Instead of shelling out $6,000 for a pair of flashy Christian Louboutin heels, one crafty shoe lover has taken 'do it yourself' to the next level by creating her own pair of knockoffs featuring the same rhinestone embellishments – and the brand's trademark red soles.
A Reddit user known as ethical_rhyme spent two months creating the shoes for her sister, who dreamed of wearing Christian Louboutin's Daffodile Strass platform stilettos, which are covered in blue Swarovski crystals, to her prom. But rather than pay the retail price of $5,995, the DIY fan purchased a pair of similarly shaped pumps, 6,000 rhinestones, acrylic paint and glue before getting to work on creating her own, near-identical, version.
The generous sister, who shared step-by-step photos of the process on Imgur, revealed that the entire project cost her less than $40 - including the heels - a minute fraction of the cost of the real deal.
Imitation game: A crafty woman used blue rhinestones, paint and glue to make this knockoff pair of Christian Louboutin platform stilettos, which retail for $5,995
Major inspiration: The woman crafted the heels for her sister, who desperately wanted to wear Louboutin's Daffodile Strass heels (pictured), which are covered in Swarovski crystals, to prom
After sharing the link to the photos on Reddit, she explained that she found a pair of snakeskin Steve Madden heels that were on sale at MJM Designer Shoes for $25, writing: 'Sometimes it comes in handy to have huge feet...'
Next, she painted the platform heels royal blue. To replicate the Louboutin's trademark red sole, she used tape to cover the sides of the heels before she added a few layers of red paint to the bottoms of the shoes, topping it off with a few layers of 'polyurethane to make them shiny'.
In order to imitate the look of the Swarovski crystals, she used three different sizes of blue rhinestones, keeping the three millimeter, five millimeter and six millimeter stones in separate containers while she worked.
Feeling royal: She started the tedious project by first painting the heels blue
Good thinking: Before she painted the soles of the shoes Louboutin's trademark red, she used painters tape to ensure the colors wouldn't run
After sharing the link to the photos on Reddit, she explained that she found a pair of snakeskin Steve Madden heels that were on sale at MJM Designer Shoes for $25, writing: 'Sometimes it comes in handy to have huge feet...'
Next, she painted the platform heels royal blue. To replicate the Louboutin's trademark red sole, she used tape to cover the sides of the heels before she added a few layers of red paint to the bottoms of the shoes, topping it off with a few layers of 'polyurethane to make them shiny'.
In order to imitate the look of the Swarovski crystals, she used three different sizes of blue rhinestones, keeping the three millimeter, five millimeter and six millimeter stones in separate containers while she worked.
The anonymous DIY fan said she spent a couple days of week gluing rhinestones while she watched TV or Netflix. Although she didn't clock in the hours she spent working on them, she did note that it took two months of gluing the rhinestones one by one before she was able to put the final touches on the heels.
Proving that patience is indeed a virtue, she started by lining the border of each shoe with three millimeter rhinestones.
She explained that used a 'little wood cuticle pusher' to spread a 'pea-sized drop of glue' on the section she was working on, picking up each rhinestone with her fingertip before pressing it into place.
The bling ring: She put thousands of three millimeter, five millimeter and six millimeter rhinestones in separate containers while she started gluing them on to the shoes
Manual labor: She started by lining the boarder of each shoes with three millimeter rhinestones
Tedious work: She glued each rhinestone by hand, alternating between sizes
'Keep gluing until you see blue rhinestones in your dreams,' she wrote.
The end result was an almost exact replica of the designer shoes - for a fraction of the cost.
And, as if she hadn’t already scored her fair share of sister points for the year, she then went ahead and glued a few rhinestones onto a pair of flats for when 'the heels of death become too much'.
'Even considerate enough to do a second pair of shoes with the same stones for her poor feet after [two] hours. She is one lucky sister,' one person wrote on her Imgur post, while another added: 'Pretty sure it's like 5k worth of patience [sic].'
STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO MAKING YOUR OWN CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN HEELS
SUPPLIES
Inexpensive platform heels
Acrylic paint in red and royal blue
Polyurethane
Painters tape
Blue rhinestones in multiple sizes (three millimeters, five millimeters and six millimeters)
E-6000 glue
Wooden cuticle pusher
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Paint the heels blue
2. Use painters tape to cover the sides of the heels before painting the bottom of the soles red
3. After covering both heels in red paint, add one or two layers of polyurethane for shine.
4. Line the border of each heel three millimeter rhinestones
5. Take a pea-sized amount of glue and spread it on the area you are working on
6. User your fingertip to take each rhinestone and press it in place, alternating between sizes
7. Continue until both shoes are bedazzled
Almost there: She noted that it took her almost two months two glue all the rhinestones in place, dedicating a couple nights a week to the project
Amazing sibling: She even bedazzled a pair of flats (pictured) for when her sister wants to take off her sky-high heels and slip into something more comfortable
Furry model: When the shoes were complete, she had her adorable dog try them on for size
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