Girls will flip for decorated flops

Yahoo! Finally the weather is nice enough to expose my toes. Now, if only my toes were nice enough to be exposed! I guess a pedicure is in order.

This week's craft is a tribute to those ever popular shoes — flip flops. Using different colours and textures of yarn, girls can easily decorate a pair.

This is a great project to make at birthday parties, during rainy days at the cottage or camping, in the car on a summer road trip, or sitting out in the sunshine. All you need is some colourful yarn, a pair of scissors and some flip flop sandals. You can use the technique to make other crafts, too. Decorate hair elastics; make friendship bracelets, or zipper pulls, key chains...

What you need

• Flip flop sandals
• Yarn (different colours and varieties)
• Scissors

Step one: Take a trip to a store that sells yarn and choose fun colours and textures. There are so many cool types of yarn now — eye lash, yarn with little pompoms, metallic yarn... Have fun choosing. This is also a great way to use up yarn you've got left over from knitting projects. Cut the yarn into lengths that are about 8 to 10 inches long. You will have some waste, but longer pieces are easier to work with. There's no need to measure. Just eyeball it.

Step two: Work with one piece at a time. This is really easy to do, but not as easy to explain. I hope I make it clear. Fold the piece of yarn in half. Bring the loop end under the strap of the flip flop. Wrap the other end — with the two tails — around the strap and through the loop. Pull it tight toward you. The yarn should be looped around and firmly attached to the strap. Continue to loop yarn around the straps until they are covered. Use one colour only, make a pattern or use all kinds of different colours for a really funky pair of flip flops.

Step three: Your flip flops will look a bit shaggy. Carefully give them a trim. Cut the tails to a length that you like. If over time, any yarn comes loose and falls off, just add a new piece and trim.

As I said before, you can use this simple technique to decorate all kinds of things — like the wild and very colourful hair elastic shown in the photo. If you're thinking or doing the craft with thin ribbon instead of yarn, this will work. However, many ribbons fray and will need to have the ends singed (by an adult) before looping. I recommend yarn, but you can add in some ribbons here and there for a different look.