Check out those Killer Heels- Easy to Make Graffiti Shoes

Starting to add color!

I have an Art Group that meets on Thursday mornings. It's been tough this summer to get together so this is the first time we've gotten together all season. But it is SOO FUN! I have all my online friends I'd never part with (love you!) but I really feel I need the stimulation a weekly art group gives as well. It's fun to create things as a group.Yesterday, we got together to paint shoes. Yup, shoes. Sometimes we do watercolors, sometimes we try new techniques, sometimes we just have coffee and talk. It's always fun and I've missed it this summer. But back to the shoes.

One of the groups' members had seen a friend of her's wearing a killer pair of painted heels. When she described them they were the type that are dye-able. You know for weddings. An artist friend had painted them for her. They sounded amazing, I think she said they were actually painted in solid blocks of color which would be super cute too. I kind of forgot the "dye-able" part of the heels description because at that point in the explanation I was already dreaming of graffiti style heels. So I went over to Target and raided their clearance aisle for a pair and found this grey set for $14.99. Not super cheap but hardly a big investment. So I figured why not give it a go. :)

More color!

I wish I'd thought to take a before photo because the difference really is dramatic. They were nice shoes to begin with but this took them from nice to Fabulous. To paint them I used tulip's 3d paints, squirted onto my palette and then just dipped a flat or fan brush into the paint and flicked it onto the shoes. It wasn't that messy but I was fairly close to the shoes. I would've liked to have been able to splatter it more for larger lines but that might have been too much too. When I got home I added some glue on crystals in assorted colors by the heel and than across the toe of the shoes. I tried to keep their placement fairly random so they accent the graffiti style.

Check out the bling!

I'd like to try this again but with a slightly lower heeled shoe (so I'd actually wear them more) and I'd like to try the larger splats of color. Maybe begin with a basic black. Not sure, but I really really love how these look and as I drove home I was thinking of all the other things I could splatter with paint. "My black umbrella is pretty plain, hmm... there's that left over fabric, slipcovers..? I know! Canvas splattered and stitched into sofa pillows..." I really do love the look. If you try this at home I thought I'd mention that I might spray a poly over the shoes. The tulip paints won't come off without scraping but I haven't tested the paints water soluble-ness.

Artisty Keds!

My friend decided to use canvas keds for hers and I love how her's look too. She used acrylics, added water to the paints, and poured on the color. Then she accented the blocks of color with a black tulip 3-d writer. I was thinking how cute these were too and how I'd like a pair that were doodle-y looking as well. I can see this technique with the dye-able heels I was supposed to use.

So there are a few ideas for you- I hope you give it a try yourself! I'd love to see what you come up with. The shoes are fab and I think I'll wear the pair above with my long jeans and I'll look ages taller than I actually am. What do you think? Or maybe a trench.... (and I'm back to dreaming... )