Shine on you crazy diamond, pt. 2

Remember those green glittered shoes? These? I ended up returning them (and sold the other shoes I bought that day. It was fail all around). I just couldn't make the sizing work, and for St. Patrick's Day-esque shoes, I wasn't really willing to make it work.

I really wanted something in green glitter though, so I decided I was going to try to make them myself with a pair of shoes I got on clearance at Target awhile ago. Armed with some really good tips from the D.I.Y. thread in the Louboutin subforum of the Purse forum, I stopped by JoAnn Fabrics and picked up some green glitter and tacky glue. Then to a hardware store for some tape to tape off the parts I didn't want to get glitter on.

I taped off the bottom and inside of the shoes in preparation, like many had recommended before starting.


First I used tacky glue that I applied with a spatula. It was really time consuming and kind of messy. I ended up going out and getting tacky glue that had a built in brush attached to it. This was so much quicker and easier, not to mention way less waste/mess.

All said and done, it took maybe an hour for both (probably 45 minutes for the first shoe, and 15 for the second which I completed maybe a month later after I unlazied enough to finish them).

Lessons learned? I didn't tape off the second shoe. For dyeing shoes, I think it's totally appropriate and necessary, but for glue and glitter I realized I didn't need to -- the glitter got everywhere anyhow. If I decide to do another pair of glittered shoes, I would definitely get a mix of fine AND chunky glitter. I think it would lay better and have a better textured look. This looks a little clumpy to me.

The ladies in the D.I.Y. thread swear by Gem Tac, but I couldn't find it in-store. Perhaps next time, as I hear it's really nice and easy to work with. I did like the Aleene's tacky glue with the brush, though.

These shoes aren't nearly as fabulous as the originals, but I had fun doing them and I saved an embarrassing amount of money by doing them myself. Next up in D.I.Y.? Probably dyeing a nude pair of shoes black to make them more everyday. When I get brave enough, I want to work with crystals.