Being a bridesmaid is a great opportunity to go all out with fabulous accessories. But unfortunately those same items can often be left to gather dust without a suitable occasion. So what’s a fashion-conscious and considerate bride to do? Make shoe embellishments for her ‘maids, of course!

Shoe clips are a really effective way of transforming a plain pair of shoes into something special, and these examples all use basic materials and techniques.

Start with a plain pair of shoes:

Shoes before

And add your choice of embellishment:

Shoe clip materials

Some of them will require glue and shoe clip backings (I bought mine here).

Shoe with bow S

Hair clip bow
Take a hair slide and slip onto the side of shoe.

Shoe with brooch S

Brooch
Pin a brooch directly over the bridge of a pair of peep-toe or strappy shoes.

Shoe with fabric flower S

Fabric flower
Cut out various sized circles out of satin fabric and sew together with a few contrasting beads. Glue a shoe clip to the back.

Shoe with ribbon bow S

Ribbon bow
Make a bow out of velvet ribbon by gluing two ends to form a loop then gluing a shorter piece around the centre. Once dry, glue the bow to a shoe clip.

Shoe with scarf clip S

Scarf clip
Clip a scarf holder directly onto shoe.

Shoe with feathers S

Feathers & clip-on earrings
Glue coloured feathers onto back of clip-on earring; clip onto side of shoe.

Shoe with diamante button S

Diamante button
Use a needle and thread to temporarily secure diamante embellishment to shoe. If you have a larger button you can glue it to a shoe clip instead of sewing.

Making use of shoe clips means your bridesmaids can purchase plain (read: usually cheaper) shoes which they’ll easily be able to wear again. Or if your girls are providing their own shoes, shoe clips will instantly give them a cohesive look.

These are just some ideas, I’m sure you can use your imagination to come up with loads more. So what are you waiting for? Dig through your nanna’s costume jewellery, your fabric scraps box or your favourite budget accessories shop for more inspiration.

Ms Polka Dot says: Who doesn’t love shoes? And to personalise them with your special touches makes them all the more unique for your wedding day!

Our ‘Made’ Contributing Editor, Alicia from Akimbo lets her imagination run wild with these sweet shoes ideas. Visit her blog where she writes about all things creative and cute ATypical Type A