How to Make Baby Booties Out of Styrofoam Cups

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Things You'll Need

  • 1 foam cup per guest

  • Sharp scissors

  • Hole punch

  • Roll of thin ribbon in desired color or pattern

  • Small party favors or treats

Transform plain foam cups into cute baby-bootie favors.
Image Credit: Mike G/Hemera/Getty Images

Instead of using real baby booties or shoes as decorations and favors for a baby shower, make an adorable inexpensive version out of Styrofoam cups. Plastic recyclable drink cups may be used in place of the foam version, but the pristine white foam bears more resemblance to baby booties than colorful plastic cups do.

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Step 1

Trim the top inch off of each foam cup. To make the process simple, snip the foam vertically downward 1 inch with scissors, and then make an identical snip an inch or so away from the first. Bend the foam flap inward, and cut around the perimeter of the cup. Snip other the flap off as well to create a cup 1 inch shorter than it was originally.

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Step 2

Cut a slit vertically downward, starting at the top of the cup, so the slit is 1 1/2 inches long. Cut an identical slit 1 1/2 inches away from the first. The measurements do not need to be exact, but the slits should match one another.

Step 3

Fold the flap of Styrofoam between the slits gently inward; this piece is the "tongue" of the baby shoe. Press it just enough to flex it a little, rather than pushing it down completely.

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Step 4

Punch a small hole near the top of each side of the foam adjacent to the flap -- not on the flap itself. Punch one or two small holes, equally spaced, beneath the first, creating the look of eyelets for the laces in a baby shoe. Do your best to line up the holes on each side for a symmetrical appearance.

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Step 5

Snip a piece of ribbon 8 to 10 inches long for each bootie. Lace the ribbon through the holes in the bootie as if you're lacing an actual shoe, tugging the ribbon gently until it is centered on the shoe so both ends of the ribbon are of equal length -- just like shoelaces.

Step 6

Press the sides of the cup nearest the flap gently inward to form a shape resembling a baby bootie. Tie the ribbon in a bow to complete the bootie design.

Step 7

Fill each bootie with a handful of small party favors or treats such as spice drops or wrapped candies.

Tip

Small paper cups such as 3-ounce drink cups can be used in place of foam or plastic. If you use tiny cups, there's no need to remove an inch from the top of each cup.

Dress up the favors a bit by adding personalized tags to the ribbon on each bootie, or add tiny baby-themed charms to each ribbon as additional keepsakes.

Warning

Be gentle when running ribbon through the punched holes to avoid tearing the cups.

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