So you have some old shoes that aren’t really attractive to you anymore. What do you do? Why not try covering them in fabric?
Below are my simple steps for creating one-of-a-kind altered shoes.
You probably won’t need to follow step one, but I had a bow and some extra fabric to get rid of before I could use these shoes.
Materials required to DIY fabric covered shoes
Fabric covered shoes (you can ModPodge on leather, but they must be treated first with a leather deglazer to remove the protective sealant)
White acrylic paint & brush (I painted a white base coat which helps the fabric adhere but also ensures the bright colour of the shoes won’t show through the fabric after.)
Mod Podge & brush
Fabric & pins
Paper towel or newsprint to make pattern
Floral embellishments & glue (if you are adding them)
DIY fabric covered shoes
A few tips…
When making your pattern make it a little larger so you can fold the edges into the shoe. For curves making a small cut in the fabric will make it fit smoother on the shoe. You can see this on the inside fold above.
Adding an extra layer of ModPodge at the end protects the fabric but it also makes the shoe a bit stiff. If you know you won’t be getting them wet I might suggest avoiding that step for a softer more natural feeling shoe.
These turned out so great I’m currently on the lookout for some more fabric shoes at a thrift store so I can make some black and white gingham pumps.
If you try this let me know! I’d love to see how your shoes turn out.
What a great tutorial Suzanne! Thanks for sharing! Now I’ll be on a mission to find fabric shoes at the thrift store too. I think a pair of black and white gingham shoes will be brilliant with many of your spring dresses!
Oh my gosh, I love this! I don’t even know if I have a pair I don’t like any more but I need to try this. Thank you for sharing your tip.
What a cute idea! Thanks for sharing, Suzanne!
This is so fantastic – and resourceful! But yet again I just know if I tried it disaster would ensue… I’d probably do the second one alright but the first would be horrendous!
I love these, and so appreciate that you can do this.
I could too! But…
I would have paint on the floor, and a husband with a pin stuck in the left sole of his foot, the dog would eat the fabric, and I would get glue on a favorite pair of jeans or my rug. Something would go awry, but I read this with great interest!
Great DIY, love the patterned shoes, Good thing I am smiled shopper!
xx, Elle
http://mydailycostume.com
Ha ha!
Great project, and results, Suzanne! I am in awe of your DIY skills.xo
So cool. I admire your DIY spirit. I lack the skills for stuff like this.
Lovely job! Love the combination of dark brown (with spots!) and floral. You wouldn’t find that combination in the shops.
I like the use of paper towel for a pattern. I would have skipped that step and wouldn’t have done as well.
Enjoy wearing them!
Gingham shoes also sound amazing. Show us when you’re done!
xo Jazzy Jack
You make this look so easy. But I know mine would not look like this. I may have to start with a picture frame first. They turned out beautiful, did you have to cut the bow off your shoes?
Alice
http://www.happinessatmidlife.com
Just with scissors. It was fabric that was stitched on.
These are brilliant and look wonderful in fact, they look a million times better than those Irregular Choice ones people go mental for! Great tutorial. Good idea about tracing a pattern with a paper towel. xxx
Very smart, but I will leave this up to you. I am not very handy in the crafts department.
Greetje
What an awesome DIY! The shoes are so cute 🙂
Did you happen to have any issues with the fabric lifting later off the shoe?
I thought I put enough Mod Podge on the ones i did but after a couple of wears, the fabric started to lift off….any suggestions are appreciated :0)
I didn’t have that issue but then again I didn’t wear the shoes a ton. Maybe try out a shoe repair guy? Sorry I can’t be of more help.