Where are my 80's girls? I can't claim to be an 80's girl but I can claim to be an 80's mom and my kids wore their fair share of splatter paint t-shirts!
And I may or may not have worn a splatter painted leotard to my aerobic class!
So when my daughter-in-law asked me to splatter paint my granddaughters high-top Converse tennis shoes for their art themed birthday party....well....you know my answer!
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The Design Plan - Splatter Painting Shoes
Sling painting. Splatter painting. It is easy peasy!!
So why write a blog about it?
Because I did learn a thing or two when painting the TWO pair and I thought I could share the process with you and help you to not make the same mistakes.
Supplies Used
Shoes (or any item to paint)
Paint of your choice. I used the following...
Neon Acrylics (green, hot pink, bold yellow)
Water
Small cups or bowls to mix paint and water
Craft Brush (small craft size delivers perfect amount of paint)
Painters Tape
Blocked off area (this is messy)
An apron (there is plenty of BACK splatter)
*Don't own a lazy susan? I can show you how to make your own lazy-susan in less than 15 minutes!
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Two Methods: one works better and one is more fun!
I painted one pair of converse using the lazy-susan method. WE painted the second pair of converse on a live video and I held the shoes while Matt slung the paint!
I will admit my more controlled version on the lazy susan turned out better but the "couples paint slinging" was a heck of a lot more fun!!! If you missed it, you can watch the LIVE video here.
FIVE Easy Steps to Splatter Painting Shoes (or any item)
1. Set up your paint splattering location
I used a cardboard box and a paint canvas surround for the lazy-susan pair. We hung plastic draping for the couples paint splatter session. Both worked great to contain the mess.
2. Prep the shoes
Begin by removing the laces from the shoes.
Tape off any area on the shoe that you do not want paint on.
On one pair, I even taped off the back side of the shoe tongue and inside the ankle area.
While this did keep those areas free of paint, the paint still splattered deep inside the shoe.
Pro Tip: Filling the shoe with a wad of paper would be helpful to avoid paint inside the shoe.
I forgot to tape off the Converse circle logo on the ankles of one of the pairs of shoes....but it was easily wiped away with a baby wipe afterward.
Once fully taped off simply place your shoes on the spinning plate/lazy-susan.
3. Choose your paint colors
Pour your selected paint into small bowls or cups that will allow you to slightly dilute with water. I used chalk mineral paint by Dixie Belle for the blues, light pink, and red and acrylic paint for the neon colors.
Chalk mineral paint required very little water. In fact, if you use too much water it soaks into the canvas of the shoe and doesn't show up very well.
Pro Tip: For best results, add VERY little water to chalk mineral paint.
Acrylic paint required quite a bit of water and a lot of stirring to get to a desired consistency. But the neons look amazing!
4. Time to Splatter Paint!!
PUT ON YOUR APRON NOW! Don't kid yourself into thinking the paint will only splatter forward. This is NOT the case. It splatters in all directions!
Now just dip and sling.....dip and splatter!
I used one color at a time on one shoe at a time....splattered a bit.....rotated the plate slightly....splattered some more.....until I'd made my way around the shoe.
I then lifted that shoe off the plate and repeated this process with the second shoe while that same color was on my brush.
I did this with each color, on each shoe, saving the neon colors for last as I really wanted them to pop!
More Inspiration: All the Painted Shoes
Over the years, I have painted canvas shoes with many different styles. Check out these blogs for ways to personalize your shoes without all the splatter MESS!
Painted Cheer Shoes - an easy DIY tutorial for your favorite cheerleader
Painted Canvas Shoes - a variety for fun and bold styles
Whimsical Painted Shoes - these Alice in Wonderland inspired shoes are not to be missed!
And of course, I have an entire blog dedicated to painted canvas bags as the perfect personalized DIY gifts!
Did I mention that I've also painted LEATHER cowboy boots!
5. Allow amble time to dry
Once I'd splattered all colors, I let the shoes sit in place to dry. I used this time to capture a few videos and photos with the tape still in place.
The chalk mineral paint dried really quickly. The acrylic paint took a bit longer to dry.
Once fully dry, I removed the tape and VOILA! I restrung the shoe laces and that was it!!
The Finished Splattered Painted Look
Aren't they adorable? I took the photos pool side so you could see them up close!
But look how cute they look on my granddaughters Kinsey and Kambree!! Their momma said they LOVE them!
And just for fun......this is how cute I look after being splatter painted! LOL!
I will say that Matt thoroughly enjoyed throwing paint at me! So it was totally worth the fact that I found paint in strange places for days...even though I was fully covered!
Have fun revisiting the 1980's! Don't forget to tag me on your social media post when you share your splatter painted creations!!
More Inspiration: Painted Shoes
It's hard to believe that I have so many blogs dedicated to painting shoes...but I do! I'll paint anything I can get my hands on. Lol! Here are more truly unique painted shoes for your inspiration:
Painted Cheer Shoes - an easy DIY tutorial for your favorite cheerleader
Painted Canvas Shoes - a variety for fun and bold different styles
Whimsical Painted Shoes - these Alice in Wonderland inspired shoes are not to be missed!
And of course, I have an entire blog dedicated to painted canvas bags as the perfect personalized DIY gifts!
Did I also mention that I've also painted leather cowboy boots!
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