With Summer still in its last throes I wanted to share this quick and easy DIY makeover for sandals with all of you…especially as there is only a few more weeks to wear it before we all start switching over the Fall boots. I’ve seen a lot of sandals that have an ankle strap made of elastic, which is a pretty cool design element, and definitely ups the sexy factor to any shoe. I wanted to convert a regular pair of ankle-strap sandals over to this fun elastic banded-type, which is also a breeze to switch out if you’re looking for a different color or look to the top strap. Just a little bit of hand-stitchery necessary! Here’s how:
You Need:
a pair of ankle-strap sandals that have a loop at the back for the strap / 1″ (or wider) elastic / 2 large sew-on snap sets / scissors / needle and matching thread
How To: 
1. Cut or remove the existing ankle strap from the sandal.
2. Thread the elastic through the loop at the back of the sandal.
3. Wrap the elastic around your ankle to gauge how much you need. Cut a length that rests comfortably on your skin with a couple inches of overlap.
4. Roll the end that will be the strap underneath over onto itself twice. Stitch in a running stitch to secure the end down.
5. Stitch on the snap. You want the male part of the snap (the part that sticks out) facing out from the elastic, not into your foot. (see photo below)
6. Pull the elastic until it is comfortably taut, with enough tension to hold up the shoe. Fold about 1″ – 1.5″ of the overlapping part of the elastic underneath itself.
7. Fold the end of the elastic one more time under itself to create a clean edge. Stitch down the edge in a running stitch.
8. Sew on the female part of the snap on the underside of the elastic.
9. Optional If you find that the elastic bulges at all, you can stitch down the sides of the elastic on the lapped part to keep it sitting properly.
10. Repeat for the other shoe’s elastic piece.
And that’s pretty much it! 
As long as you can hold a needle and thread, and fold elastic onto itself, you can easily do this. And for extra options, you could make a few ankle straps out of different-colored elastic and switch them out as you please. 
Talk about versatility!
Happy DIY’ing!
xo
Carly
Materials for the DIY Elastic Banded Strappy Sandals
Ankle Strap Sandals – The place I bought mine had such horrible customer service I can no longer promote this company in good conscience, so here is a similar pair to use.
Elastic – found at Michael’s in the sewing section. DO NOT USE FOLDOVER, SPANDEX, OR SATIN ELASTIC. (This is the polyester type of elastic used to make suspenders, since it needs to be strong enough to hold up the entire shoe.) This is also strangely hard-to-find in fun colors. Alternatively, you can get bright-colored elastic from Ebay, or on Etsy from Puffytots– or cut up a pair of suspenders!
Sew-On Snaps – Available at any sewing or craft-supply store. A size that is 1/2″ or larger would be a good size for this project.
Love the pop of color on the nude sandals!
Rinchen @ HIGHonDIY.com recently posted…high on DUCT TAPE PENDANT LAMP diy
Thank you Rinchen! I just <3 HIGHonDIY!!