In the series of miniature tutorials, today we are going to do some research on how to make miniature shoes for crafts in the DIY style and how to make doll shoes.
If you are looking for any other miniature tutorials and I haven’t written about that yet, please feel free to ask. On my FAQ page, you can find an oversight of the tutorials that I already talked about. There’s too much to sum them all up again here ;-).
So, let’s dive deeper into things!
The main picture are miniature Christmas Dollshouse Boots in 1/12th scale by Odinsminiatures.
Updated 25.08.23
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What Kind Of Miniature Shoes Are We Talking About Here?
I always try to base my blog posts on what exactly people are looking for on Google and try to answer their questions.
So the further I dive into my article, the more ideas can come up that I need to talk about.
For now, I have seen people asking:
- how to make miniature/tiny shoes?
- how to make miniature ballet shoes?
- how to make miniature fairy/tiny elf shoes?
- how to make miniature glass shoes for Barbie dolls?
- how to make miniature paper shoes?
- how to make tiny doll shoes?
Now, I am not saying that these questions are all of what people are looking for, but let’s try to include them anyway. I can imagine though, that for example (when I’m brainstorming), people also wonder how to make mini shoes with clay or fabrics.
So I will be doing my best to find out!
How To Make Doll Shoes: Mini Glitter Sneakers Shoes.
Thé best way to explain how to make miniature shoes would be by showing videos.
Now, as you can imagine, I could not be making everything that is to be made in the miniature world out there myself ànd make videos of it. (although in the future I will be focussing more on that on my own Youtube channel, I hope so 😉 ).
Anyway, today I will be mostly showing you the existing YouTube videos out there, focussing on mini shoes.
Here is a pretty neat one. In the video below, the person is making tiny glitter sneakers. There seems to be no further information, but it seems to me that the materials she is using are:
- EVA-foam, which is a type of copolymer.
- glitter EVA-foam
- fine scissors
- glue (she doesn’t mention what kind of glue, but I would advise using “fast grab Tacky glue“)
- a needle and embroidery thread
This video is by DIY Miniature Craft on Youtube
A walkthrough:
- Measure the EVA foam to the size of a doll’s feet
- Glue two of these pieces together
- Attach glitter EVA foam to construct a small shoe
- Attach a small and long piece on the back of the shoe, as you can see on a real sneaker.
- Do the same at the bottom and around the shoe
- make holes in the foam in the right places, so that you can insert little “shoelaces”.
And done!
How To Make Miniature Glass Shoes For Barbie Dolls.
Wow, nice, have a look at these shiny little glass shoes below!
Beware: This is a much longer and harder tutorial and you need a lot more materials!
You need:
- polymer clay and resin
- scissors
- a crafting knife
- paper and toothpicks
- a file
- glitter
- aluminum tape
- reusable plastic bags
- nail art parts
This video is by Eve Miniatures on Youtube
A walkthrough:
- Look for the size of a mini shoe online, print it out, and cut out the form of the shoe
- Prepare thin polymer clay and make it flat (you could use a pasta machine, for example, or just a bottle)
- this way you can cut out the bottom of your shoes with a crafting knife
- Using the paper and toothpicks, as shown in the video above, you can create a curve for the bottom of the shoes.
Bake these at a temperature of 120 degrees for about 35 minutes maximum. - clean up the shoes with some sandpaper or a file, remove the toothpicks, and trim them with a craft knife until they are pointy. You now have a heel
- make a mold from “blue mix”. I don’t know where to find that, so I would think using regular clay is enough. Fill up the molds with clear resin and let them dry out.
- add glitter and aluminum tape
- put clear resin on the piece of plastic three times and bake it three times. When done, cut out the circles that you need in the right size. Cut the circles in half. Use resin to attach these resin plates to the shoes.
- do the same for the front part, trim the shoe heels and attach them as well
- decorate the shoes with nail art parts
- apply some more resin, and bake it for the last time
And done, look how shiny and cute!
How To Make (Glitter) Dolls Shoes From Paper And Cardboard
This one is easier with the use of less (expensive) materials, let’s dive straight into things!
What you need:
- scissors
- cardboard
- a wire that you use to close bags (metal wire)
- some toilet paper
- glue
- paint
- glitter
This video is by Sapatos p/Barbie on Youtube
A walkthrough:
- Draw the size of the shoes with the help of cardboard and a doll, and cut out 2 pairs of soles of the feet.
- glue a piece of wire between 2 soles and do that for 2 shoes
- bend it so that it’s shaped for the dolls’ soles
- attach 5 little pieces of cardboard, all glued together
- let it dry and cut off the edges: you now have the front of the shoe ready
- make the heels and fronts as instructed in the video
- you need to glue a lot of paper layers to finish the shoe!
- paint inside and below and add a lot of glitters
- retouch/finish/paint
- mix water and glue and cover the shoe with that mix, let it dry
And done!
How To Make Miniature shoes: Long Boots
A quite short video this time on how to make miniature boots for a doll.
What you need:
- foam board
- PVC leather
- all-round glue (for leather, etc)
- a needle
- embroidery floss
This video is by Skymagenta Craft on Youtube
A walkthrough:
- cut out a shoe base using foam board
- cut out 2 pieces of PVC leather size 6,5cm x 7cm and glue them together
- in the middle of that piece: draw a 0,7 cm wide piece, and glue this to the shoe base and add everything as instructed in the video
- cut both sides along the legs of the doll
- glue a piece of black foam as a shoe base
- make holes for the shoe laces
- use embroidery floss as shoe laces
And done!
How to make Miniature Leather Shoes.
Making cute little leather miniature shoes, there is no walkthrough, so it’s a bit hard to follow and to know what to do exactly, but I will give it a try.
What you need:
- Crafting glue (suitable for leather)
- metal wire
- a pair of pliers
- aluminum foil
- scissors
- a box cutter
- leather
- a needle
- polymer clay
- a pencil
- a crafting knife
- paper
- sandpaper
- a pin
- small leather string for the shoelaces
This video is by “Stop Motion Magic” on Youtube:
A walkthrough:
- No sizes are mentioned, so I suppose you need to figure out for yourself on which scale you want to work
- Cut out the patterns for the leather shoes
- create the shoe with clay and aluminum foil
- use a pin to mark all the holes in the leather pieces
- cut out everything from the leather and make the holes
- glue everything together by hand as instructed in the video
- glue the soles on the shoes
- add the little shoelaces
And done, again!
How To Make DIY Miniature Converse All Stars
In the next tutorial, you can easily make All Stars Converse shoes. What you need is:
- this template
- scissors
- There is also a template for the shoebox
- a piece of polymer clay
- a crafting knife
- glue
This video is by Easy DIY Miniatures on Youtube
A tutorial:
- Cut out the pieces from the template
- Now, I think that the next thing she uses is a piece of white polymer clay, or painted white. Or is it a kind of foam? I’m not quite sure. Anyway, glue the cut out pieces of the soles on it, and trim/file the rest with a craft knife.
- Apply all the pieces of the template
- make holes with a pin at the places where the shoe laces will be
- Insert thin pieces of paper into the holes and make them look like shoe laces
- Follow the same procedure for the shoe box
And done!
How To Make Miniature Ballet Shoes.
Another small tutorial, this time on how to make DIY tiny ballet shoes. What you need:
- paper
- a pencil
- hot glue
- scissors
- nail polish (the color you like)
- a ribbon
This video is by Simplekidscrafts on Youtube
A walkthrough:
- Draw the foot of the doll on a piece of paper
- extend the corner of the tip a little bit longer than the foot and trace that onto a piece of baking paper and place the paper face down.
- put hot glue around the trace of the foot ( as seen in the video to see what I mean)
- remove the glue after it cooled down and glue the tips at an angle. Set that aside
- cut thin strips of baking paper and place them in front of the doll’s feet and wrap it around the ankle. Make sure it can’t get loose.
- Place the dried mold of the glue on the doll’s foot and add glue on the bottom of the foot
- Wait until the glue dries while holding it.
- When dried, trim the unwanted pieces and clean them up
- use several layers of nail polish on the shoe or acrylic paint
- you can glue a little piece of ribbon at the back of the shoe
- measure a piece of ribbon three times the length of the doll’s leg and cut it in half. Glue these at an angle at the side of the shoe
- tie the ribbon around the leg
And done!
How To Make Miniature Shoes With Papercraft?
I did make my own miniature shoes once, as I am quite handy with papercraft, even if I say so myself haha!
In the video below, just follow the instructions to craft these paper shoes in a very easy way for your Barbie doll!
And while you are there, please subscribe to my channel, thanks!
Where To Find Miniature Shoe Collectibles?
And finally, here are some reviews on handmade miniature shoe sellers who offer great additions to your miniature shoe collectibles. There are some fine artists out there!
Miniature Shoe Collectibles Store Number 1: WendysMiniShop
This store sells or creates
All kinds of miniature handmade items
Some more info about this shop.
Is selling miniature things on a scale of 1:12 like:
- tiny shoes
- dollhouse furniture
- mini handbags
- little signs, etc..
Overall Rank
The price :
Variable prices for the mini shoes, from $12,00 for little slippers, to $20,00 for brown leather shoes.
Where to get this item.
On Etsy here.
The good and the bad :
The Good.
- this store is a star-seller with a history of 5-star reviews
- returns are accepted
- wonderful craftsmanship
- fast delivery
The Bad.
- No negative reviews are to be seen.
Final Conclusion.
There are not so many miniature shoes in this store, but the ones that are there, are very much worth buying for that affordable price.
Miniature Shoes Collectible Store 2: ChikSculptures
This store sells or creates
A few miniature items only, but I still wanted to mention the tiny shoes, like the Louboutin style shoes, I think they are lovely!
Some more info about this shop.
This store in the meantime is selling a lot more miniature shoes than it did a few years back, and they are all adorable.
It is also selling decors scale 1:12, kitchen miniatures, cutlery, vase and garden stuff, and more.
Overall Rank
The price :
Variable prices, check out the store!
Where to get this item.
On Etsy here.
The good and the bad :
The Good.
- terrific craftsmanship
- returns accepted
- 5-star seller, which means it has great customer service, smooth shipping, and reviews of 4,8/5 and more
The Bad.
Exchanges don’t seem mentioned.
Final Conclusion.
I would definitely purchase miniature shoes from this store, as it has high-quality and unique items.
Check out more details on these miniature shoes and prices here.My Final Conclusion
I have no personal experience making miniature shoes, apart from creating one pair with papercraft, but I do hope that I could give you some ideas on how to make them DIY, with the help of these videos.
If you have any questions or would you just like to chat some more with me then please leave a comment below or join me on my social media channels or Facebook group.
I wish you happy crafting!
Kind regards,
Lizzy
Hi everyone!
My name is Lizzy, and I am an amateur miniaturist obsessed with everything in the dollhouse and miniature world, ever since I was a teenager.
So far, I have created 2 dollhouse projects, a backyard shed and a miniature treehouse, tons of DIY dollhouse kits, and “hacked” some.
I also created a fairy garden, and lots of small and simple miniature projects on my YouTube channel. (mostly made from trash or everyday items).
I love to write as well about all things happening in the miniature world, hence the reason why I created this blog!
I wish you happy reading and crafting!
Lizzy
Wow, what an eye-opener, to be able to make miniature shoes. My granddaughter would love it if we could makes shoes for her dolls, something that she is always asking about when dressing them. These video tutorials look great and a very good starting point.
I know you say that you have not tried to make any of these miniature shoes, but do you think it is a project that I could do with my granddaughter? She is only 5 years old, but loves doing activities and being creative.
Hi Line!,
Thank you for your compliments and positivity.
About your question: some of these tutorials look a bit hard to do for a 5-year-old, but others, like the ones made from paper and non-toxic glue, you could give it a try I would think! But be sure to do it together 🙂
Have fun!
Lizzy
Wow, what a fun post. I really got lost in all of the videos. I love doing crafts and I was excited to have stumbled onto your website. I love miniature things. I’m not sure I would have the patience to make the tiny shoes but, wow, what an inspiration. I would love to see a future post on the artists you mentioned who make and sell tiny shoes. That’s incredible.
Hi JarieLyn,
Thank you for your interest in this topic and I will surely write an article on the sellers of miniature shoes soon, keep posted!
Kind regards,
Lizzy