As a lover of shoes, it can be a real bummer when a favorite pair meets with a tear or fray.  But have no fear: in a case like this you don't have to be a cobbler to remedy this pedestrian problem.  Give your shoes a whole new look - turn them into a work of art!

At a recent exhibit called Walking Tall Too! at the Coachella Valley Arts Center in Indio, California, artists took our old shoes or reused shoes from the thrift store and transformed them into works of art based on some of our favorite artists.  My favorites are Frida Kahlo, Christo and Sor Juana Inez de la Cruz. Sor Juana is known as the first feminist of the New World, born in New Spain (Mexico) in 1651.  She was a poet, writer and outspoken defender of  a woman's right to education. Here's how you can turn an old pair of damaged boots into an homage to your favorite author:

1. Find a variety of  images. Reclaimed books and magazines are a great resource, and you can often find good, vintage ephemera on Etsy or eBay. If you want to go for a less themed look, you can raid your fabric scrap bin and cover your boots with fabric instead.

2. Use mod podge or fabric glue thinned with water to collage the boots.

3. Use hot glue to add some funky fringe at the top.

4. With your embroidery scissors, trim off any excess paper or fabric, then seal the shoes with more of the thinned fabric glue.

5. Let it dry and cure for at least 24 hours, then slip your "new" slippers on and start walking tall!

Have you guys done any fun shoe-related crafts? I'd love to hear your ideas in the comments!

Sometimes flipping your lid can be a really good thing! Actually, I meaning flipping off your lid.

When I am fortunate to have a Friday off, I go to an open studio for clay and mosaic artists in Palm Springs.  Our hostess merrily engages artists of all mediums to explore and go beyond their traditional roots.  We work, we talk, we glean ideas, and we also trade stuff.

It was at one of these sessions that another fellow artist introduced me to the world of flip offs.  My friend, who is also a nurse, has access to thousands of flip offs: caps that literally "flip off"  medicinal vials.  The caps are made from Polypropylene (PP 5) which is a strong resin that is recyclable, but like other plastic caps--such as detergent, milk, and juice bottle lids--need to be sorted out from other plastics.

The flip offs come in seventeen colors, from clear to black, orange peel to willow green, misty gray to pink gloss.  With these delightful rounds you can create crazy, colorful assemblages.  Use them on old mannequins, frames and even as novelty ribbon curtains for a recycling exhibition.

How to Work with Flip Offs:

1.  The flip offs are of course plastic, so the kind of surface you will be attaching them to will determine what kind of  glue to use, i.e. wood glue for a wood surface.

2.  Prep your surface with paint if you are planning on gluing just one layer of flip offs, because you will see the surface between them, or if you do not want to see the surface, you can add more to cover the surface.  It adds dimension, too, which looks great.

3.  Go to town and just glue, glue and glue!

I am happy to report that there are artists who go beyond my "adhesive" ways to create fun earrings, rings and badges.  If you have the right tools, you can do just about anything with them.  They add great texture and color to reuse projects.

Where to Find Flip Offs

To source flip offs, check with your local hospital to see what they do with their materials, or if you know a friendly nurse you can start flipping off real soon.

Since spring is upon us and herbs are going wild in the garden, it is a perfect time to combine the two.  Using empty wine bottles, appropriately enough, or other clean glass empty bottles you may have around the house, creating infused vinegars is easy and a tasty compliment to salads, grilled vegetables, sauces and marinades.  I have an abundance of rosemary and flowering lemon thyme, so I am filling up my bottles with these herbs.  These unique infused vinegars make great gifts; I even make my own labels for them.

How to infuse vinegar

Ingredients

• Fresh herbs including rosemary, thyme, basil, oregano. tarragon, dill
• White vinegar

Materials needed:

• Clean glass bottle with screw top or reused cork
• Bamboo skewer
• Funnel

Directions:

1. Gently wash and pat dry the herbs.  Place in bottle and push down with bamboo skewer if needed.  You can also add whole peeled garlic cloves and spices, but use them whole, otherwise your vinegar will be murky.  Using your funnel, pour the white vinegar and fill to about 1/2 inch from the top and place topper or cork.
2. Let the vinegar set overnight.  You can use your vinegar the next day, but it will become more robust as it sits.  Also, you can refill your bottle with vinegar after use and your own magical elixir will last up to six months.

Here's how to make a French version of a memo board from an old egg tray.

Materials

• 12" x 12" cardboard egg tray
• scissors
• hole puncher
• yarn, ribbon or twine
• paper clips
• acrylic paint, fabric swatches or tissue paper, if desired
• paper clips
• glue

Directions

1.  What makes this board "French" is the crisscrossing of the yarn, so before decorating punch one hole in each of the four corners and one hole in the middle of each side.

2.  Now, decorate your egg tray.  You can paint it, you can glue scraps of paper or fabric, really add whatever you like.

3.  Now lace your yarn, basically making X's. Start by going corner to corner and tying them off with a knot on the back side, then lace from top to side and bottom to side.

4.  To hold your photos and notes, add paper clips.

5.  To hang the board, punch two more holes anywhere at the top and string with ribbon.

A few days ago I was lucky enough to have breakfast at Leslie Kelly Shockley's desert dwelling and master garden.  Shockley is the inspired creator and upcycling designer of  Tea With Iris.  She creates children's and women's clothing along with an assortment of homegoods - from pot holders and bibs to bags and picnic blankets.

"I find fabric and then want to do something with it," says Shockley.  And she does!  A vintage 1950's linen tablecloth becomes the Phoebe, a sleeveless shift top that's perfect for coming warm weather.  Her children's line is adorable with new girls shirt dresses made from men's shirting and spring daisy dresses.  Her model and muse for the children's line is her own daughter, Elle.

Also fitting: Shockley sews all of her work on her grandmother's 1958 Singer Slant-O-Matic sewing machine. Her work is fun, fashionable and best of all upcycled, recycled and reused.  It's a stylish way to save the planet!

What is black, white and read (or red) all over? This sweet and earthy Valentine!

Using my PotMaker and a new batch of pansies, I rolled 3.5" x 10" strips of newspaper to form the pots and popped a singular, cheerful viola inside each one. A few scraps of lace, ribbon and a sticker embellish this gift. There is no glue involved, just twisting and tying!

Pansies are perfect cool-weather flowers with their velvety, heart-shaped petals. When Valentine's day is over, your sweetie can transplant the flower; recycle, compost, or even reuse the newspaper; and reuse the embellishments on her next project or as gift wrap!

Image Credit:  Photo by Karen Riley