DIY Shoe bags

I'm travelling in a month or so and I'm so excited I keep planning (way way way) ahead of it. Whenever I'm packing I hate sticking my shoes in plastic bags, and the plastic bags in the luggage. It looks so darn ugly! So I came up with this lovely alternative. I didn't want to spend too much money on it, but I didn't want to use a dull fabric either, so I decided to stamp a cheap cotton fabric and create several patterns.

Step 1 I drew an arrow and hearts in a piece of linoleum and hand carved it. I used a sponge to dab fabric paint onto the stamp and then stamped it onto the cotton fabric (the cheapest I could possibly get - 2.5pound/m!!). I measured the fabric using by biggest shoes as reference (wrapping the fabric around them), added 5 centimeters at one side and about 10 cm at the top.

In the picture, I folded the fabric in two and created the same design on both sides.

Let it dry overnight. You will probably have to iron your design to set the paint. Check the label for specific instructuions!

You can always buy cute patterned fabric or use scraps you have lying at home and skip this step!

Step 2 Cut a strap about 5cm wide and 10 cm longer than the long edge of the rectangle used for the bag. Iron it and sew it to the border

Step 3

Iron the long side of the fabric as shown: first the left and right borders and then the top border over that. Sew them. Then fold over the border. The fold must be wide enough to fit the straps you're going to make in the next step. This is we're the strap will run. Sew near the previous stitch.

Step 4

Fold the fabric and sew on the non-stamped side along the edges and just up to the folds on either side of the fabric, leaving the fold we have already sewn to be the opening of the bag. Do not sew right up to the top! Stop when you reach the stitches along the side

Step 5

Use a wool needle tied to a strap to thread the strap trough the top of the bag. Do so by inserting the worng end of the needle trhough. The best tip is to do so slowly and move the fabric a little bit at a time rather than pulling it all the way through. Tie a knot joining both ends of the strap together

You are done!