DIY: sparkling sneakers

what you need

- Plain white sneakers
- Masking tape
- Paintbrush
- Three or four bottles of Martha Stewart glitter in the same color family, ranging from light to dark. The darkest glitter can also be a bit chunkier than the other ones for an interesting accent.
- Setacolor Silver Glitter Finish fabric paint
- Mod-Podge Sealer in Gloss finish
- Four small plastic or disposable plates

tape shoe soles

Apply the masking tape over any parts of the shoe that you do not want to paint. Be sure to cover all of the soles. Take care to smooth the tape down so that you don't leave any gaps along the top.

remove shoe laces

Remove the laces from the shoes, then pour a large glob of the silver glitter paint into the plate.

start with the lightest glitter

Pour a large amount of the lightest color of glitter into the paint. It's important to work from the lightest color to the darkest.

stir the glitter into the paint

Stir up the glitter/paint mixture. You want it to have a somewhat grainy consistency, but you don't want the paint to be dry or chunky. Adjust the amount of glitter and paint until you have a nice mix.

paint 1/3 of the shoe

Paint about one third of the shoe with the silver glitter mixture, being sure to get every part of the canvas. When you get to the 1/3 mark, brush the paintbrush back and forth to blur the end line of the silver paint. This will help the ombre effect to look more natural.

pour more paint

Using a clean plate, pour another glob of silver glitter paint into the plate.

start with second color of glitter

Pour a large amount of the second lightest color of glitter into the paint.

mix glitter and paint well

Mix well, and make any adjustments to the consistency.

begin painting the second color

Start painting the second color about half an inch behind where the first color ended, so that the first and second colors overlap and blend together. Paint the third color until just before the shoe laces stop, and blend out the edges. Be sure to pull out the tongues of the shoes and paint them as well.

mix the darkest color

Mix the next darkest color with the paint on a clean plate.

mix glitter and paint well

Be sure to get a nice consistency!

finish painting

If you're using three colors of glitter, paint the remainder of the shoe. If you're using four colors, save some space at the toe. Use the same overlap technique with the middle color to ensure the shades blend well. For this pair, I used a fourth color of chunky glitter, and applied it just at the toes for a fun accent.

seal the paint

Pour a bit of Mod-Podge onto a clean plate. Make sure your brush is clean!

And your Sneaker's Ready!

the finished sneakers

Replace the laces, and allow the shoes to dry overnight.