DIY Christian Louboutins

Like I mentioned here, here, and here, I decided to handmake crystallized heels for my sister's wedding.

Here is how you can make them too!

You'll need:
1 pair of heels (these can be whatever style you want- plain pumps are easiest)
1 pair of tweezers
4-7 tubes of superglue (i found the gel was MUCH easier to work with)
4 tubes of .55 mm crystals (or whatever size appeals to you; these are what I used)
2 bags of .4 mm crystals (optional)



1. Put down newspaper to protect your work surface, just in case the superglue leaks

2. Lay one heel down on its side so that the back is facing you

3. Spill the larger crystals out onto the table, and turn them so they are all facing up (this makes them easier to grab and place)

4. Gently squeeze a line of superglue along the edge of the shoe, as close to the sole as you can get, about an inch long

5. Using tweezers, pick up and place the larger stones around the edge of the shoe, pressing down to make sure they stick

*It is totally optional to use the larger stones to form a base. I found it easier, and this way the other stones stayed in place, plus it looked nice. If you choose not to, still do steps 3-5, just with the stones you want to use*

6. Continue making a single line of stones, all along the bottom edge of the shoe. Make sure the glue is dry before you lay it down, otherwise the stones will shift


7. Once you go all the way around, put the shoe aside to dry and repeat steps 2-6 with the other shoe.

8. After that first row is dry, you can continue making rows of stones going around the shoe, until the entire shoe is covered. I chose to go around horizontally because I felt it would fit better on my shoe- but the choice is yours.



Of course, the rows didn't fit perfectly, and the lines didn't always match up, but the end result is so stunning no one even noticed!

I used the tubes of crystals from A.C Moore's celebrations section, and it was $4.99 per tube- the amount of crystals in each varied. One tube had only about 250, another had over 500. The bags of the larger crystals were $2.99 each, also from A.C Moore. I actually found the superglue gel at the Dollar Tree, where I got 3 tubes for $1!
2 bags of crystals: $6
6 tubes of crystals: $30
2 packages of Superglue: $2
heels: old pair of never-worn silver shoes I bought from Spring, back when I worked there, I don't think I paid more than $15 for them

So after 14 hours (hopefully it will take you less time! keep in mind, the bigger crystals you use, the less you'll need to buy, and the quicker the shoe will be covered) and around $60, not to mention multiple glued fingers, I had my incredible, amazing, sparkly, fantastic shoes!