# Flip Flop Keepsake Craft
> Trace your child's feet on glitter foam sheets, cut them out, and add glitter pipe cleaner straps, pearl beads and foam stickers to make flip-flop keepsakes. Display them as a summer garland or turn them into fridge magnets.
- URL: https://www.funlittles.com/kids-craft-ideas-flip-flop-craft/
- Ages: 2–8 yrs · Difficulty: easy · Mess: low
- Time: prep 10 min, activity 40 min
- Works for: one-on-one, small group, whole class · one batch serves about 1 kids
- Skills: fine-motor, patterning, sensory-exploration
- Cautions: ingestion-risk

## Materials (one batch)
- 1 sheet Glitter foam sheets
- 2 piece Glitter pipe cleaners
- Pearl beads
- Foam stickers (stars, fish, crabs)
- 1 piece Hole punch
- 1 piece Pen or marker for tracing (household)
- 1 piece Scissors (household)
- 1 piece Table covering or large tray (household)
- Adhesive magnetic sheets (optional)
- Adhesive magnetic strip (reel) (optional)
- Ribbon or string for a garland (optional) (household)

## Substitutions
- Instead of magnetic sheets: Adhesive magnetic strips from a big reel (The author switched to these because the beaded flip-flops were too heavy for the sheets.)

## Safety
- Pearl beads and small foam stickers are choking hazards. Supervise toddlers closely, especially during bead play.
- Work on a flat, covered surface so runaway beads are easy to spot and pick up.
- Adult does the cutting and hole punching.
- Bend or tuck in pipe cleaner ends so the cut tips don't poke little fingers.
- Keep scraps of magnetic sheet or strip away from young children.

## Before you start
- Cover the work table so runaway beads are easy to spot.
- Cut some pipe cleaners in half for toddler-sized feet.

## Steps
1. Have your child stand on a glitter foam sheet, then trace around each foot.
2. Adult: cut out the foot shapes while the kids trace more feet.
3. Adult: punch 3 holes in each cut-out for the strap.
4. Bend a glitter pipe cleaner in half, thread it through the holes to make the strap, and give it a few bends to hold it in place. Use half a pipe cleaner for a toddler-sized foot.
5. Thread pearl beads onto the pipe cleaner straps. Try making a pattern.
6. Decorate the flip-flops with foam stickers.
7. Optional: cut magnetic strips and stick them to the backs to make fridge magnets.
8. Or hang the flip-flops along a ribbon as a summer garland.

## Tips
- Tracing the feet was the most fun part. The kids got all ticklish and giggled uncontrollably, so expect it to take a while!
- Have the kids keep tracing while you cut out the shapes.
- The kids can help bend the pipe cleaner straps into place if they are interested.
- Not up for beading? My toddler's part was getting her feet traced and doing simple sensory play with the beads: scooping, pouring and feeling them.
- It was great to watch my 4-year-old use a specific pattern to decorate her own flip-flop keepsake.
- Our beaded flip-flops ended up too heavy for the magnetic sheets. Save the sheets for photographs and other lightweight items, and use magnetic strips from a big reel instead.
- A reader made these with her 4-year-old daughter and said they both loved it. (from readers)

## The original post by TurkeyMom (2013)

*Many supplies used in this kids craft post was sent to us by **[Craftprojecctideas](http://www.craftprojectideas.com/)**. We were not obligated to write the post.* As parents we just want to keep your babies, babies for ever. While that's not possible it is simple to preserve memories by creating keepsakes. For our last Thanksgiving we created a [**family hand print keepsake**](https://www.funlittles.com/thanksgiving-art/) wall art. Today we share a simple kids craft that doubles as a cool flip flop keepsake.

- Glitter Sheets
- Pipe Cleaners
- Pearl Beads
- Foam Stickers
- Hole Punch
- Magnetic Sheets(optional)

We started off with the step which was the most fun for the kids. I drew the shape of their foot on glitter foam sheets and they got all ticklish and started giggling uncontrollably. This went on for a while. Once that wore off we continued tracing the feet and I cut them out while they did more tracing.

 I initially intended for this to be a keepsake craft I can do. However my older one was very excited to participate and joined me . She did a couple of her flip-flops and we both did my younger one's flip-flops. Moving on, what's next? With the glitter sheets flip-flops cut outs, I punched out 3 holes for the strap. Glitter pipe cleaners are the straps. I bent the sticks in half and used them by itself for the older one's feet and for the younger one I needed only half a glitter pipe cleaner. With a few bends I got the pipe cleaner to stick in place.

 The kids can help with this part f they are interested.



The beads we used from **craftprojectideas** were positively beautiful. They really looked like pearls, a perfect material to make a radiant tiara (another craft for kids). My kids loved playing with beads, just simple sensory play. They scooped, poured and felt the beads. I just made sure we were working on a flat, covered surface so that we will know in case of run away beads. My 4-year-old came over and "threaded" the beads through the pipe cleaners. It was great to watch her use a specific pattern to create and decorate her own flip-flop keepsake. [**fine motor activity**]. My toddler's involvement stopped with getting her feet traced and sensory play with the beads. That particular day she was not into any intricate fine motor activities.



All the flip-flops beaded and ready for display



 You could keep this as is as a mom-tot craft. I wanted to turn into a flip flop keepsake after displaying it for a while. Craftprojectideas sent us this cool magnetic sheet as well. 

I cut out strips and stuck them to the back of the flip flops to turn them into magnets.



Cute little feet on your fridge. My flip flops ended up being heavier because of the beads and the sheets couldn't handle a few flip flops. The magnetic sheets would be great for photographs and other light weight items. I ended up using the magnetic strips that come in a big reel

 But my favorite way to display is to make seasonal garlands for our mantle. We recently made a patriotic splatter painting art project and turned them into a garland.



Cute summer Kids Craft?



Thanks for reading