classy flip flop style

While I was walking down the street, I spotted this perfect child’s flip-flop sitting in the gutter. I figured there was some beauty in the material that would make something interesting. It came home with me on the train, despite the weird looks, and made these.



Step 1 – cut the flip flops into strips
Using a ruler as a guide, I cut the flip flop apart into small strips varying in width. With a box cutter and a few runs down the row the flip flop comes apart fairly easily.


Step 2 – cut the strips into squares
The strips are then cut the opposite direction with scissors. This is very time consuming, and not that easy on the scissors, or the hands cutting with the scissors.




Step 3 – cut the edges off the squares
The squares are still dirty looking, with the edges of the exposed flip flop showing their age. So, the edges are snipped off with the scissors. This is a very messy job, and the edges will be around for days to come.

Step 4 – assemble squares into jewelry
Here I made a necklace and a pair of earrings. The squares are used just like beads in both cases. For the necklace I was able to string the squares on by using a sewing needle to puncture the squares. For the earrings I was able to use the wire which was strong enough to go through the squares.