Make shoelaces from decorative hair ties.
Are you bored of the same old plain shoelaces? Do you need something to make your shoes stand out? Perhaps you are an eco-conscious individual and want to reuse things you have around the house. If you're looking for something different, there are many alternatives to traditional shoelaces.
Hair Ties
This idea is probably best for little girls. It will give them a shoelace alternative that is fun and colorful. Find some children's elastic hair ties with the charms on either end. You can usually find these in the hair care section of a drugstore. You will need as many elastic bands as there are pairs of eyelets on the shoes. For example, if the shoes have six pairs of eyelets, you will need 12 hair ties (six for each shoe).
Begin by folding one of the elastic bands in half so that the charms are together at one end and you have folded elastic at the other end. Thread the folded elastic through the first eyelet and then through the one directly across from it. You will have a loop on one end and the charms on the other. Now take the loop and stretch it across to the other eyelet, securing it over charms. Do this for each pair of eyelets on each shoe.
Bicycle Inner Tubes
Instead of throwing out your old bicycle inner tubes, they can be repurposed into stretchy shoelaces. Use scissors to cut strips from the inner tube. You can make them as wide or as skinny as you like (as long as they fit through the shoelace holes). It may help to cut a pointed tip at the end of your inner tube shoelaces for easier lacing. The good thing about these shoelaces is that they're stretchy. This means you can tie your shoes once and then just slip them on and off with ease. Just lace them up as you normally would and then tie the ends in little knots at the top holes, making sure the knots are large enough not to slip through the eyelet.
Duct Tape
The great thing about making shoelaces out of duct tape is that not only is it strong, but you have a variety of colors and styles to chose from. To make duct tape shoelaces, simply cut a three-foot long strip of two-inch wide duct tape. Cut this strip evenly up the middle so that you have two three-foot long strips of tape that should each be about one inch wide. Fold each strip in half over itself so that no sticky areas remain. These are your shoelaces. You can leave them the width they are, or trim them if you prefer skinnier laces. For easier lacing you can wrap a bit of duct tape around the ends of the laces to make a stronger point. Lace your shoes as normal.
Ribbon
Colorful ribbon makes a great substitute for ordinary shoelaces. On her website, Martha Stewart recommends grosgrain ribbon because it is tough enough to endure abuse from normal shoelace wear and tear. Multicolored ribbon works well with plain shoes or sneakers and can be changed to coordinate with different outfits. This idea works well for babies or little girls.
