One of the first DIYs I remember doing as a kid was adding puff paints to a pair of white canvas sneakers. My clever mom would buy us white sneakers from Payless and let us decorate them any way we wanted. I loved the idea of transforming the shoes into anything I wanted, and that still holds true.
Here’s how to give new love to shoes that have been sitting in the closet all winter long. Use your favorite colors to customize shoes for the 4th of July (or any other occasion)!
Glitter ombré DIY shoes
What you’ll need:
- White sneakers
- Modpodge
- Glitter
- Tape
- Paintbrush
“Cover it in glitter” is my life motto. This hack is especially useful for shoes that are discolored or scuffed up. To start, cover the sole of the shoes in tape so that the glitter stays on the canvas part of the shoe. Mix equal parts Modpodge with glitter, and paint the mixture onto the shoes.
For this project, I did a red, white and blue glitter ombré. I started with red at the heel and blended it into the blue. I let the blue glitter fade into the white of the canvas, but you might want to add white glitter there. I thought the color would blend into the shoe, but after wearing them, I think the texture of the glitter would make the shoes feel more complete.
I’m loving these sneakers because they are like fireworks on my feet! Switch up the colors for any holiday or celebration, or stick to solid gold or silver glitter for sneakers you can just wear whenever you want.
MORE: Throwing an epic 4th of July party: A beginner’s guide
Pom-pom DIY shoes
What you’ll need:
- Strappy sandals
- Embroidery floss
- Pom-poms
- Pom-pom trim
- Hot glue gun
It’s summer, so we can’t leave out the sandal! Sandal DIYs are so fun because you can do so many things to create flair. Here, I added all three of my favorite sandal hacks onto one pair to make the ultimate summer accessory.
For this DIY, the hot-glue gun will be your best friend. I used it to place the red pom-poms on the front strap of the sandal and to secure the embroidery floss wrapping. When wrapping the straps with embroidery floss, always tie the floss in place and then secure the knot with hot glue. Wrap, wrap and keep wrapping to create color-blocked sections on the straps.
Finish off the top strap of the sandal with pom-pom trim and tassels. To create a tassel:
- Wrap the embroidery floss around two of your fingers about 30 times.
- Take the loop off your fingers.
- Weave a smaller piece of string through the loop and tie to hold the whole piece together.
- Wrap another piece of thread around the top of the floss to create the head of the tassel; tie tightly.
- Cut through the loops at the bottom to turn it into a tassel.
I glued these tassels in the spaces of the pom-pom trim to let the red, white and blue colors shine.
MORE: Make your own circular American flag towel & be the coolest at the pool
From glitter and pom-poms to tassels and embroidery thread blocking, there are so many DIY ways to customize shoes for summer. And we promise: They will be the talk of any summer barbecue you attend.