Add fancy felt soles with no-slip grips to your favorite crocheted slippers!
Crocheted slippers are one of my favorite cozy DIY projects. But, since I work out of my home studio, mine always get a whole lot of wear. (That’s great for my toasty toes, but not so awesome for the yarn under my feet.) So to protect my handmade work—and to prevent slips on hardwood and tile—I made a set of custom slipper soles, and now you can too. Make a pair of your own with this fancy felt sole tutorial! (For the knit-and-purl crowd, this tutorial will work with knitted slippers too.)
Supplies:
* A pair of crocheted or knitted slippers
* A pair of well-fitting shoes
* Several large sheets of scrap paper (plain copy paper works fine)
* 3mm thick wool felt
* MATTE® dimensional fabric paint
* Bulky-weight yarn
Tools:
* Permanent marker
* ⅛" paper punch
* Leather punch
* Fabric scissors
* Paper scissors
* Sponge brush
* Masking tape
* Chalk pencil
* 16-20 safety pins
* Darning needle
* Ruler
**Please note that the links provided above are affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you choose to make a purchase after clicking through.**
Want to make a pair of slippers just like mine? Here are the tutorials that you’ll need to get the job done:
Step 1
Grab a pair of well-fitting shoes, then use a marker to trace the shape of the sole onto a piece of scrap paper. Cut out the template with a pair of paper scissors.
Note: If your soles are particularly chunky or wide, make your template slightly smaller by measuring in ½" or so from the edge and marking a new line all the way around the sole. To make sure that the re-sized template will fit, ensure that your bare foot fits within the new line before cutting it out.
Step 2
Starting ⅛" in from the edge, place a dot every ½" around the edge of the sole. At each dot, punch a hole in the paper using the paper punch.
Step 3
Trace the template you created in steps 1 and 2 onto the wool felt, then flip the template over (for the opposite foot) and trace that onto the felt as well. Cut out each sole with fabric scissors.
Step 4
Place the template on top of each sole. Mark each hole around the sole with the chalk pencil. (Use a twisting motion with the pencil to make marks on the felt.)
Step 5
Use the leather punch or tailor’s awl to punch a hole at each mark from step 4.
Step 6
Arrange both soles on top of a layer of scrap paper, then use masking tape to create lines on each sole.
Step 7
Use the sponge brush to apply a thick layer of fabric paint to each exposed line. Apply 4 layers of paint in total, allowing the paint to dry for a few minutes between each layer.
Step 8
Let the paint dry overnight before moving on to the next step.
Step 9
With the painted sides facing down, stretch the slippers out evenly over the soles, pinning them in place with safety pins at regular intervals.
Step 10
Starting on the inside of the back of the the heel, use the darning needle and yarn to backstitch through each hole, attaching the slippers to the soles. (The first stitch should start from the inside of the slipper, leaving a 3-4 inch tail.)
Step 11
Once you’ve stitched all the way around the slipper and back to the heel, pull the darning needle through to the inside of the slipper on the last stitch, then tie the two ends of yarn together. Trim any extra yarn length and weave in the ends.
You’re done! Enjoy your comfy, reinforced slippers with no-slip grips!
Ready to make a pair?
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I just love your tutorials! everything looks so easy :-D
huge HUG!
Lena MadHatter recently posted..Plötulopi
Thank you!
thezenofmaking recently posted..DIY Holiday Gift Ideas: 4 Projects to Make in Two Weeks
Love this! I haven’t made any knitted or crocheted slippers mainly because I felt they just wouldn’t last long. But your tutorial changes everything! Thanks for sharing. Maggie xx
Maggie recently posted..Knitting and Cows
You’re welcome! I’ve always had the same hesitation about yarn-related footwear, so I’m really glad that I can share a solution with other makers. :)
thezenofmaking recently posted..DIY Holiday Gift Ideas: 4 Projects to Make in Two Weeks
these are seriously amazing! i found you on pinterest and am your newest reader. great blog :)
Alycia recently posted..Bookmark Dump
Thanks and welcome!
thezenofmaking recently posted..DIY Holiday Gift Ideas: 4 Projects to Make in Two Weeks
Great tutorial! I will follow you for a while, I did too a couple of crochet slippers, but I didn’t know how to make non-slip soles! You’ve got a great idea! And are they really original with the embroidery! Bravissima!
Anna recently posted..Nostalgia di Angelina…anzi no: allegria! – Nostalgia for Angelina..indeed no: joy!
I was so curious about what you used for the non-skid material. Who’d have thought fabric paint was the ticket? You are a genius. I adore these, and I need new slippers. Plus, now I have an ironclad excuse to buy a leather punch, so… WIN!!
Sister Diane recently posted..I Heart Craft Books: Cast On, Bind Off, by Leslie Ann Bestor
Wool has the lowest abrasion resistance of all the fibers. To sew the felt sole onto the slipper, I would suggest a yarn that has higher nylon content.
Thalia recently posted..themainloop:
Zhaoming Wu
True! Thanks for sharing.
thezenofmaking recently posted..DIY Holiday Gift Ideas: 4 Projects to Make in 5 Days
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So Cool. Thank you much for sharing.
OH MY STARS!!!! I love LOVE LOVE this!!! The reason I never wear my crochet slippers is they wear through lol what a cute cute idea!!!
Thanks for this tutorial; I have crocheted various slippers but did not know how to sew on the no-slip bottoms.
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This innovation is fantastic! Even though I am so appreciative of all the wonderful crochet designers who share their patterns for free on the web, I’m kind of ashamed to admit that I’ve never posted a thank-you comment before this. I can’t wait to buy the felt so that I can add soles to the slippers I’ve made. I’ll just have to temporarily take them back from the people who have gotten them as gifts!
You’re welcome! Enjoy your new soles–they’ve definitely extended the lives of my crocheted slippers. :)
thezenofmaking recently posted..Tutorial: Super Bulky Crocheted Cat Bed
Swoon! I have a pair of boot-slippers I made but I hate wearing them when I have to walk up/down stairs holding my daughter. I’m sooooo excited to go buy some felt and make a few pairs of these!
I love this idea for the slippers, that changes the crocheted or knitted slippers concept, brilliant!!
Thanks for sharing!
Lluisa x
Lluisa recently posted..Women
Felicitaciones. Maravillosas y protegen del frío del piso y también al tejido. Me encantaría saber hacer las Alpargatas de tela con hilo de yute sobre la suela y es de cuñita. Las venden demaciado caras y la tela muy engomada que daña la piel.
Necesito pedirles un favor. Quiero o mas bien Necesito hacer cortinas con cenefas para la cocina (la ventana es de 3 mts ancho y alto 1.30. y para toda la casa. Si pudieran publicar ideas y como poner los cortineros.
Mil Gracias por Toda la Colaboración al Compartir tantas útiles y bellas Labores. Un Gran Abrazo con Inmenso Agradecimiento desde Venezuela.