Sew Cool Mama: A treat for Mama- custom Flip Flops

I live in Indiana, where we're normally just coming out of the snow for St Patrick's Day, but this year we're flirting with the 80's! In honor of this unseasonably warm weather, I decided to make some new (well, not so new, but improved) flip flops.
Supplies:

Flip flops (old or new)
Exacto Knife
Ribbon
Candle or lighter
Scissors
Decoration (I'm using additional ribbon and some string)

Use the Excacto knife to remove the tabby things from the bottom of the flip flop (they hold the straps on). Sometimes its easier to get to them from the top

Cut your ribbon to length. I used three wraps around the flip flop, and it was a little bit of a squeeze near the end, so i would recommend adding a bit more.

Cut that ribbon in half (so you have one for each flop) and light your candle.

Carefully bring the ribbon close to the flame the end will start to melt, this will stop the ribbon from fraying as you work with it. If you get the ribbon to close to the flame it WILL catch on fire (and smell horrible) so be careful and have a container of water handy in case the fire gets out of control (it moves slowly on the ribbon, so you should be able to blow it out if it catches, but better to prepare for a catastrophe and not need it than to expect everything to be fine and have something horrible happen)

Tie a knot in the middle of the ribbon and knot it at least 2 times, probably 3 or more depending on the size of the hole in the bottom of your shoe (it needs to be big enough to not pass through the hole when pulled hard)

Put the ends of the ribbons through the top hole and pull the knot TIGHTLY against the bottom to make sure it can't pull through.

Put one end of the ribbon through the other holes on the flip flop.

Tie knots in the ribbons at least an inch from the bottom of the shoe (just single knots to start) and try them on. Adjust the placements of your knots as you like to make the shoes comfortable for you to wear. I like my flip flops really tight so about an inch to an inch and a half is perfect for me. Once you have how you like them double and/or triple knot the ribbons so they can't pass through the bottom of the shoe (just like you did with the top knot).

Push the extra ribbon through the top hole of the flip flop (so the knot on the top pokes out from the bottom of the shoe. Again very carefully bring the knot close to the fire to melt the ribbon and make the knot permanent (be VERY careful with this step, its a little tricky with the shoe kind of in the way, just be patient and careful, the flip flops smell TERRIBLE if they start to melt/burn a little)

Pull the top knot back tight against the shoe, and cut your extra ribbon off the bottom knots. Do the same thing with them to melt them and make the knots permanent

Now your flip flops are done and wearable and you get to decorate them :-)

I used short lengths of ribbon (with the edges melted as above) with a length of black yarn tied in a tight knot around the middle to make bows.

Tie the bow onto one strap and cut off the extra yarn (that way you can adjust where it is, and have it centered over your toes if you want or to the side like i show below.