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I’m a total sucker for shoes with fringe, even the ugliest of shoes is somehow charming to me with fringe. So I decided to give it a go and try and make fringe that I could add to make all my already awesome shoes just a little bit better!

Supplies needed: ♥ pinking shears ♥ scissors ♥ hold punch ♥ vinyl (or leather) ♥ a pair shoes

Use the photo below to make sure you have the right kind of shoes as some kinds are not suitable to add this fringe too.

The flaps (for lack of a better word, I’m no shoe expert!) that the laces tie into need to be not connected. In the first picture you can see where the flaps are attached at the bottom to the shoe, in photo number two you’ll see that they are not connected. Basically you just need to be able to insert something from the bottom of that area for them to be the correct kind of shoe for this tutorial.

Got the right shoes now? Here’s how to add some fancy removable fringe!

1 // Unlace your shoes and measure how wide the area is at the bottom of your lace flaps and how long the tongue is, add 1 inch or so to the length for fringe then cut out a piece of vinyl using those measurements.
2 // After it’s cut make sure the piece fits and trim, if necessary.
3 // Using your pinking shears cut just enough off that you’re able to get the pretty little zig-zag design. After that’s done, using regular scissors, cut one inch up each one of the peaks made by the pinking shears.
4 // Insert the vinyl piece back in the shoe and use a marker to mark your bottom holes. Make sure to make both of the shoes the same!
5 // Punch holes where you marked in the previous step.
6 // Put your shoe lace through the vinyl piece as shown in the photo, with the laces coming out the front.
7 // Lace up your fancy new shoes and enjoy!!

grey shoes pre-fringe c/o Blowfish & heart tights from ebay.

Some tips and ideas!

What’s an estate sale? An estate sale is like a really big garage sale, basically. Estate sales usually occur when someone dies or moves to somewhere where they will be unable to keep their things (like a nursing home) and their closest of kin are unable or unwilling to keep their possessions and need to sell them quickly.

What can I expect from an estate sale? In most cases estate sales are located in the former owners home and you’ll be able to enter the house and shop, just like it was a store.

Some sales are conducted by companies and some are organized by the family. Either way, if it’s an estate sale and not an auction all of the items will be priced. Sometimes it might be categorized (ex. there might be signs around the house : clothes $2/piece, purses $.50, shoes $2/pr) and other times each item might be individually priced.

There is a common misconception that estate sales are only for the wealthy, this is most definitely not the case. You can find lots of steals (like 50 cent vintage dresses or a $20 couch) at these sales. You shouldn’t judge a book by it’s cover but try to keep in mind if you’re in a wealthier neighborhood chances are you’re going to be paying more and finding bigger ticket items. We live in a smaller town and tend to find estate sales where the homes full of small items at great prices. Don’t be afraid to stop in to a sale even if you think the outside of the home looks a little too rich for your tastes – you never know what’s inside!

What can I buy at an estate sale? Let me reword that for you…what can’t I buy at an estate sale? Like I mentioned in the previous question an estate sale normally encompasses everything in the house. You can find just about anything at a sale. Think about your own home, take out the food – everything else? it’s probably for sale! (Actually I’ve been to an estate sale where there was food for sale too!)

Where do I find out about estate sales? My top four ways to find out about estate sales are:
• The newspaper.
• estatesales.net. This website is a very valuable resource of mine. On the front page there is a map where you choose your state and then the city closest to you. From there it will show you all the estate sales going on in the upcoming weekend. It’s best to check often because a lot of the time there isn’t much warning. Their mailing list is a life saver! You give them your email address and zip code and they’ll shoot you an email when a sale is coming up in your area.
• iPhone apps! My two favorite apps for finding estate sales are Garage Sale Rover (free!) and iGarageSale ($1.99). Garage Sale Rover is particularly useful as it indicates estate sales with blue markers as opposed to the red ones garage sales are marked with.

• Craigslist! Try searching “estate sale” in the for sale section of the search.

• Unless you’re going to buy something that you saw listed in the ad, try going on the last day of the sale. At estate sales the point is to get rid of all these things so on the last day there will usually be a big sale. 50% off is common but I’ve seen up to 90% off!!

• Be courteous. When the sale is put on by the family members a lot of the time they’ll be the one who is at the check out or watching over the rooms to make sure people aren’t stealing, remember that they most likely just lost someone. There have even been instances where we’ve walked into rooms where things were for sale and found someone grieving. It’s best to smile politely and walk out of the room  in that case. 

• Take your time exploring the house. Go in every room that you’re allowed to (if you’re not allowed to enter a room it will be marked “private” and be closed off), check closets and make sure not to forget the basement and sometimes even the attic.  Even if you don’t find anything to buy it really is an amazing opportunity to visit a home. There was one beautiful mid century time capsule of a home we went to an estate sale at that I literally teared up because it was so gorgeous (seriously, it was my dream home!) It’s an amazing experience to be honest. 

• Always bring cash! I’ve never been to an estate sale where they accept credit cards but some do take checks. 

• Unless it says “not for sale” don’t be afraid to ask about purchasing something! Love the curtains? the stove? that rug? Ask how much they’d be willing to sell it for!

I hope this helps! If anyone else has any more questions about estate sales feel free to ask! 
Have fun! 😉
xoxo