How to Use Old Jewelry To Upcycle Sandals

Sew Much 2 Wear
by Sew Much 2 Wear
4 Materials
15 Minutes
Easy

Have you ever had a pair of sandals that you felt were missing something?


I had a pair of black woven leather sandals that were nice, but they were screaming for some character.


So when I was cleaning out a box of broken/unwanted jewelry I decided it was time to do a DIY thrift flip and use the old beads and stones to spice up my shoes.


This took about 15 minutes and was free and super easy to do!

Upcycled sandals

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This project is the second pair of shoes I DIY'ed in the video above.


Give it a watch if you'd like to see how I did this in action! You'll also get two more ideas about how to upcycle your shoes with old jewelry.

Sandals to be upcycled

Here are the shoes I started with. As I mentioned, there's nothing wrong with them but I thought they could use an extra "pop of color."

Anthropologie sandals inspo

I came across these sandals on the Anthropologie website and they inspired this project!


Unfortunately I didn't have any shells, but I thought the beads would work perfectly.

Jewelry

I had so many different pieces of unworn and broken jewelry, so I decided I would embellish these shoes with a mismatch of pieces to give them a true "Anthropologie-style" look.

Adding beads to sandals

The first thing I did was clip the necklaces with scissors so I could take the beads off.


Some of the stones came from mismatched earrings. I used pliers to bend the metal on the earrings to free up the beads so I could use them in this project.


To attach the pieces to the sandals I got out a needle and thread.


Then I got out my spool of stretchy clear elastic cord. The same kind that you might use on a beaded necklace.


I simply tied a large knot at the end of the cord and pulled the needle through the edges of the woven pieces of leather.


I weaved up and down, attaching a new bead randomly throughout the body of the shoe.


For extra security I looped the cord through some of the beads twice.

Upcycled bead sandals

When I had all the of pieces I wanted on the shoe I looped it through the back and knotted it several times.


While I wasn't able to make both shoes match perfectly I did try to make them look like "cousins" to bring some sense of order to this project.

Upcycled bead sandals

Upcycled bead sandals

Here's how they came out!


I realize these sandals may not be for everyone but I like how they add a little character to shoes that are otherwise plain.


If you would like more of a "streamlined" look to your own shoes consider trying this method with one size or similar color of beads.


You could also try upcycling a purse, backpack with this same method.


Let me know in the comments how you recycle your own jewelry. I still have tons to work with after I finished the shoes and need to find something else to refashion!


If you want to see other upcycling ideas, be sure to subscribe to my YouTube Channel, Sew Much 2 Wear!


Thanks for reading, and happy upcycling!


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Suggested materials:
  • Old jewelry
  • Woven sandals
  • Elastic clear cord
See all materials

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  • Pop105214576 Pop105214576 on Oct 29, 2024

    Totally love this project! I have bits and pieces of jewelry from my Grandmother. Better to use it and see it than in a jewelry 📦 box.


  • Msf27430720 Msf27430720 on Oct 30, 2024

    Very good idea. I'm glad I kept my old jewelry that included lost earrings, fancy buttons, & broken bracelets. Denim jackets & plain purses can also be embellished. 😇🧥👜👠

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