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09.19

Boat Shoe Embellishment Tutorial

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Written by Jessica of The Ladyette.

boat shoes 16boat shoes 17  boat shoes 15 boat shoes 13

 

I’ve had a pair of boat shoes for several years.  I wore them out in college and then even when they looked like they were on their last life line, I just couldn’t bear to throw them out.  So naturally, that means they need some sprucing up.  A little embellishment.  Some polka dot fabric, metallic ribbon, and an afternoon later these boat shoes had a second life.

boat shoes 01

boat shoes 02

Boat Shoe Embellishment Tutorial

Supplies Needed: a pair of boat shoes, scrap fabric, Mod Podge, a sponge brush, scissors, a utility (or exacto) knife, and approximately 30-35″ of metallic ribbonboat shoes 03

Step 1: Using the scissors, cut your pieces of scrap fabric into a size and shape similar to the area of the boat shoe being covered.  This is as simple as laying the fabric over top of the shoe and cutting out a shape.  It doesn’t have to be perfect because it will be trimmed later.

boat shoes 04

Step 2: Make sure the surface area of the shoe is clean and remove the laces.  Using the sponge brush, apply a thick layer of Mod Podge to the area of the shoe that will be covered in fabric.  For hard to reach areas like the tongue of the shoe, it can be easier to work in sections.  In this case, I covered the toe area in glue, moved on to step 3, then came back and started at step 2 again with the tongue.

boat shoes 05

Step 3: Place the fabric over the area covered in glue.  Make sure to rub it down firmly and smooth out any bumps or bubbles.  Stick your hand into the shoe and apply pressure from both the top and bottom to be sure it the glue will hold.  It will need about ten minutes to dry enough to move on, so repeat step 2 in other areas at this time.

boat shoes 06

Step 4: Trim the excess fabric around the glued area.  This can be done with the utility knife or the scissors, whichever you are more comfortable with.  If you notice edges not being fully glued down, go back and add more glue and hold them in place until it has begun to dry.

boat shoes 07 boat shoes 08

Step 5: Using the sponge brush again, apply a moderate coat of Mod Podge to the top of the fabric.  Cover all the edges to prevent fraying.  The Mod Podge will dry clear and will act as a sealer for the fabric.  To work with the tongue area, I used the old laces to hold the flaps back by running the laces through the holes and tying them underneath the shoe.  Apply the Mod Podge to the back edges of the tongue so the fabric can be wrapped around behind for a finished look.  Apply some Mod Podge over top of all the fabric behind the tongue as well.boat shoes 09 boat shoes 10

Step 6: Allow about one hour for all of the Mod Podge to fully dry.  Once dry, remove the old laces holding the flaps back.  Cut the ribbon into two equal pieces and lace the shoes to your liking.

boat shoes 11 boat shoes 12 boat shoes 14 boat shoes 13

Done!  Now these much loved boat shoes can take one last spin at life, and look quite a bit fancier!

boat shoes 18

2 Comments | Tutorials

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Reader Interactions

2 Comments

  1. Trend-mixblog

    09/20 at 1:10 PM

    I love how these came out! It looks really easy to pull off too! Thanks for the tutorial! :)

  2. hannah

    10/09 at 8:11 AM

    These are awesome, I really should get some modge-podge – everyone seems to be using it but me!

    https://www.etsy.com/shop/WhyDidIMakeThat

    http://whydidimakethat.blogspot.co.uk/

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