Become a footwear fashionista for a day

I'm one of those women who have a bit of a love affair with shoes. When I step into a shoe store, my heart beats a little faster and my pulse begins to race. And if there's a sale, well, that can bring on full-blown hyperventilation.

My daughters have inherited my love of shoes, and I often find them in my closet trying on the shiniest versions in my collection. To protect their little ankles (and my shoes) I've made them some fancy footwear of their own.

With sequins and dimensional fabric paint, it's easy to add a bit of bling to pretty much any pair of shoes (and purses too). Discover how much fun it is to become a footwear designer for a day.

What you need
?    Dimensional fabric paint (I used glitters)
?    Crystal sequins
?    Shoes
?    Toothpick
?    Pencil (optional)
?    Plastic table cloth/newspaper
?    Smock

Sequin shoes

Collecting your materials: Dimensional fabric paint (sometimes called 3-D fabric paint) comes in just about every colour imaginable. I used glitters for the shoes shown. This squeeze-on paint dries rubbery and flexible, making it perfect for shoes. Find this at most arts and crafts supplies stores. You will also need sequins. Buy crystal or clear sequins. The paint colours will shine through. For shoes, canvas slip-ons work well, but nearly any pair will do, as this paint can be used on many surfaces. Teens and adults can decorate their shoes too ? pretty summer slides, shimmery bridal shoes (crystal sequins with crystal dimensional paint) and more.

Step One: Prepare your work surface by covering it with either a plastic table cloth or newspaper. Slip into a smock. This paint is permanent. Get out your paint, a toothpick and pour sequins into a small bowl.

Step Two: Make sure the shoes you're about to paint are clean and dry. If you like, plan your design on paper or use a pencil to lightly draw on the shoe if possible.

Step Three: The decorating is simple. Squeeze a good amount of paint directly onto the shoe ? you don't want it so thick that the sequin disappears in the paint, but thick enough that the sequin will stay put. You can test on paper to get the right amount.

Step Four: Work one little area at a time so that the paint doesn't dry out. (This paint doesn't dry very quickly, so you should be okay.) Get a tiny bit of paint onto the tip of the toothpick. You will use the toothpick to pick up and place the sequins on the shoe. The bit of paint grabs onto the sequin. When setting the sequin in the paint, make sure you place the good side up (concave).

Step Five: Continue painting and setting the sequins until the shoes are decorated.  The pair of shoes shown in the photo took about 90 minutes to complete. When finished, allow the paint to dry for 72 hours before wearing and exposing the shoes to water.

Decorate purses, tote bags, t-shirts, or even jeans to match using the same technique.