Whimsical Painted Shoes: from boring to fancy

Did you know you could paint your shoes?

Well you can….and I did!

I am not new to painting fabric.  I have painted loads of mermaid chairs over the years…check them out HERE and HERE…painting directly on the fabric seats. I have also painted curtains and drop cloths and even aprons…..but I had not painted shoes.  Until now…

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All you need is Dixie Belle Paint, water, paint brushes, a pencil, a Sharpie marker and Easy Peasy Spray Wax.  

I purchased the canvas shoes at Target for $15.  But its actually a great way revive old and stained shoes you have at home.  You can paint over canvas and/or leather!

If painting on leather….you will need little water!  You can paint directly onto the leather itself.

When painting cloth shoes…it is helpful to dampen the fabric before applying paint.  This allows the paint to soak into the fiber of the shoes and actually die the fabric for an extremely durable and lasting finish.  

I wet the fabric and began laying down Peony and The Gulf to completely cover the original gray of the shoe.  This isn’t necessary if you prefer the color of the shoe already.  But I planned a detailed design and wanted a whimsical backdrop.  

I drew my design with a sharpie marker.  You could also draw with a pencil if you aren’t confident in your drawing ability.  

And then I just started painting with no real plan for color….other than the black and white check pattern.  It was relaxing and very enjoyable!  

Once complete….I retraced the original outline with the sharpie marker again….just to add a more distinctive border to each image.  

I let them dry for 24 hours before I brushed on Dixie Belle’s Easy Peasy Spray Wax.  Yes….it’s spray wax….but I felt I got better coverage by brushing on the clear wax with a small brush.  

And that’s it!!!  These whimsical painted shoes are ready to wear!  You can wash these in the washing machine after 30 days of cure time.  

I plan to paint many more shoes like this in the near future!!!  I hope you give it a try too!

Shop: Whimsical Painted Shoes

The products listed here are what I used for these whimsical painted shoes!  Dixie Belle Paint company offers amazing products that will make all of your projects successful no matter what your skill level! Just click on any of the products shown below!  You can also find my favorite products and tools in my Amazon influencer list here.

If you would like to paint your own furniture ….but need a little help getting started…I offer a furniture painting basics course that would be the perfect place!

Or if you are looking for more advanced techniques, check out all of my course offerings HERE.

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See you next week!

XOXO, 

Tracey

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