Sick of your tall boots falling over in a tangled scuffed heap? Here’s an easy and quirky way for a tidy shoe space and no more floppy boots.
Words Sarah Heeringa. Craft, styling and photography by Susan Elijas and Sarah Heeringa.
Sick of your tall boots falling over in a tangled scuffed heap in the wardrobe? It’s not just messy but potentially damaging for your boot’s zips to be continually bent and twisted. These boot stuffers are cheap and easy to make using old magazines and using bits of old blanket or other thick fabric. Handy for yourself and a novel Christmas gift for a friend.
You will need:
- Approximately ½ meter of thick, fluffy material per pair of boot stuffers . Old woollen blankets are perfect – and have lovely selvedges.
- 2 x rubber bands or string
- Masking tape
- Several old magazines to the height your want the boot stuffers to be (A3 sized glossy real estate magazines are ideal for tall boots).
- thick cord, 2 x 15cm (I used cord handles removed from a shopping bag)
- Needle and cotton thread
- Scissors
Step 1
Choose several old magazines that are the height you want your boot stuffers to be. Roll the magazines up tightly adding more layers of paper until they are thick enough to stand up and fit snugly inside the boot. Secure the magazine rolls at each end with masking tape.
Step 2
Measure and cut 2 rectangles of material large enough to roll around each magazine roll. (Check the length against your magazine roll). Allow 3cm extra fabric at the top and bottom for turning over, and approximately 20cm of width to ensure you can roll the fabric around the magazine. If your material doesn’t have a selvedge along the long end, allow extra width for also turning fabric under along this edge.
Step 3
Cut two small fabric squares (15cm x 15cm) and use them to cover each end of the magazine roll. Secure using a rubber band or tightly tied string.
Step 4
Lay your rectangle of fabric on the table, turning over approximately 3cm of fabric at top and bottom. The top and bottom of the fabric rectangle needs to line up to each end of the magazine roll. Pin or iron flat. Wrap the fabric around the magazine roll and pin into place.
Step 5
Use a needle and cotton to sew along all seams. Before you sew completely around the top of your boot stuffer, tuck in a loop of cord and stich into place.
