Recycled Glitter Shoes

Let's face it, girls. Most of us all have one big addiction that can be summed up in one big word:

shoes

There never seems to be enough to suit our needs or enough space to keep our collection. The perfect outfit is not completed until there are matching shoes to go with it, so I've come up with a little solution: the recycled glitter shoe. 

I decided to try my hand at recycling some old heels after running across a link to Aisha Voya's "Geeky Glitter Shoe" Etsy Shop on a pinterest board. Shoes here can be ordered in a variety of geeky styles, colors, and designs--and if your freehand isn't so great, I'd highly recommend you skip the crafting and jump on your Etsy account as the stenciling, artwork, and overall quality is amazing if you're in the market for a new pair of shoes.

However, as I'm trying to downsize the shoe collection, I decided to recycle an old icky pair. After a trip to my local Jo-Ann Fabrics and a quick loot through my closet I was able to come up with the supplies and my own design for my recycled glitter shoes.

What You'll Need:
A make-over worthy pair of shoes, your choice of glitter (or paint), a stencil or a design idea, mod podge, a paintbrush, and some varnish.

 


Step 1:
Mix your glitter and mod podge. The amount of glitter you add depends on the amount of glitter you want so use your best judgement. Use the paintbrush to apply this to your shoes. You'll want to give this a while to dry (or break out a hair dryer if you're impatient) and apply another 1-2 coats. (Ignore the red in the photo--I learned about the stenciling process the hard way.)


 Step 2: 
Add your design. If you don't have a design feel free to skip this step. Plain glitter shoes often look great and are a big hit with the Dorothy costumes at Halloween.

If you decide to add a logo or design, there are a few ways to do this. If you're comfortable painting freehand you can use some acrylic or leather paint to sketch your own design or symbol onto the shoe. If your design is basic enough to tape down a stencil and paint over the top (either with standard paints or more glitter-mod podge mixture), this is another good option. I took my chances with freehand as the Cobra Commander didn't provide much simplicity in his logo.

Step 3: 
Once your design has dried, go ahead and apply the varnish to the shoes. This leaves a nice sheen on the shoe and keeps you from leaving a trail of glitter wherever you step.  I used two coats.

Be careful when applying the varnish not to be too heavy handed with the brush. If the liquid clumps for whatever reason you'll have streaking or white clumping on the shoes.

Step 4: Hit the town--or grab another pair of shoes. Knowing is half the battle!