From That to This: Neon Flats DIY

We are getting ready to move (again) and Jeff and I have been going through piles of clothes + shoes to decide whether they are keep, toss, or donate. But as we started to go through everything, I realized I needed to create a forth pile: things to DIY with before we leave. This pair of shoes is the first of those DIYs. I found them in the back of our closet and I don’t think I’ve worn them more than once or twice because they are a little too plain. I like fun flats!

So I found a couple of neon paint pens in my craft cabinet and did a little makeover. Here’s how you can recreate this look with your own pair of shoes.

Materials:

1. old pair of shoes (mine are Ecote – got ’em on sale for $19.99 from Urban Outfitters)
2. neon paint pens (I used these exact ones from Amazon) that can used on textiles

Here’s How to Make Them:

1. Find a pair of shoes that you want to makeover and make sure they are clean from debris. If they’re in the back of your closet, they may have accumulated a little dust. Just be sure to wipe them down first.
2. Grab one of your paint pens and get to work!
3. I had a semi-complicated leather detail on my shoes that I wanted to paint and the leather pieces overlapped one another. So I painted the “under” areas first and let them dry before painting the “over” areas.
4. Move onto the other shoe. And then circle back and give the first shoes another coat of paint if necessary. I did two coats for my pair.
5. Finish up with coat number two on the second shoes. Let them dry. And you are ready to hit the streets!

I am so glad I did this mini-makeover. Now I’ll wear these flats all the time.

Here are a couple of photos of the finished shoes…

What do you think?

Will you be trying a neon project like this on an old pair of kicks?

Let me know in the comments section below.