Hand Painted Vans: Dalmatian Hearts.

The laid back surfer girl shoe style of choice is a classic, yet canvas shoes often take a worse for the wear. With tears, rips, and toe holes over time, they often need some cheering up. These worn in shoes can be easily spruced up with some fabric paint, a patch, magazine cut outs, or even some hand stitching and sewing. I first fell in love with the idea of revamping Vans when my cousin Jenna hand stitched brightly colored thread over the tears and holes in her well loved navy blue Vans slip ons. I would always ask to borrow those shoes when I would visit her. They made me feel ever so thrifty and cool. Just as any young high schooler wanted to feel at the age of 14 and 15. And although I don't need shoes to help me feel this way any longer, they are still thrifty and cool ten + years later. And yes, she still has them (see below).

I'm not the first to hand paint canvas lace ups, and I'm definitely not the last. There are some really cute ideas out there, and I'm sure even more to be blogged about. You can see some other canvas shoe revamps here, here, and here. For my personalized canvas shoes, I decided to go with Dalmatian hearts. Black silhoutted shapes printed on neutral tones has been a trend popping up over the past few seasons. I have loved seeing prints of horses, polkadots, and foxes in black and white prints. One of my favorites is the hand stamped pony print dress over at ABM. To Hand Paint Dalmatian Hearts: 1. Gather your fine tipped paintbrush, matte soft fabric paint, and your canvas shoes. 2. Outline hearts on the front/toe area of your shoe. I used the seam as a border of where I kept my hearts, keeping the area around the laces heart free.  You could also make and use a stencil if you like! 3. Fill in the hearts with more paint,  using your paint brush, adding touch ups and making the hearts a better shape if need be. 4. Allow a few hours for your shoes to dry. 5. Slip in your feet and get ready to be ever so cute in your dalmatian heart shoes. Care Instructions: This is the same fabric paint I've used when painting tea towels for my kitchen. After countless washes, the paint has not come of and it does not spread. Hand wash cold, air dry. (BTW That adorable puppy still needs a name. Suggestions welcomed. And no he is not mine, although I wish! He belongs to my neighbors so at least I can borrow him.)

photo credit

For more of your peep-toe-problems, cast your woes over Jenna's blog 

for some ideas to keep your toes tappin' and your feet 

from catching a cold (holes can do that to ya).

XO,

Lauren (& Jenna!)

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