Baby Banana Booties!

This is one of those ideas that just pops into your head and you know you can't continue to live in a world where it doesn't exsist. I have a 8 month old niece who I decided would be the perfect reciever of my newest creation.

I present to you: Baby Banana Booties! Little socks to adorn on your little ones that look like half-eaten, peeled bananas on their little feet (with included packaging option for that professional look).

This is a quick and easy project you can finish in one night with the right materials. Lets get started!

I got a pair of infant socks sized 8-12 months. I then stuffed them with a single plastic bag to give them a little bulk. That way I could create a template for a more 3 dimensional shape and make sure they wouldn't be too small.

The template consisted of 2 shapes but there will be 3 sections total per sock. One long skinny one that functions as the bottom and the back side of the foot and then one stencil used twice to create the curved sides.

To plan the stencils I traced the size and width of the sock as best as I could and added about a 4in length that will serve as the banana peel. Luckily socks work with a banana curve well! The ends of the socks come down to a flat point so little toes can still fit.

I found some thin, soft fleece material to add some comphy padding to the socks. That makes them more like slippers/booties than actual socks. I tried to find an off white color to best represent the inner banana color. I managed to find a bright and lively yellow to be the peel of the banana after I learned bright-banana-yellow seems to not a popular fabric choice among crafters.

Use your templates to cut out 4 sides and 2 backs out of both materials. I recommend you layer the fleece with the yellow fabric and cut them out at the same time.

Once you have your pieces cut out sew the sides together inside-out leaving an opening at the flat toe side. You'll use that opening to flip the banana section inside out. I sewed it by hand but a sewing machine would be better and faster.

Once you have all your sections sewed and inverted you are ready to sew them together. I sewed the sections together down the straight sides leaving the 4in of top banana peel hanging freely. I sewed it together inside out and flipped it around just like the sections before.

I pulled the toe ends together and sewed them up with brown embrodery thread to make it look like the little square end points that you find on bananas.

Finally, I put the socks into the banana tubes I sewed and used the help of some hot glue to attach them together. I also used my hot glue buddy to make little glue dobs that hols the banana peels peeled down.

Optional step: Packaging! -->

When I come up with projects like these, especially if they are going to be gifts, I like to mock them up like a real product.

I came up with a simple cardstock design that really sells the idea that is could be a real product. The socks fit over the slots and are held into place with their own elastic tension. A little doodling and painting later and these are ready to hit the shelves in a store near you!

Tah Dah! The most adorable pair of socks you can make for your favorite little monkey. Enjoy!