A thrifty Australian mum has shared the handy pom pom trick that she used to transform a $6 pair of plain shoes.
Michelle Rhodes’ super simple hack added a pop of colour to the brown Kmart sandals – and only cost her $2 to do.
Michelle, whose son Jacko has cerebral palsy, began bargain-hunting after quitting her job as a teacher to look after her little boy full-time.
‘Deep down I have always wanted to do design or styling – something creative but it’s next to impossible to pursue anything as I care for my son full-time,’ Michelle tells New Idea.
She initially created a community bargain shopping group on Instagram – Look What I Found – but over time realised she enjoyed crafting things too.
‘When the pom pom craze and tassel craze arrived – all these ideas kept coming to me,’ Michelle enthuses.
‘I love colour and especially pom poms. – and when I bought a bargain pair of sandals I wanted to give them a lift so my creativity kicked in!
‘To my surprise, what I thought were simple ideas, turned into popular mini masterpieces – according to my followers.
‘They kept wanting me to create more-so my addiction to craft shops started and I was amazed at what you can find for $2 and completely transform a bag, hat or shoes!
‘I now go online and sift through all the Kmart products, look what’s on special and see what I can do with it?
‘You just have to give me a handful of mixed items and I can turn it into anything for next to nothing – something I never knew I could do!
‘I love a creative challenge. I’m so pleased and very excited that I have inspired people to get creative again.’
Michelle’s super simple pom pom sandals hack
What you need: Kmart sandals $6, Packet of neon pom poms $2 from a craft store, Fabric glue that dries clear.
Instructions:
Step 1: Work out how many pom poms will fit on the face of the sandal.
Step 2: Work out your colour scheme before you glue them on.
Step 3: Start from the top using two large pom poms as the base is wider at the top. Then use three smaller pom poms at the bottom.
Step 4: Use a minimal amount of strong fabric/craft glue on the sandal and keep the pom poms close to each other – that way you won’t see any excess glue on the sandal.
Step 5: Press each pom pom firmly onto the sandal holding for a couple of minutes to make sure it stays.
‘You can make your own pom poms using traditional methods – wrapping wool around cardboard cutting in the middle and tying together,’ Michelle says. ‘But I didn’t have time and I found these gorgeous neon pom poms readily available in most $2 stores.’