Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Fixing Worn-Out Shoes with Glitter

So, what does one do when their favorite pair of shoes becomes banged up and run down?  For me, I love the heel and the wearability of my Gabriella Rocha Mary Janes.  But, since they were my "go-to" shoe, they suffered the wear-and-tear of a child's pair of sneakers.  My pair of dress shoes had suffered rips in the patent leather, as well as wearing of the finish on the buttons and heel (especially the left, driving foot), and were looking generally shabby.  Time to toss them, right? 
On the left is the torn up, original finish.  On
the right, the sanded surface.
Of course not.  It's time to glitterize.  First, if you have a patent leather shoe, you cannot paint or glue anything onto the surface, since it is shiny and slick.  So take a fine- to medium-grit sandpaper to the finish, as I did on the shoe to the right on the picture to the left.  Next, modge podge it, baby, and then throw on the glitter!  When it is completely covered in glitter, seal it with a clear topcoat.  Good as new!!!


New, improved shoes!
A few warnings: the glitter version will be stiffer than the original pair, so you might want to ease into wearing them post-glitter.  And, second, glitter finds its way everywhere, so you might want to complete the bulk of this process outside!  Even after you seal the shoes, glitter does come off, so keep that in mind.

I love the shape and silouhette of my Mary Janes, and, although I prefer the patent look, I am glad that I can still get some wear out of them.  And, what could be fancier than glittery-tootsies? 

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