Helen Lee – July 5 2005
My latest foray into DIY is to turn my red patent leather heels into something less garish. And with shoes, you want something different, something individual that everyone else doesn’t have. Plus I had no pretty winter shoes I wanted to wear the other day…
So I figured I’d add a bit of lace to add a little dainty contrast to the harshness of patent leather. It’s part girly and part 80s.
What you will need:
- About half a metre of lace
- Hobby / craft glue
- Corse bristled paintbrush
- Stick tape
Step 1
Dig up some lace lying around the house. Don’t have any? Go buy half a metre of a pretty pattern you like. Also make sure you have some hobby/craft glue (not superglue though, it dries a bit too fast to work with properly).
Step 2
If you have more than one type of lace, put them up against the shoe to see how it looks. I went with the ivory beige coloured lace because it was a little bit more subtle, but its up to you what you want to use.
Step 3
When you have decided on which pattern you want, put the lace on the shoe, and tape in place with some sticky tape at the sole of the shoe. Make sure it’s secure and the lace is sitting flat on the shoe with no bumps or lumps.
Step 4
Now with a corse bristle paintbrush, “paint” the glue on the lace. If your lace is thick like the white lace pictured above, it is best if you put the glue under the lace as it is less likely to stick through all the way to the surface of the shoe.
Step 5
When you are finished with both shoes, leave them to dry for about 15 – 20 minutes, more if your lace is thick. Then get a stanley knife and cut off the excess lace along the sole of the shoe so that it ends in a nice even line.
Step 5
You’re done! Now just pair them with a pair of jeans and top for an outfit that’s great for day or night.