DIY shoelace bracelet tutorial

As a runner, sometimes I have a hard time retiring my old running shoes. That's because they're full of memories: my first half marathon, my first full marathon, my PR, traveling to the Nike Women's Half Marathon to get a Tiffany necklace, etc.

So what is a runner to do if they want to clean out their closet but keep the shoe memories? Keep the shoelaces & upcycle them into a bracelet!  It's even more fun if you are using a colored pair of shoelaces.

STEP 1:  Start with a CLEAN pair of shoelaces. Self explanatory. If you skip this step...yuck!

STEP 2:  Make a slip knot.  Make sure to leave a tail about 4 inches long.

STEP 3:  Pass a loop thru the slip knot.

STEP 4:  Pass a loop thru each successive loop to create a chain. (HINT:  You're finger crocheting.) Continue until there's only 4 inches left.  To end the chain, pass the aglet of the shoelace thru the final loop and tug until it's tight.

STEP 5:  Push the tails in opposite directions thru a bead.  I used a Pandora-style bead that I found at Michael's [UPDATE: I used a bead with an unthreaded 5 mm diameter hole from the brand Cousin Trinkettes.  Here's a link to the exact bead that I used].  If you have a lot of shoelaces of the same color, you could pick a different bead or shoelace charm to signify each pair of shoes/acomplishments/events/etc. Knot the ends of the tails to prevent the tails from slipping out.  Then wear your new bracelet & enjoy those memories!