Wednesday, July 4, 2012

How to Glitter Your Heels

Happy 4th! I have recently read many posts on how to glitz up your old crappy heels and make them new again. I however have also noticed that some of the results look like a 1 year old  puked on your shoes and just so happened to eat a bottle of glitter before doing so could be better. So through trial and error I found the best way to fix up your dancing shoes and have fun doing it!
So lets start off with what supplies you will need.
Move over Martha.....
First a pair of shoes.
I have has these shoes for about 8 months and as you can see I have worn the chrome off of them.Many of us with chrome shoes get to this point and have to get new ones. How does Alethea Austin keep hers looking  awesome? My guess is she uses magic  has to buy new ones every few months. I wear shoes alot while at the studio because for me its easier to do floor work.
You will also need..
 These supplies cost me 30$ at Michaels however Im a dumbass I got the big bottle of the Mod Podge glue and probably could have gotten away with the smaller one. Same goes with the glitter.

  1. Mod Podge Sealant- make sure you get the gloss or super hi-shine.
  2. Mod Podge Glue- Be sure to get the gloss finish. It comes in a satin finish too.
  3. Glitter- I chose to go with super fine glitter. You can get the cheaper larger stuff but it wont go on as smooth. If I did this again id mix fine with the thicker glitter for a more diverse sparkle.
  4. Sand paper- 120 grit is good.
  5. Newspaper- to threaten your dog with  to lay out under all this.
  6. Tin foil- to line the container you mix the glue in.
  7. Paint brush- like this one below not foam ( foam will trap all the glitter) or any thick brush.
  8. Wine-Alot of it... I like Boonsfarm.. Ok I know its not really wine but the blue one is AWESOME! I also like moscato d'asti too.



Ok now that you have all the necessary items the lady at the craft store has asked you what your making,  you can now hesitate for 5 seconds..... unsure of how to explain your putting glitter on your sexy hooker heels 6 inch heels your ready to begin. 
Step by step day by day ...dayyy biii dayyyeeeya
  1. Sand down your shoes-Take the sandpaper and rough up your heels where you are putting the glitter. No need for this step if you are putting it on fabric. Dont go all crazy with it just rub it until you can feel that its not super smooth anymore.
  2. Wine-By the time you are finished sanding your heels you will probably think..what the hell did I just do to my shoes. This is where the wine comes in. Have yourself a glass and admire your ability to destroy a 30-150$ pair of heels.
  3. Glue-Line a cheapo container with tin foil. Doing this will make it so that your glue will not dry up between coats. Mine was good for 2 days. As long as you seal it up when your done its good to go. After you line the container with foil dump in some glue. By some I mean 1/2 cup. You shouldn't need more than that for the whole project.
  4. Glitter-Pour glitter in the glue like your mad at it. I dint measure but you want about as much glitter as glue however if its too thick and or gets chunky add more glue. Mix it all together gently in the container with the brush.
  5. Application-Start putting a thin coat of the glue/glitter mix on your shoes making sure to not put it on thick. If you do it thick you will end up with a clumpy mess.Cant rush perfection. It will look white and cloudy but I promise it dries clear so don't worry. Below is a picture after the second coat.
  1. Dry time-Let it dry for about 3 hours and repeat as many times as it takes for you to be happy with the result.
  2. Soft thin coats will look better than thick ones so take your time!
  3. Seal- not the cute ones..I mean the spray I told you to buy.Forget to buy it? Its ok, Put on 3 more coats of mod podge glue.If you did get sealer hold 10 inches from the shoe and in a back and forth motion spray light coat onto the areas you put the glitter. Don't go overboard or it will run or cause the finish to crack. Let dry 24 hours and...There you have it!

 These sparkle and shine in the light like no other. You well wear them down again in certain areas but a little more glitter and glue in a few months = problem solved.
I used 4 coats of glue over the span of 2 days and one application of the sealer. Enjoy and Let me know how this worked for you!

3 comments:

  1. OKAY.. I love anything and everything that sparkles!! Cannot wait to give this a try!!! WOO!!!

    Will be a great way to do touch ups on my glitter heels as well!!!

    Billie
    xx

    http://confessionsofapoleoholic.blogspot.com.au/

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  2. Your shoes turned out beautifully! enjoying the blog, and looking forward to more. The only feedback I have (and this may just be me) is that I find the font a little hard to read but then again maybe my eyes are just getting old.
    :)
    www.krissykiki.blogspot.ca

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  3. Thanks KiKi for the feedback! I changed the font I hope this helps : )

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