Victorian Lace Ballet Slippers

These Victorian lace ballet slippers are easily and quickly made with some simple hand sewing and gluing. They will delight any little girl in your life as a treasured decoration in her room. They also will look elegant in other areas of a Victorian-themed home.

Materials:
White lace fabric, 9 ½" by 15," with one 15" finished edge.
White pre-gathered lace, ½" wide, one yard.
Mauve satin ribbon, ¼" wide, two yards.
Mauve satin roses with leaves, two.
Fabric stiffener
White sewing thread, sewing needle.
Plastic wrap, sealable plastic bag, waxed paper.
Scissors, ruler.

Instructions:

Repeat the following instructions to make both slippers.

1. Cut a 7 ½" by 9 ½" piece of lace fabric, having a finished edge of fabric along one 7 ½" side. Fold lace in half lengthwise so that the finished edges are even. (See Figure 1.)

2. With ¼" seams, sew the ends of the lace together to form the heel.

3. Beginning at the finished edge, sew the lace together for 2" to form the top of slipper. (Refer to Figure 1)

4. Gather stitch along the finished edge of the lace to form the toe. Pull up gathers tightly and stitch across ends of lace to form a circle. Knot and clip the thread.

5. Turn the slipper right side out. Turn under ¼" along top outside edge and baste in place.

6. Pour fabric stiffener into a sealable bag. Place slipper in bag and soak until fully saturated. Squeeze to remove excess stiffener, and stuff with plastic wrap to form the shape of a ballet slipper. Allow to dry on a piece of waxed paper. As it dries, remove the plastic wrap and shape with your hands. Press the point of the heel in, and allow to finish the drying process.
7. Glue gathered lace around the top outside edge of each slipper, having bound edge of lace even with top edge of slipper. Overlap and glue the ends of the lace at the center back of the slipper.

8. Glue the ribbon around the top outside edge of each slipper. Overlap and glue the ends at the center back.

9. Glue a rose to the top of each slipper.

10. To connect the two ballet slippers, fold each end of the remaining ribbon to form a 2" loop and glue together 1" from the end. Glue the loops to the heel of each slipper. (See photograph.)

11. To form a loop for hanging, fold ribbon that is connecting the slippers so that slippers do not hang evenly. Tie an overhand knot in the ribbon 5" from the fold.