While thrifting a couple of weeks ago, I found an excellent-condition pair of Lamoda boots in my size that I have been wanting for a long time, and for only $11, so I HAD to get them. But there was just one problem... they were a bit too small for my big calves to zip up all the way, but I wasn't going to leave them. So I immediately got the idea to do a little upcycling project on them.
So, if you have some boots or have found some boots that don't fit your calves, here is a little DIY that you can also do to make them fit and look cute. There is definitely so much more I can do with these, and I will in the future, but this specific purpose was to make them fit. I was determined!
I hope this helps.👻🖤
🧡Supplies Needed🧡
-
1 Pair of Boots with a Zipper Opening
-
Grommets Size (9mm or 12mm)
-
Grommet Press
-
Hole Puncher (9mm or 12mm)
-
0.5" Wide Ribbon in the Color of Your Choice
-
1 Marker (Color Opposite of the Color of your Boots)
I have included the steps as best as I can for you below, but if you are more of the type of person to follow a step-by-step video, I have made a little tutorial that you can follow along with here: Mini Video Tutorial
💜Steps💜
-
Try on your boots and see how high up they can zip.
-
Take note of where the Zipper stops comfortably.
-
Take off your boots and zip them up to where they stopped comfortably on you.
-
Lay your boots flat with the zipper side facing up.
-
Begin laying out grommets about 0.5" away from each other along the zipper line until you reach the bottom of where your zipper is zipped.
NOTE: Make sure to leave a 0.25" gap between the zipper and the grommet. You don't want to accidentally hole punch into the zipper.
-
Once you have decided where and how many grommets you need/want, begin holding 1 grommet down at a time and draw the inner outline of the grommet with a marker to mark where that grommet will be placed.
-
Repeat steps 5-6 on the other side of the zipper.
NOTE: Make sure to match up the grommet spacing to the other side, so your ribbon is threaded evenly. -
Repeat steps 5-7 on your second boot.
-
With a hole punch that matches the size of your grommet, carefully punch a hole through each drawn circle. Repeat this step for all grommet holes.
NOTE: Remember, do NOT punch a hole through the zipper.
-
Place the top of the grommet into one of the holes on the front of your boot.
-
Place the front of your boot that now has the grommet front-facing down into your grommet press.
-
While holding down the boot into the grommet press, place the back of the grommet on the hole that is in the inside of the boot.
NOTE: The more lifted, rounded side needs to be faced down. -
Carefully hold the edges of the back grommet and begin to press down your grommet press handle.
NOTE: Once the press gets closer to the grommet, move your hand so you don't hurt yourself.
-
Give is a nice hard press.
-
Repeat steps 10-14 for all the other holes.
-
Once all grommets have been completed, try on your boots again.
-
With a clothing measuring tape, measure how much of an opening you have between the zipper. This would be the widest opening normally caused by the widest part of your calf.
-
Take your boots off.
-
Zip your boots back up to where the zipper stops when you have them on.
-
Starting from the bottom grommet, begin threading your ribbon through the grommets WITHOUT cutting it to size yet. This will be a loose threading.
NOTE: Make sure to open the zipper gap using the measurement you just took earlier.
-
Once threaded through, begin pulling the top ribbon piece to the length you would like your ribbon tie to be.
-
Measure that final length.
-
Make sure the bottom ribbon piece, that is still attached to your ribbon spool, matches up with the top.
-
Cut your ribbon from the spool. For a nicer touch, you can cut the edges of the ribbon at an angle.
-
Remove the threaded ribbon from the boot.
-
With a lighter, carefully melt the edges of the ribbon.
-
Measure your ribbon completely. My ribbon turned out to be 100" long. I measured it folded in fourths.
-
Cut another ribbon tie in the same measurement for your second boot.
-
Repeat step 26 on your second ribbon.
-
Put on your boots and thread your ribbon through the bottom.
-
You're all done! Now go enjoy your boots!💚
