Supa(butter)fly: How to DIY a pair of Sophia Webster butterfly sandals

Ripping off the wings of a butterfly.

Image: Moda Operandi Instagram

You will need...

You can use real orange leather as well, if you've got some handy but faux leather will, obviously save you the expense. Also, the thicker and more firm your leather/ faux leather the better.

You need to use sandals which have ankle straps.

Difficulty

Easy

It's basically a quick, easy project but has it's fiddly moments which are worth taking your time on, for an authentic finish.

Time

An evening - between two and three hours, I'd say. I took slightly longer as I was sketching out the template, but if you print it and copy mine, it'll save you a lot of time.

Price

I bought the sandals and leather tape. I already had the orange material and craft tools, so mine came to about £9.

Take a flyer at DIY sandals...

Print out the white butterfly template and scale it - if necessary - so that each side is about as long as your foot but no longer.

Trace the design out onto your orange faux leather and cut it out. For best results, ensure your scalpel blade is extra sharp but try to cut away from your fingers to avoid accidents!

Use your staple gun to put toe straps in place, if there aren't ones already, fixing them to the base. Don't use your staple gun for places where your foot is meant to go underneath as the staples are sharp, stick out and tend to break if you try to bend them flat.

Glue your butterfly pieces in place on your toe and ankle straps. You might want to try your shoes on without them, to get your placement right, and mark them before gluing. Take care to ensure your placement is symmetrical and that the design is visible across the pair.