Flip Flops With Flair!

May Arts Ribbon’s solid check ribbon with a finished edge is perfect for this project! 

There are many women and girls out there who love their flip flops.  Do you wish you could wear them with that cute little summer dress, but they’re a bit too casual?  There are many ideas out there to dress up flip flops, but this style you can really dress up with different ribbon choices or make more casually cute. You choose.

With May Arts ribbon selection, there are endless possibilities.  Here is the step by step process to create your own flip flop flair, with additional instructions for a matching bracelet.

Supplies Needed:

• Flip Flops
• Bracelet
• Craft glue ( I prefer Api’s, The Ultimate) and hot glue gun
• Needle and thread
• Center piece for flower ( I used a scrapbooking brad)
• Ribbon of your choice
• Ruler
• Scissors
• Lighter to seal ribbon ends
• Alligator clips

To begin, I will teach you how to make the braid that we will glue on to your strap. First measure the length of the strap.  Mine measures 6.5 inches. You will make one braid for each strap rather than one long braid.  To get your length of ribbon multiply your strap length by 4 and add another 4 inches.  i.e. (6.5 x 4) + 4 = 30 inches.  Cut two pieces of ribbon 30 inches long to make your first braid.  Seal both ends of ribbon with your lighter.

You will now fold the end of one ribbon over the width of the other to make a loop.  I use my hot glue gun for making the ribbon braids only.  Using your glue gun, glue the end of the ribbon making the loop.  I am using ¼  ribbon, so my loop needs to be just big enough to slide the other ¼ inch ribbon through it

Do this to the end of your second ribbon. You now have two ribbons with two loops.  Slide one loop through the second loop making sure the glued side of both ribbons is facing down.

Take the opposite ribbon ( the one you slid the loop through) make a loop and push through the existing loop.

Now take the first ribbon and make loop pushing through this existing loop.

Keep alternating to desired length.

Measure your braid to your strap to get accurate length.

To end braid and glue, pull your last ribbon loop all the way through

Trim excess with enough left to fold over and glue to back of braid.

Seal the end of the ribbon with lighter and glue.  Fold second ribbon over top of the braid and trim with enough excess to fold underneath and glue.  Seal this end, and glue ribbon on top as you fold it over and also underneath.

This end of your braid with come to more of a point than the other end, that’s okay it should look like this.  Put craft glue all over strap a press braid onto strap with the pointed end of braid in the middle of strap.   If you have some alligator clips or something similar, clip over braid and strap to hold securely while you make the second braid for this flip flop.

Make second braid and glue to strap over laying the braids at the middle.  Remove your clips from the other strap and now place on this one.  We will now make your ribbon flower.

Ribbon Flower:

• Small flower I used 4 pieces of , ¼ inch, ribbon 5 inches long.
• Medium flower I used 4 pieces of, 3/8 inch, ribbon 7 inches long.
• Big flower I used 4 pieces of, 3/8 inch, ribbon 8 inches long.

Make sure to seal all ends with lighter to prevent fraying!

We will start with the center flower.  Thread your needle and knot it at the bottom.  Place the needle through the center of each ribbon leaving them all on the needle. Do not put the needle all the way through yet, if you do cut your knot off the thread and do it again.

Starting with the top ribbon on the needle, fold one side of ribbon over the needle turning the ribbon so that the opposite side of the ribbon is being place over the needle.  ( other wise it won’t loop like a flower)  Now take the top of the second ribbon, and fold over the needle again turning the ribbon so the opposite side of the ribbon is placed on the needle.  Now fold over the top part of ribbon 3 and 4.  At this point you should now be starting with the bottom half of the first ribbon on the needle.  Continue to fold over exactly as you have done the others, in order.  This will give you a nice flowing pattern of petals, with one half of each loop lying over the 1st half of the second loop and so on.

Now holding the center of your flower, pull the needle all the way through the ribbon.  Continue to go back and fourth through the center of the flower a few times to secure it, cut your thread and re-knot for the second flower.

Make your second and third flowers following the same instruction pattern as the center flower.  You now have all three flowers for one flip flop.  Sew all 3 flowers together through the centers.  You can reinforce with the craft glue if you want between the layers.

Glue the center of your choice in the middle of your flower, and glue your flower to the middle of your braids on the straps.

I added a bit of ribbon at the bottom of the flip flop as well.  I just put craft glue following the line at the bottom of the flip flop and pressed the ribbon on.  You can use a ruler and crayon to mark if needed.  Wipe off any excess glue with a damp cloth.

WOW!  Your first flip flop is complete.  Repeat for second flip flop.

Bracelet Instructions:

To make your matching bracelet, measure the length first.  Mine was 6 inches.  You will need two pieces of ribbon 28 inches long. ((6 X 4 +4) = 28 inches.  Make your braid just as you made them for your straps and glue to the bracelet. Place your alligator clips on to hold while you make your flower.

For the Bracelet flower I used:

• Small flower, 4 pieces of ¼ inch, ribbon 4 inches long.

• Medium flower, 4 pieces of 3/8 inch, ribbon 6 inches long.

I also lined the back of the bracelet with 5/8 inch black ribbon to give it a finished look and to secure ribbons.

Good luck and have fun.