Below are a few of the steps I used in making the vintage looking ice skates for this year's ornament swaps .I participated with three groups of on line friends. which amounted to making 31 ornaments..or in pairs..that would be 62 skates! (Plus some for gifts to special friends not in the swaps.) I love this time of year when it is time for the ornament swaps...each participant returns a hand made ornament to me as well .I may have to put up a third tree this year or be selective and alternate ornaments each year..I am accumulating many fine creations!
Hang tags for the skates..card stock reduced postcard piture and glitter........Lets get started!
Using a hand drawn 2 piece stocking pattern , I have them sewn,turned, stuffed and whip stitch the top of the stocking ... attach a floss hanger , also used hang them to dry, after two coats brown paint and one coat brown liquid shoe polish apply after each step when dry). This gives the boot a nice leathery look. I purchased the skate blades...one source is Darice Inc but can be found through other wholesalers as well. The 4 mm rusty jingle bells were purchased off Ebay and I added five to each boot and tied them on with brown floss. I glued on the blades and fur trim and before freezin Season comes...they are done and ready to ship off to their new homes. ! The tags were made to look vintage as well, using a small postcard and reducing the size, aging the tags by dry brushing with a sponge and ink pad , adding glue and glitter around the picture. I found some adorable tiny 1 inch tassels at Wal-Mart's in their trims dept..so added a tassel to finish them off and tie to the skates. I found these boots could also be converted into either black or red Santa boots, sanding them after painting and adding the buckles and fur trim...and a sprig of sweet Annie to the side. they remind me of a boot my mom used to having by the front door each Christmas...it was one that my brother wore as a toddler...she painted it red and added a fur trim to the top...it is at his home now..and is over 70 years old...and perhaps you too have a little one's boot around for your own treasured family keepsake!
Love these! Makes me wish I had been quicker signing up for swaps. I missed them this year; the first in a while! Oh well, I still have many from previous year that I enjoy unwrapping for the tree.
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