Wooden Bear Paw Flip Flops

Today I will be showing you how to make these awesome flip flops! All you need is some wood, paint, and an old pair of flip flops. These wooden bear paw flip flops are perfect for the beach. They will get everyone talking and make them wonder where you got them.

To begin the project we will be taking 4, 1 inch by 4 inch boards and gluing them together. These boards should be at least a foot long just to be sure that they will fit your feet. I placed bricks on the wood while it was gluing to be sure that the boards stayed flush with each other.

After the glue has dried, we are ready to move on. My foot is a size 9.5 U.S. so in measuring my foot I came up with the numbers 4.5 inches wide and 10.5 inches long for my boards.

• When measuring your feet be sure to give about a half inch of extra room for your feet.

Sand all surfaces nice and smooth to be sure you don't get splinters while you walk. We will also round the corners so they are not so sharp.

• You can easily round the corners using a file and sand paper

Now we will cut out the rubber straps from these old flip flops. It doesn't matter if you wreck the flip flops because we only need the straps for this project. These flip flops are just some old ones that I never wear anymore and I was going to get rid of them so I am glad I can repurpose them for this project.

If you don't end up wrecking the flip flops you can use them to mark the holes before you throw them away, but if they are wrecked you can use another pair as a guide or just guess.

• Using forstner bits drill halfway into the board with a 1/2 inch drill bit.
• Drill the hole out the rest of the way with a 3/8 inch drill bit.

Using a router round over the edges of the boards so they will be more comfortable and can't cut your feet.

• If you do not have a router you can round them over using a file and sand paper

For this project I wanted to make a bear paw flip flop, so I printed a picture of a bear's paw. Using the picture I will be able to trace out the paws onto boards.

• Only trace out the toes and the palm
• Labeling the toes makes it easy to know which piece goes where in the future

After tracing the paw prints cut them out roughly and sand them down to the correct size. After that, test out the pieces on the board to see if they look how you want them.

Now for some color: I chose to match the paws with the straps, but any color combination will look great! When you paint the paws make sure to label the paws and each toe so you know which one is which and where each one goes.

To attach the straps we will use boiling water to soften the rubber enough to push the strap ends through the holes. When attaching the straps make sure you have a needle nose pliers and a pot of boiling water.

• Get a pot of water
• Boil water
• Place one end of the strap into the boiling water for 1:30 minutes
• Take out end and pinch end with pliers
• Using the pliers push the end into the hole and work it through
• Twist the strap so that it is in the correct position. This will help for the other ends
• Repeat the steps until all ends are in place

For this step we are filling the holes on the bottom with clear glue.

• Use a putty knife to make them flat.

Now we will glue the paw pieces onto the flip flops. Using the print out, organize the pieces into the right places. Then glue them in place using wood glue.

To finish these sandals we can apply a clear wood finish. The finish will help protect the wood from scratches and dents.

• Prepare the wood by sanding any rough parts
• Then use tack cloth to clear the surfaces of any sawdust or dirt
• Using a foam brush for the larger surfaces and a small painting brush for in between the toes
• Wait for the finish to dry and apply at least 2 more coats for the best protection

Now you are done! You can take these awesome sandals to the beach and make some great paw prints. I really hope you have enjoyed this instructable and make your own. If you enjoyed this please give it a vote! Thanks for checking it out!