(No, this is not October's tutorial posted early. There's another hairstyle tutorial coming for October. I was so excited about this idea I had to share it as an extra tutorial this month!)

I love
the look of Mary Jane heels, but ones that fit my style are hard to
find. If you've had that problem as well, look no more. Here is the
way I found to make almost any shoe into a Mary Jane—and still keep
it a regular heel when you want to! 

Note: I
can't say this will work for every kind of shoe. I haven't tried it
with flats yet or platform heels, although I'm sure it would work with
flats and most likely with platforms. Also you need shoes with a wide
enough band across the toe to hide a snap underneath. And I wouldn't
recommend using your $100 pair to practice on, or even a shoe you
might not want to keep, since you will be gluing snaps to the inside
of the shoe and thus lower the value.

 

You
will need:

1 pair
heels

1/2
yard 1 1/4 in. black velvet ribbon

lace of
similar width, with a decorative edge on both sides

6 sets
of 1/0 sew-on snaps, preferably close to your shoe color

needle
and thread

E6000
glue

sewing
machine

small
clamps (optional)

 

1. The Snaps. Try
one heel on and hold one end of the ribbon across your ankle to
determine where the end of the ankle strap should be. I wanted mine
just in front of the heel stitching inside. Perch a smooth side of a
snap upside down on your finger, coat it generously with glue…

…and press hard on
side of shoe inside. Hold it there until it starts to bond. Make sure it isn't too close to the top so it shows!

Carefully remove your finger. It's ok if the glue wells up through the holes, but don't let it get in the center where it snaps. Be careful not to get glue on the
outside of shoe since your fingers will be sticky. Repeat on other side of shoe opposite first snap.

Also glue another smooth side of a snap on the underside of the toe
far enough that it can't be seen.

 

Now
you have 3 smooth halves of snaps inside the shoe – one on each side and one on the toe.

Clamp the snaps if
needed – you want a secure glue since there will be some stress on
them. However, use clamps cautiously
since you don't want them to let a mark on your shoe. Let it cure for
several hours (24 hours are recommended for a complete cure before
wearing it but 2 hours should keep it enough for finishing the
T-strap).

 

2. The Ankle Strap. Hold
the ribbon across your ankle with the ends a little past the snaps.
Flex your foot and decide how tight you want the ribbon. It should be snug so it doesn't gape, but not so tight it will wrinkle when you walk (especially if you use a wide ribbon).

Cut it.
Mine was 8 in. long. Cut a piece of lace the same size.

 

Sew
the lace onto the ribbon. I made 2 seams and zig-zagged the raw
edges to keep the lace from fraying. Sew by hand one corresponding snap half
1/2 in. in from the ribbon end.

 

Snap
that end to one side snap in the shoe, stretch it across your ankle
to determine where to sew the other snap.

Sew on the other snap. Ankle strap is
completed.

 

Where it fastens:

 

3. T-Strap. For
the T part, take a piece of ribbon and lay it on the shoe on your
foot. It needs to reach a little past the snap on the toe and about
halfway up the ankle ribbon. Make sure it is taut.

Cut it. Mine was 5 in. long. Cut a
piece of lace the same size. Sew
that lace like the first one, and sew one end to the center of the
ankle strap. Try it on again and determine where to sew the snap to the other end. Sew the snap. Now it looks like this:

 

The completed T-Strap, snapped on.

 

Repeat steps 1-3 for the other shoe.

Now you
have some very stylish shoes! The smooth snaps shouldn't bother your feet
at all, so you can wear them with or without the T-straps as you
like.

4. Having Fun. There are endless possibilites of materials for the T-strap. I
chose black velvet and off-white lace for a boutique look, but brown
shoes with a red T-strap would be a cute vintage combo. Make a
variety and glue snaps to various shoes, and you have an instantly
updated shoe wardrobe for any season with only a little time and no
cost!  

 

You can
stop at the ankle strap, if you just want Mary Janes. Here are a few
I made:

I bought cheap narrow belts at a thrift store and cut them into
lengths. I hot-glued the snaps on the leather and faux leather
straps, and sewed the snaps on the fabric straps. A belt or ribbon with a
little stretch in it works well, too. It's a great way to recycle vintage belts!

 

Keep in
mind that different shoes will come farther up on your foot than
others, so the same straps might not fit all your shoes. Also
remember that the straps have to fit between your foot and shoe, so
only choose thin materials in a roomy enough shoe that it won't
irritate you. Have fun!