How to Make Doll Shoes Without Sewing a Stitch

Updated 1/12/2021

Making your own doll shoes can be intimidating. No doubt about it.

But what if I told you that a couple secrets and a few fun new tools will change the way you think about crafting doll shoes forever? (We’ll get to all that in just a minute.)

First, we promised to show you how to make doll shoes without sewing a stitch, so check out this quick video that shows you every step and just how easy it can be.

But make sure to keep reading underneath the video to see…

• The perfect glue gun that makes applying with precision easy
• A genius hack to cut perfectly shaped foam soles every time
• The inexpensive wonder-tool no doll cobbler should live without
• A simple technique to evenly glue the top of the shoe to the sole

By the way, the video above featured our Butterfly Boots pattern, which is on sale for only $2.99! 

Click here now to grab your discounted pattern while it’s still available…

Now, I know that video made making doll shoes look easy (because it is), but here are some bonus tips to make it even easier…

Use a Glue Gun with a Precision Tip

One of the biggest complaints when it comes to making doll shoes is messy glue from the hot glue gun.

There are alternatives, like rubber cement or tacky glue, but we highly advise a hot glue gun because it dries fast and holds strong.

But not just any hot glue gun. Get one with a precision tip and you’ll make your life a whole lot easier. You can get a quality glue gun with a tiny tip on Amazon for $10-$15 and, trust me, it’s well worth the investment.

Use This Hack to Cut Near-Perfect Soles Every Time

Cleanly cutting thick (6mm) craft foam with scissors can be a challenge, and jagged edges on soles will make the shoes look all wrong. 

Fortunately, you can use this easy hack to cut near-perfect soles with a hot knife. If you don’t have one, it’s another relatively inexpensive tool that has all kinds of uses around the crafting room. Click here to grab one from Amazon.

Just take the cardboard sole you’ve cut out with scissors and use that as a guide for the hot knife. Using the cardboard makes it much easier to keep the knife straight up and down for a clean cut and even edge.

To test how easy this is, I had my husband (who is vying for the title of worst crafter on Earth) attempt it and even he was able to get it on the first try. You can watch him do it below…

Use Your Doll’s Feet or (Even Better) a Doll Cobbler’s Stand

When it comes time attach the inner soles to the tops of the shoes, you NEED to use something, either doll’s feet or, even better, a doll cobbler’s stand you can make yourself or buy on Etsy from the Adorable Dolly store.

Our friend Connie Tkach, who runs a doll cobbler club at her sewing project sewing school in Edgewood, WA, breaks it down in the video below. She also has some invaluable tips on for shoe making throughout the video, including exactly how to glue the soles to the tops of the shoes. I highly suggest watching the entire thing.

So, there you have it, all the tips you need to start doll cobbling today. No more excuses to put off trying your hand at doll cobbling another second.

And, don’t forget, you can get started with the Appletotes & Co. No-Sew Butterfly Boots for only $2.99 (reg. $5.99)! Click here to grab yours now.