Sparkling summer shoes (that glow in the dark!)

I love it when inspiration strikes. For weeks I had a pair of white canvas shoes sitting on my work table. I'd picked them up in a clearance bin to decorate for my youngest daughter (whenever I see plain sun hats, ball caps, shoes, t-shirts, etc. on sale, I buy them. They make great rainy day decorating projects for the kids) but I hadn't come up with a cool way to decorate them.

I sat down to work on a different craft, when it all just came together. I grabbed my bottle of glow in the dark dimensional fabric paint and started brushing it onto the shoes. I can't get enough glitter in my life, so I add some of that too. And for the finishing touch, I found some purple butterflies in my odds and ends bin.

Less than an hour later, the shoes were complete. Now my daughter has some very pretty shoes that glitter by day and glow at night.

Grads! You can use the technique below to decorate any fabric shoe (bridal shops sell dyeable fabric shoes that would be perfect). Pick up some dimensional fabric paint to match your dress (it comes in many colours), carefully brush it on the shoes and sprinkle with crystal glitter. Voila!

What you need

Glow in the dark sparkling summer shoes

Collecting your materials: White canvas shoes can be picked up at many department, shoe, and even craft supplies stores. Glow in the dark dimensional fabric paint is carried in most craft supplies stores. I used Tulip brand Green Glow. For shimmery shoes, pick up extra-fine crystal glitter. Craft and dollar stores have artificial butterflies often used in floral arrangements. Choose two that coordinate with the shoes and paint colour. To help preserve the butterflies, use a protective glaze (brush on or spray, such as Krylon Triple-Thick Crystal Clear Glaze), available at hardware, department and craft supplies stores. To attach the butterflies to the shoes, I used shoe repair adhesive. A few other items to have on hand: a plastic table cloth to protect your work surface, a paintbrush, and two foam trays (one for paint and one to catch glitter).

Step One: Cover your work surface with a plastic table cloth. I keep a few of the felt-backed ones for all of my craft projects. They're reusable and don't stick and smudge like newspaper does. Squeeze some dimensional fabric paint onto a foam tray (the kind you get from the bakery). Carefully brush paint onto the clean canvas shoe. Work in sections. Paint a section, and then hold the shoe over a second foam tray. Sprinkle on extra-fine crystal glitter.

Step Two: Continue painting and glittering until the shoe is covered. Repeat with the second shoe. When you're finished, funnel the extra glitter back into the bottle for another day (you can make a quick funnel by rolling up a sheet of paper). Leave the shoes to dry.

Step Three: Because these shoes are for my seven-year-old daughter, and she's particularly hard on footwear, I decided to spray the feather butterflies with a protective glaze to give them a chance at survival. You might want to do this too. First, though, check the butterflies to make sure they're well put together. A bit of hot-melt glue can secure wings etc. Use either a brush-on or spray on weatherproof glaze. I headed outdoors for this step. I slipped on a face mask, spread out another plastic tablecloth in a sheltered spot and sprayed the butterflies with a couple of coats of Krylon Triple-Thick Crystal Clear Glaze. I've had great results with this product. Let the butterflies dry.  

Step Four: To attach a butterfly to each shoe, I used shoe repair adhesive. This is stinky stuff, but works well. If possible, take this step outside too. Follow directions on the tube. Basically, squeeze a small amount of the adhesive on the underside of the butterfly. Press in place on the shoe. Hold it for a moment until it stays put. Repeat with the second shoe. Let the adhesive dry.

Step Five: Wait at least 24 hours before wearing the shoes.  The dimensional fabric paint needs this long to fully dry. To make the shoes glow, expose them to light.