Thrift Benefit for Animals, Last Chance Ranch and a Halloween Black Cat Shoe

If, like me, you love a good browse through a thrift shop, you know your purchases are all the more special when the proceeds go to a charitable cause close to your heart. A few years back, the talented blogger and animal lover Jeannette Cheney, from Country Design Style.com created an event to highlight those resale shops who specifically benefit our beloved furry, four footed, or feathered friends. 
   

The mission:
 Make a purchase from a thrift store that benefits animals or animal charities.
 Makeover the item (large or small) in a fun new way.
Then join up with other bloggers in sharing it all in a post on October 26th. 
This way bloggers from across the country can help promote these worthy causes and their big hearted shops. 
    

Lucky for me there is a delightful thrift shop in my area run by Last Chance Ranch, a wonderful organization that helps foster, care for and lovingly re-home countless abandoned or abused animals from horses to dogs to parrots and even lizards! 

Last Chance Ranch.org

 click link above to learn about this organization's history, mission and amazing work on behalf of animals

  

Their Shop

 The ranch's bright and cheerful shop features a wide variety of well displayed and fabulously priced items. 

It boasts an extensive array of pet supplies for dogs, cats, horses, fish and birds as well as gently used clothing, accessories and jewelry for their human friends. Also not to miss, are books, furnishings and home decor items. 

             

            

Since this thrifty blog challenge coincided with Halloween time, I thought it would be frightfully fun to do an easy project in the spirit of the season and happily wandered the charity's shop until inspiration hit, in of all places, the shoe section.

Charlotte Olympia Cat Shoes $495.00

I remembered a while ago these "cat" shoes had taken the internet by storm, appearing on celebs and "cat walks" and while undeniably charming, the $495.00 price tag was not. Of course crafty cat fancier fashionistas everywhere immediately took to making their own less pricey versions and I thought Halloween would be the perfect time to follow their lead and recreate this whimsical feline footwear. After all, what could be better for the well dressed witch this October season?

I found these black pumps with "kitten" heels on a display for $2.99 and was delighted to find they had been marked down to a mere $1.00

My other fab finds (I had to share) also included an almost new good sized pet carrier, pet dish, picnic basket, lace up riding boots (for my occasional lessons), classical CD, and a beautiful coffee table book on dogs - all for $17.00! 
   DIY Kitten Heels

With some basic crafting supplies, this was a fast and easy redo. Since I would only be wearing them for the "witching hour" as costume wear, I opted to quickly hot glue and paint on accents instead of more complicated sewing. Being fairly dainty, of course, these would not be good shoes for long walks, for children or for dancing the night away, but for a few hours handing out candy, I figured they would serve me in seasonally spooky style. 

I began by removing the decorative pearl accents and saving them for some future project down the line (one adorns the hat on my bewitching faux feline friend above). For the eyes, I used beads from a strand found at Joann's Fabrics in a sale bin, but you could opt to use buttons, paint, or for those talented in needlework, embroider eyes on as well.

Scraps or a sewing patch kit in a coordinating color is perfect for the small amount of fabric needed for the ears and squeezable fabric paint makes quick work of the simple ear accents, pink nose and silver whiskers. Simply glue and paint accents as desired to create your own fabulous feline, no great artistic skills needed.

 

Quick tips: a paper template keeps ears uniform in size. Depending on the brand, squeezable fabric paint can sometimes take hours to dry so be careful to avoid smudges while waiting for paint to set

I then popped in a pair of inexpensive leopard insoles for comfort and a chic touch.

 I chose black low heels for my project but any style shoe and combination of colors from tabby to tortoiseshell would be fun!
  
Wishing all of our friends, on two feet or four,
 a bewitching Fall Season!

Last Chance Ranch resident and four footed 

volunteer Mugsy and friends bring 

smiles to seniors in assisted care

For more on thrifty DIY's and Animal Charities, please pop over and visit these other creative bloggers participating in this fun benefit!
or
For Pennywise's previous benefit posts on the Ranch, Animal Lifeline and Animals in Distress, click HERE

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