DIY Daisy Sandals

The proliferation of that 90s, Drew Barrymore-era daisy print has had me feeling all kinds of nostalgia this year. So naturally, I took advantage of trending motif and adding a few polymer clay daisies to a pair of strappy summer sandals. You'll want to find a pair of thin strapped sandals for this project and the flatter the straps, the better. Everything's coming up daisies!

You'll Need:

silicone flower mold
strappy sandals
yellow and white Sculpey
E6000 glue
toothpick
chip clip or binder clip

You'll only need a small amount of polymer clay for this project. Start by tearing off a tiny piece of yellow clay and rolling it into a ball. Depending on the size of your mold, this should be a pretty tiny piece. It's better to use less than more. If you use too much clay, the color will seep out of it's area and into another.

Drop the clay into the center of your mold and use your finger to press it into the mold.

Then grab a dime sized piece of white clay and flatten it into a circle. Drop it into the mold and press in.

You'll want to use your fingers to pull the clay from the center out, dragging the clay into all the pointed ends of the petals. Once you've done that, pull the excess clay back to the center. This will ensure you get clean lines and a defined shape. The back should be smoothed flat.

Carefully pop the clay out of the silicone mold. See how there is the perfect amount of yellow that has filled the center of the flower? If I used too much, the yellow would have bled into the white. And if I didn't use enough, the white will have bled into the center of the flower. It's all about trail and error. It's a good thing one block of polymer clay will go a very long way here!

Lay the flowers on a parchment lined baking sheet. Place the the flowers in an oven preheated to 275 °F (130 °C) and bake for 15-20 minutes. Once you've removed them from the oven, allow them to cool. They should be set by now and hard to the touch. While your flowers cool, you can prep your glue. Squeeze a large dollop of E600 glue onto a popsicle stick or disposable surface.

Use a toothpick and apply a substantial line of glue across the backside of a flower. Place it on the flat strap of the sandal.

I like to start at the middle and work my way out. Also, E6000 can take up to 24 hours to fully cure so be sure to take your time with this. You don't want any flowers sliding out of place during the drying process. I like to use a chip clip or binder clip to keep some of the side pieces in place.