Guest post by Jenny of Southern Institute of Domestic Arts and Crafts:
Hi everyone! I’m Jenny from The Southern Institute of Domestic Arts and Crafts. When Marie asked me if I would like to guest post at her blog I was so excited! Thank you, Marie, for having me today!
I have done a lot of freezer paper stenciling, it’s one of my favorite things to do. Fabric paint and freezer paper stencils can take a plain old t-shirt and make it fun and funky too. But what about glitter? When I discovered that there was such a thing as washable fabric glitter, I knew I had to try it, and the first thing that popped into my head was shoes. Yep, shoes! How fun would it be to decorate shoes with glitter? The only problem… ironing a freezer paper stencil to a shoe. Not easy. The solution? Contact paper that can be found at any grocery store, Wal-Mart, or Target (or our linen closet, as luck would have it!).
My daughter has this pair of pink Converse All-Star high tops that we bought at a thrift store… I though they would be perfect for this little experiment. I suggested it to my daughter and she was all for it. Here’s what we did:
Supplies for Glitter Painting Shoes:
- Tulip Fashion Glitter Bond
- Tulip Fashion Glitter
- contact paper
- exacto knife
- make up applicator sponge (comes with the glittler bond)
- self healing mat (optional, but very handy)
1. We decided on what picture we wanted. Lucky for me, she wanted a star, which is as easy as pie to create in a Word document and print out, directly onto the contact paper. Print it and cut it out with an exacto knife (use a self healing mat if you have one, they are wonderful for this kind of project).
2. Stick the contact paper stencil directly onto the shoe.
3. Apply Fashion Glitter Bond by Tulip, making sure that the entire inside of the stencil is covered with a thin layer of glue.
4. Sprinkle the glitter over the glue, making sure to cover all areas. My daughter got a little bit glitter happy here. Tap off any extra glitter.
5. Allow to dry before pulling the contact paper off of your shoe.
6. Admire your handiwork!
There are lots of possibilities with this glitter bond and fashion glitter. T-shirts, tote bags, hats… you name it! Have fun and be creative!
Jenny Yarbrough resides in Nashville, TN. She is a blessed wife and mother of three young children, and the owner of Southern Institute of Domestic Arts and Crafts where she blogs about family, faith, sewing and crafts, and healthy living. You can find Jenny at her blog, on Facebook, and on Twitter.
Contact paper cuts real well in the circut cutting machine. Saving time on making the stencil. Lots of possibilities.
Oh, to have a cricut machine! Thanks for the tip, Kari!
What a fun way for a teen girl to express herself. It looks really cute too!
I love this idea. My daughter has recently discovered this Converse style and I know she’s going to love this idea of customizing. And my other daughter will try it with her Keds. Both kids are pretty tough on their shoes, so I guess if the glitter comes off, they’ll just get to do it again!
I hope they have fun! Make sure to add it to the flickr pool on my blog when they’re done… I’d love to see what they come up with!
Luv this! Even more reasons to have glitter! Thanks for sharing
I would love to see how this wears. I did a couple of t’shirts for my daughter this way and they did not wear well at all! It was very disappointing. It seems like such a great idea! I want to make it work.
I’m interested to see how it wears too, Jesser. I figure she’ll have grown out of them before they need to be cleaned or anything. I have painted a t-shirt, but haven’t washed it yet. I’m assuming you followed the washing directions… that’s too bad!
I made this project with my kids (4 and 6) at the beginning of the school year- we made a rocketship backback for my son and for my daughter, who needed new underwear, we went to town with stars and unicorns. The backpack has held up pretty well considering it’s dragged around all day, and the underwear has obviously been washed many, many times and still looks pretty much the same as when we first made them. We used regular fabric glue (which was a little too thick but did the job apparently) and the tulip washable glitter.
These are super cute!
Thanks, Jmom!
What a cute idea! I *know* my daughter would adore this idea!! And so would all of her friends! I’m thinking this is on my list of to-do activities over spring break. Would you mind if I link up to your article? I think my readers would enjoy learning about this too!
Thanks for such a creative project idea!
So glad you liked it! Definitely link up and add a photo to The Southern Institute flickr pool after you beautify your shoes!