14 DIY Boots That Were Made For Walking

You'll never throw out an old pair of boots again.

1. Cut Out Boots

You can still show some skin in the winter with these cut out boots by Aimee from Clones and Clowns.

Materials: a pair of ankle boots that you are willing to cut (fear not, it will all go well!), two pieces of leather 1m x 3cm, two 3.5 cm buckles (Aimee got hers off an old pair of sandals), a sharp knife, sharp scissors, a piece of chalk, a needle and thread, and a leather puncher (if you have one- if not, there's an alternative).

1. Draw the sections you wish to cut out on your boots with the chalk. In this project, The boots shown use a rounded shape on each side, leaving a tongue in the middle of the front.

2. Using your scissors, carefully cut out these sections. Make sure your design is symetrical and the same on each shoe. Take your time and get it right !

3. Now draw two 4cm lines down the centre of the tongues you left at the front of your shoes. Place them towards the middle of the tongues, around about where your ankle starts. You need to draw the lines approximately 1cm apart from each other. Then slit down these lines with your knife- be careful to not cut off your fingers!

5. On the back of the shoes, draw two 4cm lines this time with approx 1.5cm in between. Again, slit with your knife.

6. Take one of your pieces of leather and make a hole approximately 1cm from the end. If you don’t have a leather puncher, use the tip of a large pair of scissors.

7. Poke the metal piece on the buckle through this hole and fold the leather back over the metal bar. Stitch the strap in place, nice and strong.

8. Repeat so that you have one for each shoe.

Now time to put it all together !

9. Take your right shoe. Push the strap through the front hole (left to right) with the wrong side of the leather against the shoe. Go under your shoe and back through the loop in the same direction so the strap wraps all the way around your shoe.

10. Leave the buckle to hang on the left of your shoe and take the end of the strap around the back. Push it through the back loop.

11. Go all the way around the ankle of your shoe again but this time don’t go through any loops.

12. Push the end of the strap through the buckle and cut off the extra leather. Make sure you leave enough space for about three holes. Smooth the end of the strap with your scissors.

13. Punch a few holes in the end of your strap and buckle up !

14. Do the same again on the other shoe, only in the opposite direction.

You did it! Sometimes less really is more.

2. Studded

This tutorial is an easy way to upgrade plane black boots with flat-backed studs and some glue.

3. Fabric Accent

Add an accent of fabric on one area of a pair of boots. You can use floral like these bloggers or a more seasonal print.

4. Band of Bling

Wrap tulle and a jeweled band around the top of your boots for a bit of razzle dazzle, as done here.

5. Two in One

These directions show you how to add a furry top or straps to your boots, depending on your mood- and the occasion.

6. Hoodie Boots

Turn an old hoodie into a new pair of cozy boots. This post has the details.

7. Furry Socks

Stitch fur to the top of socks, then slip them inside to give your boots a whole new look. Tutorial here.

8. Painted Snow Boots

Add color to plain white boots with geometric painting (outdoor and/or waterproof paint is a must), like this blogger did.

9. Boot Scarf

Make a pretty little boot scarf from fabric and a button. Get the details here.

10. Glitter

Cover suede boots in an all-over layer of glitter for instant party shoes. Get the tutorial here.

11. Boho Belted

Go a little crazy with belts, ribbon, etc. to transform your boots into a boho extravaganza. Check out this video tutorial.

12. Spiked

Add serious spikes for an edgy upgrade, like this blogger did.

13. Fabric and Feather

This post explains how to cut a pair of ankle boots, and embellish them with fabric and feather trim.

14. Color Block

Paint sections of your boots with fabric paint or screen printing paint to add a bit of color blocking dimensions. This blogger shows you how.