If you have old flip-flops you no longer use, don’t throw them away. Here’s a creative way to recycle them.
old flip-flops
These days, the theme of eco-sustainability and recycling is deeply felt in the lives of many people. Not only do second-hand markets give new life to items and clothing we no longer wear, but creative recycling projects are also becoming increasingly common. There are many everyday objects that can be recycled into something useful. One example is flip-flops, which each of us has certainly worn at least once in our lives. Let’s see how to use them creatively.
Creative Recycling: Fashion Utility
Creative recycling is an increasingly important topic. It is well known that our planet produces far too much waste . This is why creative recycling often becomes a necessity. From primary school onwards, children learn how to reuse old objects to create new ones , as well as, of course, the importance of sorting waste. However, creative recycling has gradually become more and more popular, so much so that it has almost become a real trend.
Creative recycling
So, in the markets, we find earrings made with coffee pods instead of bags made with can tabs . Nothing is thrown away, everything is useful to create something new and give a second life to what would normally be considered waste. Even the very famous rubber flip-flops, which often break and we are forced to throw away, can actually be reused, in order to give them a new life.
Old flip-flops for creative recycling
Sometimes classic rubber flip-flops break or we no longer like them. Today we will see how, in a few simple steps, it is possible to give new life to old flip-flops . The first thing to do is to make sure that the sole is still in good condition, since we will continue to use them as footwear.
All you need, besides flip-flops, is foam, shoe putty or glue, hot glue, some fabric scraps, and an iron.
First, you’ll need to remove the top of the flip-flops, leaving only the sole . This will serve as a stencil to use on the foam. Then, draw around the sole with a marker or pencil and cut out the exact shape of the base of your flip-flops.
Crepe rubber
At this point, place your foot on the sole and measure the instep from one side to the other as if wrapping it . Add 2 cm and move on to cutting the fabric. Make sure you choose a fabric that is not too light but strong enough and cut a strip of the measured length plus 2 cm and at least 5 cm in height. You will need four pieces of fabric of this size, two for each foot . Next, move on to the hot glue. Simply take a glue stick, fold it inside the parchment paper and iron it until it is completely flat.
Then let it cool to create a glue plate. The flattened glue will be used to join the pieces of fabric together. Next, take two cuttings, join them together on the back, and insert the cooled glue inside. Iron the fabric to dissolve the glue and make sure the two pieces stick together . Now that we have the basis for our creative project, let’s see how to put everything together.
How to assemble all the parts
Once everything is ready, it’s time to assemble our creative upcycling project. First, use putty or shoe glue to glue the foam to the top of the flip-flop sole. Place a weight on top and, depending on how long the glue takes to dry, wait for everything to adhere well.
Old flip-flops
Now take the previously joined strips of fabric and fix them to the sides of the sole . In this way, you will create the upper part of a slipper. In this case too, let it dry completely, possibly applying pressure to the gluing point with clothespins. Once the glue is dry, in a few simple steps, you will have given new life to your old flip-flops and, above all, you will have a new pair of unique and completely personalized slippers.