Happy Friday: Homemade Toddler Treads

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Sent from reader, Minde:

 I am always looking for a way to save a buck and make do with what we have. When my daughter started walking, I discovered many of the shoes I had bought her were smooth on the bottoms and were very slippy. Instead of buying new shoes I began searching for a way to fix the ones she had. I ended up finding some no-slip carpet backing underneath an area rug. I snipped a couple small pieces off, glued them onto the bottom of her shoes, and voila! The problem was fixed. Her shoes were no longer slippy and it didn’t cost me a penny.

I submitted my tip to Parents magazine and they decided to publish it! This is my daughter, Molly, showing off her shoes in the magazine!

HAPPY FRIDAY!


Do you have a funny, “Hip”, or unique photo to share?! Email us at happyfriday@hip2save(dot)com. Every Friday, I will post one photo, submitted by you and/or another Hip2Save reader, that gives us a glimpse into your frugal lifestyle or simply makes us smile. If your photo is published on Hip2Save, we’ll email you a $10 Amazon e-card!

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Comments 58

  1. rn30032

    Awesome!!! great money saving tip!!

  2. Ashley

    Awwwe! What a cutie! And great idea! Hi from you neighbors in Blairsville, PA 😀

    • minde

      thank you! I used to live in Indiana, PA 🙂

      • Naomi

        So funny! I used to live in Boswell, PA, and my family is still there, with grandparents in Somerset!

        • Tracy

          I saw the word “slippy” and thought she must be from Western PA. I was raised in Piitsburgh

    • Esther

      Nice to see something positive from Johnstown!!! Great idea. Hi from Windber! (grew up by Armagh and took dance lessons behind the “new mall” in Indiana. But you are probably too young to know that reference!

      • Barbi

        Wooo-Hooooo Johnstown! I live there too!

        • minde

          lol, who knew there were so many of us here!

        • Renee

          Hey! Me too! What a small world

      • minde

        thank you! I lived in Indiana for a few years but only new of 1 mall 🙂 Windber is super close to me though! Cool to see some locals here!

        • Esther

          Where TJMAXX is now was the Regency Mall. Smelled like old cigar smoke from the smoke shop. Then they built the current mall. My parents still refer to it as the “new mall”

          • Naomi

            That’s awesome! I live in homer city! 20 minutes from Indiana!! I’m 25 & know what the “old” mall is! :-)! If you wanna call it a mall! haha Indiana needs some new store & what do we get 2 new pet stores?!!?! Not a Victoria Secret or something useful!! :-)! lol :-)! Awesome seeing other people from close to me!! And to clarify I say slippery!! :-)! & I was born & raised here however, my family says “slippy” & it drives me crazy!! :-)!

            • Jen

              It’s indeed a small world and I love seeing all the people from around here! I live in Northern Cambria which is a half hour either way from Johnstown or Indiana. Ah the good old Regency Mall in Indiana. I remember Montgomery Ward being there as well.

  3. k

    That’s a great idea! Especially since its good for babies to wear soft soled shoes, and it’s hard to find non slip ones

  4. Pharmchick

    She is so cute!!

  5. Rebecca Ann

    This is awesome – and I knew she was from Pennsylvania because she said “slippy”!!!!

    • JS

      Lol me too born and raised pa I live in SC now but still a northern girl at heart.

    • RB

      Haha. …I also grew up in western PA, and picked that out 🙂

    • JA

      I know, I love it! Happy to see someone “local.”

    • minde

      Haha! I didn’t even realize that was a Pennsylvania word. I thought everyone used it! At least I didn’t say “Younze” right?

      • Erin

        I’m from western PA, and I didn’t pick up on it, either.

      • Tracy

        I totally thought she’s from Western PA. I grew up in Pittsburgh and had no idea the real word was slippery until college. Also did not realize most people do not call it pop. After living is a few places I find it all pretty funny. Yinz must think we sound funny n at.

    • Des

      I saw that too, immediately thought a PA Hip2Saver lol I’m from California, PA and now I’m in Gibsonia, PA but pittsburgese is part of my vocabulary.

    • Jessica

      I loved reading this and immediately knew this was from near where I grew up when I read “slippy.” I’m a Washington, PA native stuck in Texas.

  6. Daisy

    Great idea !!!!

  7. Debbie

    This is brilliant. And what a beautiful and excited cutie!

  8. Karen

    I saw it in my magazine! Great idea!

  9. Rose

    Adorable Baby Girl!

  10. Sarah

    Haha western Pa here too! Never heard “slippy” until I moved here!

  11. Deeanna

    Yes for my best friend!!! What can I say my son had an ADORABLE girlfriend!!!

  12. Tia

    The tip is great, but look at that face!!!

  13. minde

    thanks so much everyone!! she’s my beautiful girl 🙂
    Your kind words mean so much!

  14. Bev

    I knew I had seen this picture *somewhere* today, and then I read the whole story! How fun for you and your family to have your idea printed in a great magazine!

  15. Rebecca

    I too saw this in the magazine just yesterday! Smart momma for thinking of it & adorable little girl!

  16. tilla ham

    there is a product called moleskin a couple of bucks at any drug store, you can cut it to put on bottom of shoes so you don’t slip. My daughter and her fellow dance ladies use it on the tips of their pointe shoes

  17. Tammy

    Great tip! Thanks for sharing and that little sweetie pie is adorable!

  18. Johanna

    Instead of carpet tape, you can also use silicone caulk for the bottom of the shoes and on the carpet~instead of the tape~ it’s really cheap too!

    • Bonnie

      Puffy paint works great, too!

      • Erin

        That’s what I was going to suggest. Love the idea of silicone caulk, though. I don’t know about anyone else, but I ALWAYS seem to have a half-used tube lying around!

    • Stacy

      We use the silicon on feetsie pjs also. When you buy them used usually the traction is all gone. Just use silicon and your good to go. Ours have lasted for months even going through the washer.

  19. krystal

    You may also be able to put a couple dots of caulk on the soles. I read in Martha Stewart to put in on the bottoms of rugs for slipping. It may work but I have never tried it.

  20. Lindsay

    I use dots of puff paint. Easy, cheap, and you can even do cute design. I use itshoes on pjs and shoes!

    • minde

      that’s a great idea too! I like that you can make it look pretty. Only thing I wasn’t crazy about with this idea was the look.

  21. Carmen

    How cool your idea was published! And she’s such a little cutie!!!

  22. KD

    I thought I’m the only one to get so excited to see the name “Johnstown, PA” here.
    Hi from Altoona!

  23. Jen

    I saw this in Parents magazine first and recognized the picture. Awesome!

  24. Zosia

    Cute sweetie!

  25. mary

    Here are two Huggies Rewards codes(1 time use only)

    CSPPF-CFTTR-PRFSP

    RKGZB-XCXNM-STKCP

    • Rlene

      thanks for the huggies code! 🙂

  26. ihearthip

    She’s so cute! That was a great idea

  27. Corinne

    Just like a lot of you, I have a local connection too and had to post a comment. I lived in Johnstown for about 9 years and recently moved to NC. I did a double take when I saw “Johnstown!!” Great tip Minde! Thanks for sharing.

  28. steph

    What a great idea:-) Thanks for sharing, Mindy!

  29. Mel

    You can also buy some “grip stop” that go on the bottoms of slippers at JoAnn Fabrics or probably other fabric stores. It is $15/yard but you can buy as little as 4.5 inches.

  30. Rachel

    Puffy paint works to or chaulk I saw a rug thing at dollar tree

  31. Lisa P

    Also excited to see Johnstown as well. I am in Johnstown!

  32. Amy Stotts

    Awwww, I want to grab up Molly and HUG her! She’s PRECIOUS! Great idea on the shoes…I’ll pass it on when I can!

  33. Luda B

    I am ‘fixing’ shoes of my 75 years old mom, she is always afraid to fall, thank you for sharing! 🙂

  34. Moriah

    Wow in got pediped for a gift and it was leather but my daughter would
    Slip on it all the time. I love See Kai Tun though. This is
    A great idea!!

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