Magic Shoes

I yearned for Emerald Green Glitter Shoes. Maybe it's the holiday season. Maybe it's because I like glitter. And shoes. And glittery shoes. So I made these...

I love they way they turned out. They look magical and green (really green) and lovely. The sort of shoes one wears to a Christmas party in Oz. Plus they were so simple to make! Here is what I used:

• A pair of old shoes from my closet
• Tulip® Fashion Glitter™ in Emerald
• Tulip® Fashion Glitter Bond™
• Tulip® Cordless Heat Setting Tool™
• Tulip® Glam-It-Up!™ Iron-On Crystals™
• A sponge brush
• A pair of feather adornments
• Tweezers
• Scissors

I knew that, in order for the shoes to be wearable, they had to be waterproof, flexible and not leave glitter behind everywhere I trod. I needed the right bonding agent for the job. I hopped in my car and made a trip to my local Joann's Craft Store (with coupon in hand) and went to the glitter aisle.

They had just what I needed; Glitter Bond! The directions on the package assured me that, when dry, the piece would be flexible and waterproof and the glitter would be permanently bonded to the surface. Sold.

I went home and got out my shoes. I covered a TV tray with some newspaper and got to work. First I had to remove the embellishments on the shoes. That was easily accomplished with a pair of small scissors. I snipped it away and set the rings aside to use later. I thought they might come in handy.
 

Then I started to apply the glue. I used the sponge brush and added a thin layer to the surface of the shoe. You can see where the embellishment was removed. That was no big deal. The glue and glitter covered it nicely.

To add the glitter, I just set the shoe on a magazine page and sprinkled it on. Then I tapped the excess off onto the magazine page and poured it back into the glitter tube. Since it was glossy paper, the glitter didn't stick to it, but slid easily back into the tube.

I kept going around the shoes, switching back and forth between them to let one section dry while I worked on the other shoe. Overall, the glitter bonded really well the first time around. I only went back in and touched up a couple of places that needed more glitter.

While the shoes were drying, I glammed up the feather pads with some rhinestones. I placed each stone with tweezers and used the heat tool to stick them in place. It's pretty easy to use. Just press down on the top of the crystal and the adhesive melts and sticks immediately.

I glittered the rings and added them to the feathers with hot glue. I put the feathers on shoe clips so I could wear the shoes with or without the extra adornment.

I let everything dry overnight. The glitter is really bonded and the shoe is nice and flexible. They are ready to wear. On to adventure in magic shoes! Happy Holidays and pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!