Does anyone even wear solid white Vans anymore? I feel like they are just a blank canvas begging for personal touch and hand-painted customization!
I hand painted this pair of Vans in my private group, Curiously Creative, with a fun summer fruit vibe.
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The Design Plan
I found my inspiration from napkins and a wallpaper pattern.
I wanted my fruits to be bright and my background to be more muted.
So I chose my color palette based on that and got started.
Supplies Used
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Hand Painted Vans: Summer Fruit
Prepping for the Hand Painted Design
Prepping the shoes is as easy as lightly spritzing them with water and brushing it into the canvas as if you are painting it. I really like this continous mist spray bottle!
I then painted each panel in a color from my chosen palette which was Dixie Belle Blue, The Gulf and Soft Pink.
Drawing on the Design
For the fruits.....I drew each fruit using a sharpened pencil.
I drew cherries with stems, strawberries, orange slices and watermelon.
Hand Painting the Summer Fruit Vans
I then just relaxed and enjoyed filling in each little fruit drawing with paint as if I were coloring in a coloring book.
Tiny little craft brushes make a big difference in how easy this project can be.
These would make a great gift! I have 30+ other unique hand painted gift ideas for you here!
Finishing Touching and Heat Set for a Lasting Finish
When completely dry I did use my medium tip Posca marker in black to outline the fruits.
I also used the white Posca pen to highlight my little cherries.
These markers require being heat set (in my opinion) so I use my heat gun for this but you can also toss your shoes in the drier for a cycle.
Once they were heat set I sealed my art with a single brushed on coat of Easy Peasy Spray Wax.
The Finished Look: Summer Fruit Hand Painted Vans
And voila!
They are SO summery and SO much cuter than just a plain white boring pair of Vans!!!
More Inspiration: Painted Canvas Shoes
I love painting canvas shoes! And I have several other past projects to share with you. Here are some additional designs for your inspiration:
Painted Cheer Shoes - love some school spirit!
Painted Shoes as Gifts - lots of designs in one blogs
Whimsical Painted Shoes - from boring to fancy!
Collegiate Splatter Shoes - love for your favorite college
School Spirit Painted Shoes - football & cheer spirit shoes
Pirate School Spirit - more bright and bold school spirit
Click on any photo below for more up-close photos and all the design details
How can I help with YOUR Painted Canvas project?
Paint Your Own Project
If you would like to paint your own canvas/denim project but would like more (video) instruction, I have a very detailed (and affordable) course, Denim Painting 101, that guides you through all the steps to create your own canvas/denim. This 1.5+ hour course gives you all the tricks and tips to make it look great and just as importantly make it LAST through the wash!
Allow ME to paint it for YOU!
I offer a variety of painted canvas & denim projects that I custom create for you! You provide the vision, we collaborate on the final look, and I create a beautiful lasting piece just for you! See all my painted denim/canvas offerings HERE.
JOIN ME FOR MORE...with Curiously Creative
If you enjoyed this and want more of a deep dive into home decor and DIY processes, I would love it if you joined my exclusive online creative group, Curiously Creative. I show up LIVE to guide you through every step of updating, upcycling, crafting, and creating on-trend home decor and gift-giving ideas!
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