It's just that I started with something that was new. But let me back up... Read more →

Upcycling - Unreleased Projects From The Archives

Good Morning Everyone. Do you feel fall creeping in? The crisper morning air? The suns reluctance to make its way over the horizon? The leaves falling to the ground? Well I certainly do and with this weather I always feel a little reminiscent. I have a project in the works that hopefully will be ready to share in next weeks post but this morning I am looking back at some past projects that never made it into a blog post. Project 1 - Painted Shoes Before After Project 2 - Magazine Scraps and Bottle Caps Card - I don't remember... Read more →

Upcycled Shoe Makeover - Cuz Who Doesn't Love "New" Shoes?

I love it when a craft project jumps out and calls me and then comes together in a couple of hours. I was planning to share another t-shirt project this week. Yes, I really am still plodding away at the t-shirt pile. But this week I found myself in need a pair a black sandals. I know you are probably thinking who doesn't own a pair of black sandles but I have survived the better part of the summer with only a junkie pair of black flip flops. And I suppose that the flip flops would have worked for my... Read more →