Happy Monday Lovecats! I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and holiday weekend and for those international Lovecats, I hope you had a lovely weekend as well 🙂
I thought I’d use this Monday to motivate you with a fun DIY to inspire and get your creative juices flowing! If you follow fashion, you know these fur-lined Gucci loafers / mules / slippers were and still are having a HUGE moment, and I get it… THEY ARE PURE COMFORT. But they will also cost you as much as rent in some areas, and that is always the best time to get creative and DIY a pair of your own.
ShoeDazzle sent me this pretty pair of dusty rose pink loafers with pearls a few months ago and while I LOVE THEM, they are a bit too big and slip off the back of my heel with every step I take (every move I make). So last week I gave them the side eye and imagined them as slip-ons overflowing with lush fur and I got right to work on the makeover.
My first thought for fur was the plush ivory faux fur that I use for so many things (like my DIY chic furry boot stands which I still love and use – and also make great gifts, and my fur collar necklace or my DIY Detachable fur cuffs!) but the grey faux fur sheepskin rug I keep on my little sofa settee in my office was calling my name. Now normally, I wouldn’t dare cut up a rug like this, but with the dogs laying on it for over a year, there are certain areas that are less than fabulous, so it was the perfect repurpose AND now I can use it for tons of upcoming projects, if I am so inclined.
ANYWAY… here’s my inspo and my version of the Gucci slides everyone loves so much.
Inspiration…
Gucci Princetown fur-lined loafer mule // $995
Of course Steve Madden has a knock-off version Khloe Faux-Fur Tailored Mule for $79 and a plaid pair for only $36!
Here’s What You’ll Need…
* Fabric or thin leather or faux leather loafers… Mine are from ShoeDazzle
* Faux fur (the fluffier the better) Mine is from this grey faux sheepskin rug (that I use on my sofa) from amazon
* Scissors / blade / pencil
* E6000 adhesive (the only glue that will hold this type of project)
Steps…
1. Try on your loafers and decide how much of the sides you want to remain.
2. Use a ruler or eyeball it and draw a slanted line from the side to the sole.
3. Using strong scissors or a blade, cut the diagonal lines out
4. Using a blade, carefully slice the bottom of the shoe siding from the sole, keeping the sole intact.
NOTE: The side edge should look nice and smooth but the bottom edge around the sole doesn’t have to be perfect because it’s going to be covered with fur!
ALSO NOTE: They turned out pretty cute simply like this. IF you choose NOT to add the fur, but have cut into a fabric like this, use a hem glue or anti-fray option to keep the edges from peeling apart.
1. Using your shoe as a guide…
2. Set it on the underside of your fur and trace around the heel and up to the ball of the shoe. Add 3/4″ allowance.
3. Add a soft rounded top…
4. Using your blade and from the underside, CAREFULLY cut out your fur
NOTE: DO NOT use scissors for this step because it will cut your fur into a blunt edge. You want the edges of your fur to remain wild and look “real”
Place your new furry soles inside to make sure they fit and try them on. They may be a little thick on the ball of your foot so trim down the fur in that area with scissors if you can’t get your foot in. Mine only had to be trimmed a little because my loafers were a bit too big on me, so this was a perfect solution.
IN A VENTED AREA – OPEN A WINDOW OR GO OUTSIDE FOR THIS STEP, THIS GLUE IS TOXIC
1. Apply ample amounts of glue to the sole of your shoes, ONE AT A TIME, and then place your fur into the sole and inside the toe.
2. Make sure it’s sitting where you want it to. Let it set for a moment then…
3. Go to the heel and add extra glue so your fur is glued over the little edge of the sole.
4. Hold it in place – I USED SOFT SCRUNCHIES to set it (make sure the fur hair isn’t getting glued down too though) then leave them in a vented area (like the garage or patio) to dry overnight.
Then, in the morning, enjoy your new slip-ons
I have to admit, I love the way mine turned out and like them better than the original loafer 🙂
And… Voila!
* NOTE: for the first few wears, make sure to pull the fur out a little from the sides so it fluffs over the edge and doesn’t get stuck within the toe of the shoe. I you have a fur with a shorter pile, this won’t really be an issue.
Have Fun!
* Find all my DIY Tutorials Here
* Find all my Shoe DIYs here
