My Shoes Needed a Makeover!

I had finally found the perfect pair of ballet flats as I mentioned in Saying No To Black, It’s Spring!  My friend wouldn’t let me buy the ballet flats in black, because he was tired of seeing me in black constantly.  The only other color option for that shoe was cream, so that’s what I bought.

I’ve enjoyed having a sweet pair of cream flats this season, but yesterday these shoes got a makeover.  I could no longer deal with trying to keep them clean, and although they were cute shoes, they were filthy.  So you may be wondering what I did to give my cream ballet flats a makeover.  Well I painted them!

Two years ago I discovered an acrylic paint from Blick Art Materials on Beverly Blvd that can be used on any natural or synthetic fabric including leather and wood that is permanent, flexible, smooth, and drycleanable.  I used this paint when designing the costumes worn in the piece I choreographed Adsila, although you can not see the gold detailing in the video, and also to spruce up a pair of ballroom heels that needed to be glamorous for a show I was doing at the time.  This special paint is called Jacquard Artist Acrylics.  They have Neopaque, an opaque light body acrylic paint which I used on my ballet flats, Lumiere, a stunning metallic and pearlescent paint which I used on the “Adsila” costumes and my ballroom shoes, as well as textile fabric paints, dyes, and so much more.

When I discovered that this paint worked on leather, I immediately thought that I could change any leather shoe that I had to any color that I wanted at any time.  It actually isn’t a bad idea at all.  Instead of getting rid of a shoes because you don’t like the color or are bored with it you can be creative and reinvent them overnight and have a brand new pair that is already broken in.

Although I made my flesh tone ballroom heels a metallic bronze color, I wasn’t as outrageous with my ballet flats.  They instead were painted brown, which to me looks more like an antique brown since there are no warm hues in the color.  These ballet flats are still my favorite go to shoe, yet now I’ll have no problem taking them into this fall season, nor will I be concerned with how dirty they may get.  They instead look brand new and fabulous!

Before

 After

I now have plans for a fushia bag that I already knew wouldn’t stay fucshia forever that I found it at Crossroads for $20 this summer.  This bag has been the perfect everyday and dance bag that I could have ever dreamed up.  I have been debating what color would really get me excited and would of course go with more of my wardrobe once the seasons change.  I also have more confidence painting my bag now that I’ve come across Sassy Feet, and their blog, a glitter sweatshop for DIY shoes, bags, and all things fancy.  I love the layering of paints that was used when embellishing this bag and know that I will find my own simple mix when redoing my own bag.

I will no longer see second hand shoes or bags in the same light again now having another experience of successfully using Jacquard Paints on leather.  If the shoe fits, I can paint them any color that I want.  Same with bags too!

Check out how I reinvented a pair of cute booties in Fabulously Renewed!

Artistic Beauty Update

Artistic Minimalism and Fashion

DIY Summer Jumpsuit

Hibiscus Petals

(Images by Jacquard, and Moi )

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