Mach and Mach Dupes: How to DIY Cute Rhinestone Bow Heels

Tools and materials:

• Shoes - flats, sandals or heels
• Acrylic paint (optional)
• Acrylic paint brushes (optional)
• Mod Podge Matte (optional)
• 3 yards 6mm Rhinestone rope trim and end caps
• 2 Rhinestone buttons 
• 2 Faux leather strips, 3/4" by 3"
• 2 Blank shoe clips (optional)
• Wooden clothespins
• Sharpie
• Invisible thread
• Regular thread
• Hand sewing needles
• Tweezers
• E 6000 glue
• Protective gloves
• Small scissors
• 6" long nose pliers
• Ruler
• Measuring tape

1. Prepare shoes

I wanted my shoes to be all black so the trim stood out. I painted them with black acrylic paint and sealed them with matte Mod Podge, to add a little sheen.

Clean the shoes well. If they have a suede finish, use a soft bristle brush. Wipe leather-type shoes with a damp cloth and leave to dry

2. Prepare front trim

Mark a half inch from one end of your trim. Run the trim across the front edge of your shoe to measure the amount needed.

Mark where it meets the sole, add another half an inch and cut the trim. 

Remove the layer of rhinestones from the half inch at each end of the trim to expose the rope.

Use your pliers to flatten the rope as much as you can.

3. Attach front trim

With your tweezers, create a space between the shoe upper and the sole on both sides.

Wearing protective gloves, add a drop of glue to one end of the rope.

Use the tweezers to push it into the space you made. Press the gap closed.

Work in sections to glue the rest of the trim to the front edge of the shoe, holding it in place with clothespins.

Glue the end of the trim and push it into the gap on the other side of the shoe.

Remove the clothespins and make any adjustments needed to the line of the trim.

4. Make double bow

Thread two needles, one with invisible thread, knotted, and the second with regular thread, doubled and knotted. Cut a piece of trim 20 inches long.

Make a loop with the trim about 2.25 inches wide. Use the regular thread to sew the end of the loop to the trim and wrap it around a few times. Don’t cut the thread.

Make a second loop of the same size, overlapping the ends in the center. Wrap the thread around the center of both loops to secure them.

Make a second set of loops, a little larger than the first, from the same piece of trim, and wrap the thread around all the loops.

Wrap a leather strip around the center of the bow, overlapping the ends at the back, and cut off any excess.

If your button has a shank, press it into the center of the strip to mark its position, and remove the shank with your pliers.

Use the invisible thread to sew the button to the strip or glue it in place.

Wrap the strip around the bow and use the regular thread to sew the overlapped ends together.

5. Ankle straps

Open one of the end caps and cut it in half. Reshape it with pliers so that two ends of the trim fit inside it.

Put the ends into the cap and press it closed with the pliers.

Secure the trim to the ankle strap near the end cap with invisible thread, then whip stitch the top line of trim in place along the strap.

Drape the second line below the first, then secure them both where the strap joins the shoe. 

Twist the two rows of trim together and sew them around the back of the shoe. Cut the trim and add the other half of the end cap.

6. Attach bows

Optionally, add blank shoe clips to the back of the bows so you can use them to decorate other shoes. 

Alternatively, glue the leather strip to the front of the shoe, placing the bow flush with the side of the trim.

DIY rhinestone bow heels

I'm delighted with how my Mach & Mach heels dupe turned out. I love bling and these are just spectacular!

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial - do please let me know in the comments if this is something you would attempt.

For more DIY content, check out my post on How to DIY a Super Cozy Belted Poncho.