ONEIDA -- After buying countless pairs of flip flops for her two-year-old daughter, who repeatedly lost them, Helen Kizer invented a solution she wants everyone to try.

Six years ago, when her daughter was just 2 years old, Kizer came up with a solution that prevented the flip-flops her toddler wore from coming off and being lost.

She's coined them "Deco Straps" and she's secured a patent-pending status to prevent people from stealing her idea.

The straps are simple. Made out of elastic and Velcro, the straps attach to the flip-flops, cross behind the heel and wrap around the ankle. The elastic allows the straps to move more readily and are adjustable, preventing blisters, unlike other sandals, she says.

After making modifications to the original prototype she made for her daughter, Kizer's tried different materials - even magnets - and has come up with a product she's ready to market to others.

Deco Straps allow flip-flops to comfortably stay on the foot without slipping around and are even machine-washable. They come in a variety of sizes and colors and can even be accessorized by decorative add-ons.

Kizer has also created functional add-ons, like a Velcro loop that can hold anything from a small flashlight to a key chain to chap stick.

From start to finish, it takes Kizer about six minutes to make each pair of Deco Straps. What began as a hobby has blossomed into a potential business.

"There's nothing else out there like this," she said.

Kizer, with a financial investment from her friend Sherry Van Dusen, has made about 200 pairs of Deco Straps that are ready to be sold; she's charging $12 a pair.

They'll test the market with their invention for the first time this weekend at Hamilton's Fourth of July craft show. They anticipate taking Deco Straps to craft shows around the state and will also sell them on eBay.

They are in the process of building a website for their product: