If you follow me on Insty you might have noticed that I first wore my DIY Gladiator Sandals on my honeymoon (btw ... I'll share pics of that on the blog soon ... for now here are my engagement pics in case you are curious)! I was desperately wanting a pair to spruce up the outfits I just bought, but I didn't want to spend the money to buy them. They can get expensive! So I decided to make them. As requested, I am sharing the full tutorial on how to make black AND camel gladiators.
How To Make Black Gladiators
H&M sandals
1/2" black leather straps (I found a big bag of these at Tandy Leather)
super glue
multi-size leather punch
10 7mm (or smallest you can find) screw back button studs
Begin by measuring the length from the top strap of the sandals to your knee cap. Cut a leather strap to this length and glue it on the top center strap as shown above.
Next measure out the lengths of the straps that will go around your legs. To measure, wrap the straps around your legs where you want them to lay. Leave a little extra room for the stud fasteners. I did five straps. You can see the sizes of the straps above. Glue these straps (evenly spaced) to the center strap. For the top strap, loop and glue the center strap around it. Allow to dry overnight.
Using the small size hole punch, punch a hole on one end of each strap.
Screw the studs into these holes.
Wrap each strap around your leg to measure exactly where you want the stud hole to go. This is important: you will want each strap to be REALLY tight around your leg. Otherwise the straps will fall. Using the largest size, punch a hole on each strap exactly where you just measured. Depending on how big your largest hole punch is, you may need to make two holes side by side to make the hole bigger. I had to do this so the stud would fit inside it. If you notice the center strap bunches, reinforce it with some pvc (clear plastic "fabric") or wire. And you are done!
How To Make Camel Gladiators
Camel gladiators are a little trickier as it's nearly impossible to find tan straps to match your sandals, but I just HAD to have black AND camel colored gladiators. So I was bound and determined to find a solution, and I'm happy to say I did. Here is the full tutorial so you can make them for your fancy self.
Target sandals
4 packages 1/2" natural cowhide leather straps (I got mine at Tandy Leather)
leather dye or stain (color of choice ... you can also find this at Tandy Leather)
glossy leather finish (if desired ... I didn't use this)
multi-size leather punch
foam brush
10 7mm (or smallest you can find) screw back button studs or snaps + snap tools (I happen to think snaps would be better.)
plastic gloves
Dye your straps according to the instructions on the bottle. Make sure to wear plastic gloves or you will stain your hands.
Cut a strap to the size of the front strap on the sandal. Glue this on top of the sandal strap.
Slightly trim the bottom sandal strap.
Cut another strap to the size of the bottom sandal strap. Glue it onto the sandal strap.
Measure the length from the bottom strap to the middle of your knee cap. Loop and glue one end around the bottom strap of the sandal.
Next measure out the lengths of the straps that will go around your legs. To measure, wrap the straps around your legs where you want them to lay. Leave a little extra room for the stud fasteners. I did five straps.
Begin with the top strap. Loop and glue the center strap around it.
Glue the rest of the straps (evenly spaced) to the center strap.
Using the small size hole punch, punch a hole on one end of each strap. If you are using snaps instead, this is where you will want to follow the directions the snaps and tools come with.
Screw the studs into these holes.
Wrap each strap around your leg to measure exactly where you want the stud hole to go. This is important: you will want each strap to be REALLY tight around your leg. Otherwise the straps will fall. Using the largest size, punch a hole on each strap exactly where you just measured. Depending on how big your largest hole punch is, you may need to make two holes side by side to make the hole bigger. I had to do this so the stud would fit inside it. If you notice the center strap bunches, reinforce it with some pvc (clear plastic "fabric") or wire. And you are done!
I hope you guys likes! On another note, since 4th of July is tomorrow, here are some of my most popular 4th of July posts:
4th of July Hat + Scarf
4th of July Jello Shots for Lauren Conrad
Mini Banana Splits for Lauren Conrad
4th of July Party Ideas for Lauren Conrad
4th of July Party Printables for Lauren Conrad
Would you give this a shot? Let me know in the comments!
P.S. If you like this post, I'd love it if you would subscribe below! Subscribers get secret DIYs and a free party printable collection for joining!