If you have old flip-flops that you no longer use, don’t throw them away. Here is the creative way to recycle them.
Nowadays, the theme of eco-sustainability and recycling is very much felt in the lives of many people. Not only second-hand markets that give a new life to objects and clothes that we no longer wear, but also creative recycling projects are increasingly frequent. There are many everyday objects that can be recycled into something else useful. An example are the flip-flops that surely each of us has worn at least once in our lives. So let’s see how to use them creatively.
Creative recycling: fashion utility
Creative recycling is an increasingly heartfelt issue. It is well known that far too much waste is produced on our planet, which is why creative recycling often becomes a necessity. Starting from primary schools, children are taught how to reuse old objects to create others, as well as the importance of separate waste collection. Creative recycling, however, has slowly taken hold more and more, so much so that it has become almost a real fashion.
So here in the markets you can find earrings with coffee pods rather than bags made with the tabs of the cans. 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 famous rubber flip-flops, which often break and we are forced to throw away, can actually be reused, so as to give them a new life.
Old flip-flops for creative recycling
It may happen that the classic rubber flip-flops break or that they are no longer to our liking. Today we will see how with 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 only one is still in good condition, because we will continue to use them as shoes.
Everything you need, besides flip-flops, and foam gum, putty or shoe glue, hot glue, a few pieces of cloth, and an iron.
First you will have to remove the upper part of the flip-flops and keep only the sole. This will serve as a stencil to use on the foam eraser. Then draw the shape of the sole with a marker or pencil and cut out exactly the shape of the base of your flip-flops.
At this point, place your foot on the sole and measure the instep from side to side as if to wrap it. Add 2 cm and move on to cutting the fabric. Make sure you choose a fabric that is not too light but that is strong enough and cut a band of the measured length plus 2 cm at least 5 cm high. You’ll need four pieces of fabric of this size, two for each foot. Then switch to hot glue. All you have to do is take a stick of glue, fold it inside the parchment paper and iron until it is completely flat.
Then let it cool to have a glue plate. The flattened glue will be used to join the pieces of fabric together. Then take two scraps, join them together on the back side and insert the cooled glue inside. Iron the fabric so as to dissolve the glue and ensure that the two pieces adhere to each other. Now that we have the basis for our creative project, let’s see how to assemble everything.
How to join all the pieces
Once everything is prepared, it is time to assemble our creative recycling work. First, use putty or shoe glue to adhere the foam gum to the top of the sole of your flip-flops. Place a weight on it and, depending on the drying time of the glue, wait for everything to stick well.
Now take the previously joined strips of fabric to attach them to the sides of the sole. This will create the top of a power strip. Also in this case, let it dry well, perhaps by pressing on the gluing point with clothespins. Once the glue has dried, with a few simple steps, you will have given a new life to your old flip-flops and above all you will have a new pair of unique and entirely personalized slippers.
