For the fourth day of A Gift a Day, I made ballet slippers for my two-year-old.
Ballet Slippers
Supplies:
satin fabric for outside
fabric for lining (I used fleece)
fabric for bottom of the slippers (this can be anything; last year I made the outside bottom in satin as well, but this time I used ultrasuede)
elastic (I bought both the kind I used today and the kind the pattern calls for from here)
interfacing (I bought a few bolst on super discount last year on Black Friday)
matching thread (read how and where I buy thread)
pattern (I used this one) You can spend less by buying a particular size set from her shop.
Tools:
scissors
sewing needle
sewing machine (optional; you could sew these by hand)
Time:
The total time for one pair of ballet slippers was 3 hours.
Today I made one pair of ballet slippers.
Cost:
$0.25 per pair (for materials). I already had all of the supplies on hand, so nothing out of pocket for myself this year. These take just a tiny amount of fabric, especially in children’s sizes. I bought the pattern last year and used it last year, so I did not have that expense this year, but that would be an additional expense if you are just buying the pattern. I bought all of the sizes for a slight discount, which means I have all of the sizes from baby to adult. Since this is a pdf pattern, I can just print the pattern in the size that I need this year.
I bought the fleece on a huge sale at Joann’s last year on Black Friday, and I bought the satin (just a 1/4yard, and I’ve used it many times for small projects) many years ago on sale. The ultrasuede was some that my grandmother bought years ago.
A note about sewing with satin–it literally unravels right before your eyes. I recommend zig zag stitching the edges of any satin pieces that you use. You can also choose to use another fabric that is less frustrating; it will cut the time down considerably.
I did some changing of the way the elastic was sewn, as I chose to modify the way the elastic goes in this particular pair. This added in a little time for figuring out how to change it.
Elsa loves to “do ballet” with a little chair and this dvd
These take so little fabric that you could make them by repurposing other clothing. An old t-shirt or sweatshirt could be your lining. The tops could be made with a piece from a shirt or skirt. The amounts for a 2-year-old are so small that you could use scraps leftover from sewing other projects. If you make these as called for in the pattern, you will need 2 butttons. Old buttons that you have saved are just perfect for this project. When I made these last year (I made 4 pairs) all of the buttons were repurposed buttons.
I think I might make myself a pair for Christmas!
I am thinking that I will make myself a pair this year, too! I bought a grey dress at a garage sale for $1. I am planning on turning the bottom half into a skirt. I am thinking to use some of the fabric from the top to make myself a pair of slippers, since my old slippers wore out last year.My old (storebought) pair was black satin on top, lined with black terry cloth, and had leather bottoms.
So creative! I may just have to make my daughter a pair!
I haven’t had a pair of slippers in years!
These are so sweet! What a great idea; thank you very much for sharing!Love,Marqueta
They are so beautiful! I can just imagine a pretty little two-year-old dancing in them!
Cute!
Aren’t daughters so much fun to dress?! Pink, pink, PINK~I love it!~TJ
They remind me of cotton candy. 🙂 I am so inspired by your creativitity and skills. Thank you so much for this series. My mother is making American Girl clothing for my daughter’s doll…which was given to us before she was born, gently used. She loves her doll and I know she’ll love the clothing. Today in Goodwill I found a wicker laundry basket – handles and all – that’s just the right size for the doll and her things. I’m going to let my mom know so that she can mail the clothes and I’ll package them in that basket, topped with a pretty ribbon bow. I think my daughter will love it. My plan is to make food and small accessories for her doll. I’ll use polymer clay for the foods and dishes, and I want to make some small books that have actual stories in them. I think she’ll enjoy those too!
I love this series! What impresses me most is that you are making stuff you know your children will love and cherish. You inspire me to spend a little more time and make something special. This week, I’ve been knitting fingerless gloves for my 14yo with a Dr. Who theme and knitting a sparkly scarf for my daughter. I plan to make your subway book marks, too. I can’t wait to see what other things you are making!
Do you have a pattern for your fingerless gloves? My daughter asked for a pair and I’ve had a hard time finding a pattern!Thanks,Lea
There is an American Girl doll book that has ideas for food and other things using stuff like the top from a Reddi Whip can. They are adorable. Brandy, Just wanted to make sure you knew about the Walgreen’s free 8 x 10 with FREE2THANK as the code.Allison
I love this series, too. It helps me feel excited about making gifts for others. My two daughters (ages 11 and 8) have made about 70 hand made cards for kids in transitional housing in Atlanta. (Their moms are getting off the streets or leaving the exotic dance-industry or prostitution.) Our church is trying to provide enough hand-made cards for each child to receive one every day of advent.I also finished making 12 of Brandy’s lovely bookmarks this morning, for kids in my homeschool group and for family.
Beautiful! I made three pairs of ballet slippers as christmas gifts last year….made good use of the pink satin from an old bridesmaids dress. ( I mean..it’s not like you can ever wear those again lol) Love your blog and site! It’s very inspiring!
These are excellent! Do you think I could make these with a regular pattern for house slippers? I found a free one on pinterest that is made from an old sweater. I thought these sure look a bit more dainty so they might not be right in the sizing or materials..Thanks for your help!Thanks! NatalieNatalie@happyandwell.me
Natalie,This pattern is intended for house slippers. I just made these pink satin for her for fun 🙂 Her pattern comes in adult sizes as well, and it’s a pdf, so once you order it she will email it to you, which means you’ll have it tomorrow.