Dyeable Shoes

Preparing for your quinceanera is filled with many chores, planning and purchasing of your special dress, and all the accouterments that go with that. But, what if, horrors of horrors you cannot afford shoes to match your incredibly beautiful dress? The answer lies in dyed shoes, of course, but they are expensive.

Hence, do it yourself dyeable shoes. Ok, let's get started. If you are looking for gold or silver shoes, the work is even easier than you imagine, for you can easily turn your very favorite pair of heels, sandals, pumps or sling-backs into sumptuous gold or metallic silver quinceanera shoes. You are going to spray paint those shoes. Say what? That's right.

Take any plastic, fake leather or real leather shoes in any existing color and change them into gold or silver shoes for the price of a can of spray paint. Clean the shoes first if needed, and apply masking tape to any parts that are not to be silver or gold, such as buckles and such, and spray away! Of course, do not forget to cover up the soles and the insides of the shoe. Simple wasn't it?

By the way no matter what kinds of shoes you buy, remember that you will probably be standing for long periods of time, or dancing the night away, thus be sure and either dye or paint your shoes early enough to break them in so your shoes are comfortable for the great event.

All right, what if you need a different color than silver or gold? In that case you should look for fabric-covered shoes since they usually come in white, which is in actuality a true absence of color. These then may be dyed, or colored, to match or go together with your special gown. The fabric used on most fabric-covered shoes is pre-shrunk, so the material will not be subject to shrinkage.

Interestingly enough natural products such as red beet juice, coffee grounds, and even tobacco leaves or carrot juice can be used to color such shoes, however it is more reliable to purchase a superior shoe dye that's particular designed to use on fabric shoes. Search the Internet to find the right shade and quality.

Be careful and pick out the exact shade you desire, as shoes can only be dyed once unless you wish to resort to black for that will cover up any errors. Another caveat is to be sure and spray the shoes with water repellent after they have been dyed, as dyed shoes will run if wet and that can be horribly embarrassing to a new woman!

Onward with the dye job now. Work on a newspaper-covered surface, and line the insides of the shoes with white tissue paper to keep the dye from coloring the insides. With your hands covered in plastic gloves, start the dye job at the back seam and work your way around the shoe with gentle even strokes. Once coated see if you've reached the right shade. If you wish the shade to be darker apply another coat, keeping in mind that each successive coat will make the shoes darker and darker. Now, allow them to completely dry and wear them in pleasure!