DIY glitter shoes

If you follow me on Pinterest, you may have noticed my recent obsession with DIY sparkly shoes. I decided to try my hand at it with this old pair of nude leather shoes. The result is much cheaper than buying a new pair of shoes. I mean, what girl doesn't have a pair of old heels that could use some sprucing up? I must say that I was a little scared that I'd be left with a pair of shoes that looked like a preschooler went crazy with glitter and glue, but I was pleasantly surprised. The project turned out to be very simple and the glitter seems very solid after it dries. 

links: Topshop, Zara

I think the key is to choose your shoe and glitter wisely. Considering this factor before you start will leave you with a classy shoe instead of a trashy shoe. I thought about taking the glitter effect all the way down the heel, but I kind of like the simplicity of just the top part. I also intended on using bright gold or rose gold glitter, but ultimately settled on Martha Stewart fine glitter in Smokey Quartz.

You will need...

• An old pair of heels
• Mod Podge in gloss finish. ($2) I haven't tried it with matte, but I imagine it might dull the glitter
• Glitter. I used Martha Stewart fine glitter in Smokey Quartz ($5)
• Foam brush ($0.20)
• Small, firm angled paint brush ($1)
• Small throw away plate, cup or bowl for mixing

Instructions

• Determine your pattern & trace with a pencil. The options are numerous - Just the heel? Under the heel? The toe? Just a stripe?
• Mix your glue & glitter. There's really no official ratio to this- just make sure the glitter is nice and coated.
• Dip your angled brush in your glitter glue mixture and trace the line of your pattern. Just like you would paint a wall, we're edging in here. I would avoid using painter's tape. Just go nice and slow and if you mess up, just wipe away the excess with a damp cloth.
• Dip your foam brush in the glitter glue mixture and fill in the middle of your pattern.
• The glitter glue will look dull and pasty. Don't worry - it will dry clear and sparkly.
• You will need to do about 3-4 coats. Each coat was pretty much dry by the time I was done painting one shoe, about 5 minutes between coats.
• Let dry overnight before wearing. If you like, spray a crystal clear protective coat like this one from Rustoleum. I didn't, bother with it because the glitter felt like it bonded pretty solid.

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial. If you are interested in seeing more of my crafting projects and tutorials, click here.