DIY: Glitter Shoes

This might sound crazy, but I recently decided to cut back on clothes shopping. I do have a slight shopping addiction, I will admit that, but I haven't put myself into serious debt (yet!). My biggest problem is that I tend to shop for clothes when I'm stressed, overwhelmed, or experiencing the mean reds. As a recent college graduate who is currently job hunting, this has become quite the problem in the past few months.

In order to stop myself from buying new things, I've decided to use my crafting skills for good and restyle some of the things I already own. After making the decision to severely limit my clothes purchases, I found the perfect dress in my closet to wear to a wedding this month...but then I couldn't find the right shoes to wear! That's when I got the idea to DIY some glitter heels from a tutorial I had pinned a few weeks ago. I really liked the look of these glittered shoes, so I kept the wedge part black and just added gold glitter.
You'll need to gather the following supplies -

  • Shoes
  • Glitter (I used Martha Stewart coarse glitter in Florentine Gold)
  • Mod Podge or some type of glue (Martha Stewart also sells glue to mix glitter into)
  • Paint brush or foam brush
  • Painter's Tape
  • Clear Sealer (I used Krylon Glitter Blast)
  • Newspaper
Once you have all your supplies together, you'll want to make sure your surface is covered with newspaper because this can get messy (you will find glitter on everything!). Wipe off your shoes with a damp cloth and make sure they're completely dry before starting. Tape off any areas that you don't want glitter on that are directly next to the areas you will be "glittering". Now you're ready to go!

Mix together equal parts glue & glitter in a separate container, making sure the glitter is well combined.
(This is NOT well combined, I just wanted to show what the glitter/glue should look like)

Apply the glitter glue in even layers to the parts of the shoes you want glittered. You'll need to apply
3-4 layers of the glitter mixture in order to get good coverage. Make sure the layers aren't too thick or else it will take FOREVER for each layer to dry. You want each layer to dry at least most of the way before applying another layer.
After your final layer is applied, LIGHTLY sprinkle some loose glitter onto the still wet layer to fill in any gaps. Just keep in mind that this glitter might fall off as the shoes are worn, even after they're sprayed with the sealer.

After the glitter glue is completely dry, carefully remove the tape. Some of the glitter layer started to peel off with the tape, so make sure you press down on the glitter part as you peel the tape. Spray the shoes with the clear sealer, following the directions on the can. Make sure you do this in a well-ventilated area or outside, this stuff is strong! Allow your shoes to dry overnight.
Tada! Glitter shoes that you can wear to dance the night away.

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