Today I’m so excited to share with you my first handmade gift of the season…and it’s a good one! I love making handmade gifts for my friends and family because they have such a special touch to them.

The challenge for me in making gifts is that I want a project that will actually be better than something I can buy in the store, and will cost me less than if I bought it at the store. This fits the bill on both accounts, and your mom, girlfriends, or sisters will die over them.

Lace up flats are huge this season, and are a super easy project to DIY. But take it a step further and paint them to create gorgeous little leopard flats!

Step 2. Use your heavy duty hole punch to punch your holes.

Step 3. Cut your cord in half so you have two 1-yard pieces. Take one of the pieces and fold it in half to find the center point. Feed the cord through the front hole and loop it to secure it in place. Then lace the rest of the shoe.

Repeat for the second shoe until they’re both covered with spots and laced up. Let them dry overnight and you’re done!