Introduction: Hands-Free Emergency Carpet-Crossing Shoe Covers

By Grandma Van Stories
About: Grandma Van uses the Instructables website to share little print-and-mail books. Once in a while, she has other fun things to share.

You are on your way out the door. Your hands are full. Your lace-up boots are snuggly in place, but they are muddy. You realize that the KEYS are on the TV stand... all the way across a room with new carpet. Never fear! Hands-Free Emergency Carpet-Crossing Shoe Covers will rescue you!

Supplies

Cardboard, hobby knife, marker, filament tape, packaging tape, hot glue gun, cutting mat, many caps from plastic bottles.

Step 1: Trace Your Shoe

Use a marker to trace around your shoe. Be sure to give yourself a bit of room... the first Hands-Free Carpet-Crossing Shoe Cover I made was a little snug.

Step 2: Make the BASIC Pattern

Draw lines, as shown, between 1/2 inch and 3/4 inch apart. This will be the basic Pattern used to make all the pieces needed. Line B is the tracing from your shoe. Line A is inside of line B.

The Base Pattern will be used to cut THREE more Patterns: 1, 2, and 3.

We will use the word "Pattern" to describe cardboard shapes are not used in the actual finished project.

We will use the word "piece" to describe the pieces that get joined together to make the Hands-Free Emergency Carpet-Crossing Shoe Covers.

The pieces that are used in the project will be named and numbered: piece #1, piece #2, and piece #3.

Try not to get your Patterns and pieces mixed up. Things could really get confusing, especially since we are making TWO of these!

Step 3: Pattern 1

To make Pattern 1, draw a tab like the one in the second illustration. (This is so that you can place your foot on the tab to remove the Hands-Free Emergency Carpet-Crossing Shoe Cover.)

Cut out the base Pattern. Trace the base Pattern on a new piece of cardboard. Cut it out to make "piece #1" of the final product.

Step 4: Pattern 3.

Cut along line A and along line D to make the the part we will call "Pattern 3." (I know, we went from 1 to 3 but there is a good reason for this!)

This is "piece #3," the top of the Emergency Carpet-Crossing Shoe Cover.

Trace piece #3 to make one more piece #3, which will be used for the other foot. Set it aside. Label it! It is piece #3 for the other foot. We don't need it now.

Step 5: Pattern 2

Cut along lines B and C to make Pattern 2. Then use this Pattern to cut FOUR more pieces for the right foot.

You will need FOUR of the "piece #2" shapes for each shoe cover.

Save the Pattern #2 to use for the left foot later!

Step 6: Piece 3 Adjustments

The piece #1 needs no adjustment.

The piece #3 needs a bit of adjustment: Cut slits, using the hobby knife, ALL AROUND the inside, as shown in the diagram.

Step 7: Test the Cut

This is the step I forgot to do the first time around.Once the slits have been made on piece #3, bend the new tabs downward. Place the piece on a carpeted floor and see if you can step through it. You should be able to get your shoe through the hole without trying too hard, but the tabs should be tight enough to stick to your shoe.

Step 8: Piece #2: Adding Height

The piece #2 needs a LOT of adjustment. (There are FOUR of these. ... pieceS #2? .... piece #2's ?!?!?!)

With hot glue, attach bottle caps along the first piece of cardboard that was cut in the piece #2 shape.

Step 9: Complete the Sandwich

Place a second piece #2 shape on top of the bottle caps. Using packaging tape, wrap all around. (If you have a big budget, use filament tape instead.)

Step 10: Make a Second Sandwich

Follow steps 8 and 9 to make a second "sandwich."

Step 11: Join the Sandwiches

Place the two piece #2 "sandwiches" on top of each other and join with filament tape if your budget is big. Use packaging tape if you are cheap.

Step 12: Join the Sandwiches to Piece #1

Using filament tape, join the sandwich pieces to the piece #1 bottom piece.

Step 13: Add the Piece #3

Using filament tape, attach the top piece, cutting notches as needed.

Step 14: Make Another Shoe Cover!

Repeat the steps for the second shoe cover.

Step 15: Try Them On!

If you have sharp eyes, you may note some "continuity errors...." The first time I tried this, I didn't get the shoe cover quite BIG enough. Be generous in your original tracing of your shoe!

I didn't feel like making a THIRD shoe cover, so for the video I wore a pair of shoes with a smaller footprint.....

Step 16: It IS a Silly Solution

I've published this project with hopes that someone improves it substantially and I can then make a nicer set some day.

This pair of Hands-Free Carpet-Crossing Shoe Covers is a SILLY solution because the cardboard marked-up covers are certainly not elegant enough to leave next to your front door!

The whole concept of using them for an "emergency" is dependent upon the Hands-Free Carpet-Crossing Shoe Covers being readily available at all times.

Could we make them more elegant? Shiny duct tape? Designer fabric coverings? Googly Eyes?

Leaving this first set of Hands-Free Emergency Carpet-Crossing Shoe Covers next to my front door would, indeed, be a silly solution to a problem I meet frequently.

I'd be delighted if someone were to invent a good-looking pair of these!