I was out running some errands today when I decided to pop into my local Marshall's store. I was hoping to find some inexpensive decor items or at least some inspiration for a DIY project. I stumbled upon something else instead in their shoe section.
I love the comfort of a flat shoe, being 5' 9" tall I don't really need the extra height (although I do enjoy a stylish and comfy pair of pumps, who doesn't ?) I am always on the hunt for a cute new pair of ballet flats or sandals at a discount. Living in Florida I pretty much get to wear sandals year round and gladiator sandals have become my favorite style. They stay on your feet well and are generally very comfortable and never seem to rub on my feet. You might remember me sharing my other pair in my Favorite Things post last October which I also got for a steal at Ross and wear regularly.
So, you can imagine my joy when I came across the pair of snakeskin (replica) patterned nude gladiator sandals shown above. Now, as you can see they started off with this strand of pearls which I guess for some may be a welcomed added little detail but for me, I wanted something with a simplistic look. At just $12.99 I knew I had to grab them since they had my size and I visualized what they would look like without the pearls.
I got home, pulled out a pair of scissors and snipped the clear fishing line type threading that held the pearls onto the shoe. Voila-here are my new inexpensive pair of stylish little flats. :)
When it comes to clothing, shoes, accessories or even furniture, don't write anything off if it doesn't appear the way you'd like at first glance. Often it's as easy as a snip with the scissors or using a stitch ripper to remove some embroidery. I once bought a beautiful set of drapery panels for a model home client and upon getting them into the home I realized the rod wouldn't fit through, the rod pocket was too narrow. There was a second set of stitching below. I was able to use the stitch ripper in my took kit to remove the thread and it opened up to double the width for the oversized drapery rod to fit through. Just be sure to look at the overall cost, any additional materials needed and time involved. In today's case, it took me a mere 30 seconds, so it was a no-brainer.
What things have you transformed on a budget? Feel free to link to your blog posts or tell us all about it, I'd love to hear from you!
You can see some of my other frugal transformations here: My Office Chair, Vintage Foot Stool and Serving Tray.
